Brian Cashman Performance Thread 2.0

[flymick24]

Btw, I know our stadium is tailor made for left handed hitters, but needs to start finding some righty hitters who won't suddenly become porch hungry and start changing their swing and becoming low average, high K hitters (ala granderson and teixeira)

[BronxBombers92]

Btw, I know our stadium is tailor made for left handed hitters, but needs to start finding some righty hitters who won't suddenly become porch hungry and start changing their swing and becoming low average, high K hitters (ala granderson and teixeira)

Anyway we could trade for Evan Longoria? That's a move I'd make

[Black Sabbathia]

I think it's entirely possible to "gut" the offense (lose Swisher, Granderson, maybe Martin, move A-Rod to full time DH and bring in an everyday 3B) and still compete at the top of the AL next year. Don't throw $$$ at the problems, don't try to put band-aids on gaping wounds....but the team certainly has the resources to remake itself on the fly with some ingenuity and creativity.

Do I think it will happen? Maybe. Despite the best record in the AL and an ALCS appearance, I would hope these playoffs have been an eye opener to the FO and a catalyst to change the status quo

[Gigi Buffon]

Lots of work ahead of you this winter, baldy

Gotta find a new C, LF, RF, and DH

I'd like them to keep Martin.

[JL25and3]

I'd like them to keep Martin.

Yeah, I have some confidence that he can bounce back to hit .240ish next year. That'll do.

[BennyTheJetRodriguez]

I don't think an everyday 3Bman is necessary. A-Rod still fields the position well. I think Marco Scutaro is a good fit to caddy 3B & SS

Hamilton and Melky will likely be discounted because of their drug problems. Go after them and make Melky a swing/4th OFer... I'm half kidding

If Martin is willing to take a big pay cut, I'm cool with him. If he's not laugh at him and send him on his way.

[yanksftw]

I think it's entirely possible to "gut" the offense (lose Swisher, Granderson, maybe Martin, move A-Rod to full time DH and bring in an everyday 3B) and still compete at the top of the AL next year. Don't throw $$$ at the problems, don't try to put band-aids on gaping wounds....but the team certainly has the resources to remake itself on the fly with some ingenuity and creativity.

Do I think it will happen? Maybe. Despite the best record in the AL and an ALCS appearance, I would hope these playoffs have been an eye opener to the FO and a catalyst to change the status quo

that's asking for a lot and not the way to build sustainable success.

I rather we jus blow it up and start from scratch by focusing on scouting and youth development. The reason yankees have had such a glorious run is because the core group of jeter, rivera, posada, etc and this is the first year where we will end the season where none of those players are on the field.

Cashman is always interested in proving to the public that he's a smart gm and not just winning cause of yankees payroll this hubris compels him toward these basic lottery pick moves like Cone, Ichiro, Colon etc, where the downside is obvious so he would be praised if the move turned out to be fruitful but not chastsied if it don't work out.

but if he allocated the yankee resources effectively we would never be in position of needing these one year gap stops. He's not using yankees' institutional advantages effectively

[rajah]

Management has expected Cashman to put a winning, playoff team on the field every year, not to rebuild for a couple of years.

That requires him to make trades like the one that brought Granderson here for Jackson, and letting Damon and Matsui go to get younger in the OF wiht Grandy and Gardner. It may move him to give up a lot, perhaps too much, for Upton this off season, again to get somewhat younger. He may have a larger payroll, but he also has a tougher mandate. It is a lot easier to go through cycles than to stay on top.

Having said that, I think it is possible that a smart Yankee ownership could agree to a couple of transition years as preferable to an alternative of trying to get younger and stay competitive simultaneously.

[Black Sabbathia]

A-Rod definitely still plays 3B well, but in the interest of keeping him healthy and in the longview of having him under contract for 5 more years I think the team would be better off with him DHing and limiting his innings in the field. The splits this year showed that he hit better when DHing.....he's in his late 30's.....preserve his legs and let him focus on hitting, it's the right move to make IMO

I advocated exploring a Chase Headley trade before the deadline this year, with the idea that it would help A-Rod stay fresh. I think his price will be pretty high now this off-season because he had a really good year, but he's a player I'd love to see them go after and I wouldn't hesitate to part with prospects for

[gold23]

that's asking for a lot and not the way to build sustainable success.

I rather we jus blow it up and start from scratch by focusing on scouting and youth development. The reason yankees have had such a glorious run is because the core group of jeter, rivera, posada, etc and this is the first year where we will end the season where none of those players are on the field.

Cashman is always interested in proving to the public that he's a smart gm and not just winning cause of yankees payroll this hubris compels him toward these basic lottery pick moves like Cone, Ichiro, Colon etc, where the downside is obvious so he would be praised if the move turned out to be fruitful but not chastsied if it don't work out.

but if he allocated the yankee resources effectively we would never be in position of needing these one year gap stops. He's not using yankees' institutional advantages effectively

I think he allocated the resources quite well. He's stuck with a huge amount of payroll that is not moveable and not optimal in terms of performance. He needs to create flexibility and fill the spots that typically open every year, and he's needed to do it for a lot less $ the last few years. The Yanks have missed the playoffs exactly ONCE since 1995. Only the Braves can sniff that track record, and they are still not close.

The postseason is a crapshoot, and they've won five times since '96, four under his watch. Yes, it's easier as GM of the Yankees to put together a winning team, but as this club has aged he has effectively replaced players. Kuroda was a steal and everyone knew it the second he signed, the Montero trade was a good trade that may or may not work out due to injuries, Ibanez turned out to be a good trade, Chavez has worked out, he's consistently built a very good bullpen (even in the face of the loss of the greatest reliever of all time, it was a solid pen this year), etc. This team had Andy Pettite out for a long stretch, A-rod down for a long stretch, Tex down for a long stretch, Gardner missing pretty much the whole year, and Mo missing pretty much the whole year....and they finished with the best record in the AL. That doesn't happen unless you create depth on your roster.

[False1]

A-Rod definitely still plays 3B well, but in the interest of keeping him healthy and in the longview of having him under contract for 5 more years I think the team would be better off with him DHing and limiting his innings in the field. The splits this year showed that he hit better when DHing.....he's in his late 30's.....preserve his legs and let him focus on hitting, it's the right move to make IMO

I advocated exploring a Chase Headley trade before the deadline this year, with the idea that it would help A-Rod stay fresh. I think his price will be pretty high now this off-season because he had a really good year, but he's a player I'd love to see them go after and I wouldn't hesitate to part with prospects for

I think they probably have considered this, and probably will do so with even more rigor given what we saw this year. Headley is a logical target, and I'd bet there was at least some exploratory discussion at some point. I think the price would have been high before this offseason though. I think it's inevitable that if the Yankees were to go after this they'd be paying a ton.

[BronxBombers92]

I think they probably have considered this, and probably will do so with even more rigor given what we saw this year. Headley is a logical target, and I'd bet there was at least some exploratory discussion at some point. I think the price would have been high before this offseason though. I think it's inevitable that if the Yankees were to go after this they'd be paying a ton.

I would LOVE to pickup Headley, IMO he's exactly something we need, not asinine power (40+ homeruns/200 strikeouts), but still has good average and pop

I'd also like to take a good look at Zobrist on the Rays as a replacement for Swisher

Obviously I'd go after Headley if I had to chose one, but it wouldn't hurt to look around for an OF we could make a move on

We have to remember too, Granderson has bonuses in his contract that will drive up his salary next year to I believe $15 Mil, who knows if the Yanks will pick that up

[just-blaze]

I would LOVE to pickup Headley, IMO he's exactly something we need, not asinine power (40+ homeruns/200 strikeouts), but still has good average and pop

I'd also like to take a good look at Zobrist on the Rays as a replacement for Swisher

Obviously I'd go after Headley if I had to chose one, but it wouldn't hurt to look around for an OF we could make a move on

We have to remember too, Granderson has bonuses in his contract that will drive up his salary next year to I believe $15 Mil, who knows if the Yanks will pick that up

You keep mentioning the Rays as if they will trade with us. It will be a cold day in hell before Friedman gives up cost effective players for anything short of the whole Yankee minor leagues with a new stadium that the Steinbrenners will fund.

Last trade we tried to do with them (when they had that greasy car salesman of a GM) involved us asking for a backup catcher and them asking for Soriano/Johnson.

[SatchelPaigeYankee]

I'd also like to take a good look at Zobrist on the Rays as a replacement for Swisher

he makes 5 mil next yr, and then has two options for 7 mil a year. He put up an .848 OPS with 15 SB, 20 HR, 39 doubles, and 7 triples in 157 games. He played 540 innings in RF, 400 at 2B, and 400 at SS*.


what in the world could the Yankees possibly offer the Rays for Ben Zobrist?


*for comparison, Jeter's OPS was .791 and his defense was probably worse than Zobrist's.

[gold23]

I'd go after a Shane Victorino. Had a poor year for him, but is exactly the type of player I'd like to see in pinstripes. He'll be 32. Plays a good defense, tremendous baserunner, switch hitter, puts the ball in play at a very high rate, etc. Really creates some flexibility for a club.

[flymick24]

I'd go after a Shane Victorino. Had a poor year for him, but is exactly the type of player I'd like to see in pinstripes. He'll be 32. Plays a good defense, tremendous baserunner, switch hitter, puts the ball in play at a very high rate, etc. Really creates some flexibility for a club.

having both him and gardner as starting OFers would create one of the weaker OF offensive alignments in recent memory

[Battingly]

Cashman should not be commenting on who might start and who might sit.

When Jeter went down, it was not his place to say Nix will start in Jeter's place.

And while I agree on sitting Swisher and starting Gardner, its not Cashman's place to make that decision either.

If he wants to make the lineup card, then he should put on a uniform and manage the team, otherwise worry about your own job, acquiring talent, and let the manager worry about who starts and who sits.

It just really irked me the other night when Cashman stuck his nose where it didn't belong and immediately anointed Jayson Nix the starter.

What if Girardi wanted to sleep on it and maybe start Nunez instead?

I really hope he is not micro-managing the team, because he is not qualified to manage my nephews little league team.

[rajah]

he makes 5 mil next yr, and then has two options for 7 mil a year. He put up an .848 OPS with 15 SB, 20 HR, 39 doubles, and 7 triples in 157 games. He played 540 innings in RF, 400 at 2B, and 400 at SS*.


what in the world could the Yankees possibly offer the Rays for Ben Zobrist?


*for comparison, Jeter's OPS was .791 and his defense was probably worse than Zobrist's.

Don't you understand that any small market club is a farm team for the Yankees with whom Cashman should be able to trade without offering any top prospects?

Departing from the sarcasm in the last sentence, I think it is clear that what makes Cashman's job so tough is that Yankee fans have expectations of being in the playoffs, and indeed being successful in the playoffs, every year. This may be a necessary business model for the Yankees at this point in NY, but it is sure a tough mandate. Staying competitive means getting some productive players in their twenties and that requires trading the younger prospects that could avoid havng to make more of those trades in a few years. I think it may have become a vicious circle. The Yankees may need a couple of down years if they are to rebuild a championship caliber team, but does ownership think they can afford those down years?

[rajah]

Cashman should not be commenting on who might start and who might sit.

When Jeter went down, it was not his place to say Nix will start in Jeter's place.

And while I agree on sitting Swisher and starting Gardner, its not Cashman's place to make that decision either.

If he wants to make the lineup card, then he should put on a uniform and manage the team, otherwise worry about your own job, acquiring talent, and let the manager worry about who starts and who sits.

It just really irked me the other night when Cashman stuck his nose where it didn't belong and immediately anointed Jayson Nix the starter.

What if Girardi wanted to sleep on it and maybe start Nunez instead?

I really hope he is not micro-managing the team, because he is not qualified to manage my nephews little league team.

Is Girardi qualified to manage your nephew's team?

What makes you think he is more qualified than Cashman to manage a ML team? His experience playing ML ball? Personally, I think Girardi is a pretty bad manager, like most ex-ML ball players. I think many GMs would do a better job managing than the generally stupid managers we have in ML baseball today.

In any event, you have no idea whether Cashman spoke with Girardi before making those comments, or what the division of decisionmaking is within the Yankee organization.

[awy]

LOL the gm has no place to say who plays? LOL

[yanksftw]

Don't you understand that any small market club is a farm team for the Yankees with whom Cashman should be able to trade without offering any top prospects?

Departing from the sarcasm in the last sentence, I think it is clear that what makes Cashman's job so tough is that Yankee fans have expectations of being in the playoffs, and indeed being successful in the playoffs, every year. This may be a necessary business model for the Yankees at this point in NY, but it is sure a tough mandate. Staying competitive means getting some productive players in their twenties and that requires trading the younger prospects that could avoid havng to make more of those trades in a few years. I think it may have become a vicious circle. The Yankees may need a couple of down years if they are to rebuild a championship caliber team, but does ownership think they can afford those down years?

you honestly think that the fans would be more happy with years of just making the playoffs where ex ante most fans realize we have little chance of winning the whole thing rather than taking a year or two to rebuild so that we have a period of sustained legitimate chances at winning the world series?

[Battingly]

LOL the gm has no place to say who plays? LOL

No, he doesn't.

The GM's job is the acquire talent, the managers job is to decide how best to use it. He manages the day to day operations of the team, not the general manager. That said, I agree with rajah that Girardi's management skills leave much to be desired, but if thats the way Cashman or the Steinbrenner's feel, then fire him and hire a new manager, otherwise let the manager manage the team.

It just bothered me that half an hour after Game 1 ended, Cashman is out there anointing Jayson Nix the starter.

[Mr Coffee]

No, he doesn't.

The GM's job is the acquire talent, the managers job is to decide how best to use it. He manages the day to day operations of the team, not the general manager. That said, I agree with rajah that Girardi's management skills leave much to be desired, but if thats the way Cashman or the Steinbrenner's feel, then fire him and hire a new manager, otherwise let the manager manage the team.

It just bothered me that a half an hour after Game 1 ended, Cashman is out there anointing Jayson Nix the starter.

I'm guessing that the reason he named Nix so quickly is that they'd had the conversation about this possibility before. You have to think they'd have discussed Jeter not playing due to injury because of his foot issue in the Baltimore series including who his replacement would be.

[awy]

since when does a mid manager have personnel decisions.

patently absurd.

[Battingly]

I'm guessing that the reason he named Nix so quickly is that they'd had the conversation about this possibility before. You have to think they'd have discussed Jeter not playing due to injury because of his foot issue in the Baltimore series including who his replacement would be.

Thats certainly plausible and if thats it, then what we need is for the ghost of George Steinbrenner to overrule both of these fools.