Brian Cashman Archives

Gone With the Wind

August 1, 2016

First Chapman. Then Miller. Then Beltran. Then Nova. Gonzo.

The Yankees turned the page for real today at the trade deadline. Cashman acknowledged that the team’s inconsistency – or, as he admitted, the team’s losses in Tampa – put an exclamation point on the disappointing season. We are now officially in rebuilding mode, and I don’t consider that a bad thing. I think the kids will be exciting to watch as they make their mark at the major league level. Sanchez. Judge. Severino. Green. Plus the new prospects we just got in trades.

Chapman, Miller and Beltran will be huge assets to their new teams. Nova? I have no idea how he’ll do with the Pirates. I wish him well.

Is A-Rod on his way out? There doesn’t seem to be a place for him. He’s taking up a roster spot, blocking a kid from coming up. The Yanks are going to have to decide what to do with him. If I were A-Rod, I’d pack my bags.

Meanwhile, the Yanks beat the Mets tonight in extra innings so that was something. As for the rest of the season and beyond? We’re off to the great unknown.

Nobody Wanted Chapman But Cashman

December 29, 2015

Several months ago, trading four non-essential minor leaguers for Reds flame-throwing closer, Aroldis Chapman, would have been cause for celebration in Yankeeville. Instead, the news yesterday that we are now the team that “took” Chapman, whose value dropped considerably after his domestic violence incident scared off the Dodgers and Red Sox, among other teams, made me a little sick.

MLB is investigating exactly what happened at Chapman’s house in FL when he supposedly choked his girlfriend and fired eight gunshots into his garage, just like the NFL has been investigating their domestic violence cases that seem to crop up every time I read the sports pages. However MLB rules on the case, Chapman is likely to face a suspension as a Yankee, which is lovely, isn’t it?

Cashman’s thinking, according what he told reporters, is that a rock-bottom price for the obviously messed-up-in-the-head Chapman made the deal too irresistible to reject, giving the Yankees the best bullpen in baseball. Betances in the 7th, Miller in the 8th and Chapman to close? Or Betances in the 6th and 7th with Chapman in the 8th and Miller closing? However it breaks down, what Cashman acknowledged is that our existing starting rotation (no, we’re not getting a new starter – bummer) doesn’t give us innings, so we needed a stronger bullpen to shut things down early.

But here’s what Cashman didn’t say to reporters: character doesn’t matter. Remember when that wasn’t the case? In recent years, when we acquired Curtis Granderson, the headline was that he had character as well as talent. Even the A-Rod situation had a happy ending when he seemed to go from steroid cheat to upstanding citizen. But this? Do we really want a guy who fires a handgun multiple times, despite the attractive “price point,” as Cashman put it?

Our GM admitted that there’s risk involved in the deal, and part of that risk involves the fans – female fans, especially. We’re not wild about guys who push their women around.

Maybe Chapman will serve his suspension on our dime, get counseling and become a paragon of virtue. I applaud second chances and the opportunity for redemption. I like young pitchers who throw 103-miles-an-hour and are four-time All-Stars too. So we’ll see what happens. In the meantime, I can’t get excited about this deal, not in the way the Yankees hoped I would.

Hello to the New Yankee

November 15, 2015

Aaron Hicks is the 26-year-old Twins outfielder the Yankees acquired last week in a trade for John Ryan Murphy. I liked Murphy, but he was bound to be a perennial back-up catcher and deserved more playing time, so I hope he does well in Minnesota. As for Hicks, he’s young and athletic. He’s supposed to have good defensive skills, but his offense hasn’t blown anyone away. I guess the hope is that he’ll mature the way Didi Gregorius did and be an upgrade over Chris Young or, if he’s injured or slumps badly, Carlos Beltran.

The other piece of news in Yankeeville is that Cashman has a beard these days. I assume that, like the players, he will have gotten rid of it by Opening Day.

I’m Furious

July 31, 2015

…And so I’m going to vent. Stand back.

As of this writing, Cashman has made a trade for a utility infielder/outfielder from the Mariners who can’t hit and has no place to play. That’s it. Woohoo. The Jays got both Tulo and David Price. The Rangers got Hamels. And our pitching staff has fallen completely apart – Pineda to the DL with arm trouble, CC to the hospital with dehydration besides which he’s awful, Nova with arm fatigue that may or may not go away, Tanaka with a mysterious inability to locate his pitches or go deep into a game. Evo is now our ace. Scary thought. And yet Cashman’s latest venture is to go after Craig Kimbrel, the Padres’ closer. Like we don’t already have a closer? Or an 8th inning guy? So the idea is to “shorten” games for the Starter To Be Determined? What nonsense.

I do get that the Yankees don’t want to give up prospects the way they would have in the old days. I also get that Price will be a free agent after the season and would have been a rental. But the Yanks have gone from a real contender to win the division to a very iffy ball club. And all because of either Hal’s tight wallet or Cashman’s incompetence. Makes me nuts.

As everyone knows, I didn’t give this team much of a shot to win anything at the start of the season, but once they put distance between themselves and other teams and were winning series and scoring runs, I became a believer in the 2015 team. But after last night’s consecutive loss to the Rangers and no trade happening, I’m mad as well as mystified. If you’re a contender, why wouldn’t you do everything possible to push your team over the finish line by acquiring a front line starter? Why? Wasn’t it Cashman who said you can never have enough pitching?

Ok, I’m done. I wish I could say I feel better having gotten this off my chest, but I don’t.

Welcome Back, Headley and Capuano (I think)

December 16, 2014

I knew the Yankees wanted Chase Headley back, but I honestly didn’t expect them to pony up the money and years he wanted. They did, and he told the press he actually left money on the table to come back to New York. So there’s that….and the fact that he’ll be the everyday third baseman while A-Rod, should he show up at spring training ready to play, would be the mostly-regular DH. I’m OK with Headley 2.0 as long as his balky back doesn’t limit his playing time and/or ability to swing the bat. He’s been compared to Scott Brosius over the past few days and I would love to see the comparison hold true.

As for the news today that the Yanks had also brought back Chris Capuano, I wasn’t exactly blown away. Capuano was a pleasant surprise last season. I didn’t have high expectations for him and he really pitched better than his numbers would have predicted. So why not bring him back, I guess, except that Cashman said, “He definitely has a spot in the rotation.” Seriously? So he’s our Max Scherzer? That is not OK. Our rotation needs a true ace now that the health and sturdiness of both CC and Tanaka are questionable, and Capuano doesn’t fit the bill, nor does Pineda at this stage of his career. So Cashman, do me a favor. Go get Scherzer already unless some team already has and I missed it. The Yankees can afford it. We need a Christmas present. Just do it.

What a Newsy Friday!

December 5, 2014

Christian Petersen/Getty Images North America

I’m not sure I get Cashman’s thinking on this trade, but the Yankees have a new shortstop and his name is Didi Gregorius. He’s young and said to be a very good defender, which is positive, but he’s not much of a hitter at all. Brendan Ryan sort of fit that bill, didn’t he? Besides which, we had to give up Shane Greene and I liked the kid. He did a great job as a starter for us, was gritty and competitive and effective. But hey, I guess good shortstops were hard to come by. And while Didi isn’t Derek, at least they have the same first initial. :)

And then there was another burst of activity.

Andrew Miller is a great addition to the bullpen and I’m surprised the Yankees went for him and his hefty price tag. I thought the Dodgers would land him. But more to the point, I’m wondering why Cashman was hot for Miller when our homegrown Dave Robertson is asking for four years too. Maybe we’ll still sign DRob, but if not it’ll be a head scratcher. Let’s just say I’d be thrilled to have them both.

Now it’s time for a starting pitcher. I really, really hope spending $$$ on Miller doesn’t preclude that. We need help in the rotation. Seriously.

Hello and Happy Veteran’s Day

November 11, 2014

Peggy, our good friend of the blog, sent me this pic of her new granddaughter Kayleigh in her best Derek Jeter fan mode. If that isn’t enough to brighten anyone’s day I don’t know what is. Just adorable.

Here she is pretty in pink too.

To catch up on news in Yankeeville, the Yankees re-signed Chris Young (hopefully his productivity at the end of last season after being acquired from the Mets wasn’t a fluke), made a qualifying one-year offer to Dave Robertson (he turned it down and now they’re negotiating a multi-year deal – or not), are trying to sign Chase Headley (supposedly he wants to play third everyday, not platoon, so we’ll see) and are talking to agents about various players. Oh, and Brian Cashman, who is our GM yet again (I’m not thrilled), is wearing a mustache and a goatee at the winter meetings.

And then there’s been all the gross A-Rod news – his spilling the sad truth of his PED/Biogenesis involvement to the Feds, his feud with good old cousin Yuri and his wife and other sordid details. I keep trying to picture this guy showing up at spring training (in between having to testify at Yuri’s trial) and wondering whether he’ll have a Mea Culpa press conference, do another TV interview with Peter Gammons or maybe the more local Michael Kay or Jack Curry, or just say “No comment. I’m here to play baseball.” I bet Jeter is so happy he won’t be around for any of that.

I really enjoyed the World Series this year and look forward to the baseball season, despite my skepticism about the Yankees’ roster. There are a lot of holes to fill and Hal may or may not, should or should not, open his wallet this time around.

Till next time.

Hello and Happy Veteran's Day

November 11, 2014

Here she is pretty in pink too.

Till next time.

Hirings and Firings

October 12, 2014

I liked Mick Kelleher. Not just because he lives in the Santa Barbara area in the off-season and is a good friend of my neighbor. But because the players seemed to like him and his work with infielders (I’m especially thinking of Cano) was said to be exemplary. So I was sorry to read that he’d been let go earlier this week along with Kevin Long, who was not as big a loss for me; Long was the expected fall guy for the lack of offense.

The re-signing of Brian Cashman wasn’t a surprise, but it does boggle my mind how cozy he’s become with the current generation of Steinbrenners. Would George have kept Cash around for another three years? Or would he have made a change by now? I’m guessing the latter. Not that getting Headley, Prado and McCarthy weren’t clever moves, and the trade for Pineda a couple of years ago is looking like a big win for our side. I was just hoping for a fresh perspective.

I’ve been watching the Royals through their Wild Card playoff game, the ALDS and now the ALCS and marveling at what a superbly crafted team they are. So many ways to beat the opposition. They can do it all: steal bases, play Web Gem-type defense, excel at situational hitting, even go deep. And then there’s the pitching; they’ve got starters and relievers galore. And they’re young! What a joy not to see some overpaid, overfed, past-his-prime player lumber around the bases or take a giant hack at the ball when just a poke through the shift would do! Obviously, I’m rooting for them to go all the way because they’re so much fun to watch, but I’m also envious. What I wouldn’t give for a Yankees team that had so many weapons in their arsenal.

In the end, winning is about personnel, not coaches, and the guy in charge of personnel is the GM. I rest my case.

Joba Joba Joba

June 26, 2013

Raise your hand if you thought he’d hold the Rangers in check and let the Yankees come back in this one. It just seemed inevitable that he’d cough up the runs the Yanks had managed to score to make it a ballgame. Apparently, he acknowledged afterwards, “I suck right now.” Indeed.

Strange game. That collision between Pettitte and Nix was weird and I was worried that Andy was hurt.

Ichiro gave me hope that there was a comeback in the works, but it wasn’t to be. The bottom of the ninth was a one-two-three bummer.

In the background, of course, was the news about Tex. Again, raise your hand if you thought he wouldn’t end up having surgery. His injury was too Bautista-like and we know what happened in that case. We’re lucky we have Overbay, very lucky.

As for the continuing A-Rod saga, as I predicted, Cashman apologized for his language and disputed an ESPN report that the Yankees are somehow delaying Alex’s return to the team. What a mess. But the media is more interested in the story than the players, who really just want to win games.

I’m flying east tomorrow and won’t be posting over the weekend, but feel free to leave a comment if the spirit moves. I’ll respond when I can and will resume the blog next week. See you from the other time zone!

If Only A.J. Had Been There….

June 25, 2013

I would love to have seen him apply the pie to Ichiro in what was, remarkably, the Yankees’ first walk off win of the season. Such fun. With one swing, Ichiro took care of the Rangers and put an end to a pretty cool pitching match-up.

In their pre-game comments, the beat writers were saying that with Darvish on the mound, the Yanks would have to play small ball and scratch out runs any way they could. Frustratingly, the offense couldn’t make that happen at all, not even with bases loaded and one out. But they did hit the long ball and thank God they did. Darvish wasn’t throwing his best stuff, but they managed to hit the ball into the seats and tie the score. Kuroda looked a little peeved to be pulled for Logan at 99 pitches, but it all worked out. And Mo got the win.

The Rangers don’t seem as scary without Hamilton in the lineup, but it was still a very nice “W” for the boys. Has the Z Man come back to earth? He looked it tonight, but I hope he’s not “over.”

Just a word or two about the Cashman-A-Rod kerfuffle. I get that Alex has caused the Yankees more than his share of bad PR, but Cashman didn’t need to F-bomb his tweet today. It didn’t seem to me that there was insubordination or an attempt to overstep. It was a player’s excitement at being cleared by his doctor to get back to baseball and his team. So what. Cashman should save his cursing for something that warrants it.

Can You Say “Mid-Life Crisis?”

March 4, 2013

brian-cashman — Photo: US Army/nydailynews.com

When I read last week about Cashman’s plans to skydive – this after his adventures in rappelling/scaling tall buildings in a single bound – I rolled my eyes. Yes, his stunts have been for good and worthy causes. And yes, he’s a front office guy, not a starting pitcher. But seriously.

Today’s stunt resulted in a broken ankle that will require surgery, and while the injury didn’t make me panic, it did make me wonder if Cashman could use a little…therapy?

This is a guy who’s been dogged by extra-marital affairs, a widely publicized trial involving a stalker/extortionist and a divorce. He’s clearly become a bit of an adrenaline junkie, but then maybe working for the Steinbrenners for so many years drives a man to do strange things.

All I know is that the Yankees need and deserve a full-time GM – one whose on-the-field decisions get more attention than what he does off the field and one who sets an example for the players (don’t even think about skydiving, Joba; we’re still getting over the trampoline incident).

Get better soon, Brian.

Can You Say "Mid-Life Crisis?"

March 4, 2013

Today’s stunt resulted in a broken ankle that will require surgery, and while the injury didn’t make me panic, it did make me wonder if Cashman could use a little…therapy?

Get better soon, Brian.

Post-Christmas Stirrings in Yankeeville

December 26, 2012

Okay, so acquiring former Brave and well-traveled outfielder Matt Diaz isn’t exactly big news, nor is Diaz a power hitter. He’s the sort of low-risk guy Cashman plucks off the sales racks at this time of year. His strength, if it can be called that, is that he can hit left-handers, supposedly.

Speaking of outfielders, as everyone knows by now, it seems that smiley, dimpled Andruw Jones has some legal headaches to deal with before he takes off to play in Japan next year.

New York Yankees v Detroit Tigers — Photo: Leon Halip/Getty Images

I really hate hearing about athletes involved in domestic violence, not to mention being drunk and disorderly. I’m just grateful this wasn’t yet another story about guns.

Here’s hoping the new year brings some actual good news.

Boo Hiss (With a P.S.)

December 5, 2012

Yes, I’m mad at the above network. I tuned in tonight to hear about the latest news from the meetings in Nashville and what do I get? A cascade of criticisms about the Yankees from Tom Verducci and the rest of them.

“The Yankees are an embarrassment.”
“They can’t sign anybody.”
“They don’t have any money to spend.”
“They don’t have a farm system to use in trades.”
“They’ll never fill the seats at the Stadium with a team that’s worse than last year’s.”

Okay, I get that we have problems – big problems – but talk about piling on. I do agree with the last point on the list. If the season starts and we’re putting guys like Mark Reynolds at third and Nate Schierholtz in right and Chris Stewart at catcher? Those Legends suites will look awfully lonely. I think Cashman needs to go back to Uncle Hal and say, “How about a bigger allowance?”

P.S. Never mind about Schierholtz. He signed with the Cubs. Maybe Verducci was right: we can’t sign anybody!

Gah! The A-Rod News.

December 3, 2012

It turns out that our third baseman has morphed into the scarecrow of “Wizard of Oz” fame – made of straw. As everyone knows by now, he’ll be having surgery on a torn labrum in his other hip, as opposed to the one that had gone to straw before. The timeline of all this is bizarre, but then drama is our guy Al’s middle name. Sigh.

So now what? The Yankees have a shortstop recovering from surgery, a third baseman going into surgery, no starting catcher, no starting right fielder and no utility infielder except Nunez – and a general manager whose mandate is to pull back on payroll.

Am I panicking? No. Cashman always manages to find people to fill holes. But I’m spoiled, I admit it. I want him to do more than fill holes….

Someone Actually Stalked Cashman?

February 2, 2012

It’s not uncommon for the players to have groupie issues, but apparently the Yankees GM has been embroiled in a mess of his own, according to Yahoo Sports and elsewhere. He’s not my idea of a heartthrob, but he’s got a nice payroll….

NEW YORK (AP)—A woman stalked and shook down New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, getting him to pay her $6,000 and demanding more by threatening to harm his reputation, prosecutors said Thursday.

The case represents “a long-term effort to control and manipulate the victim,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eric Iverson told a judge as Louise Neathway, 36, was arraigned on grand larceny, stalking and harassment charges.

Her lawyers said Cashman had had “an inappropriate relationship” with Neathway, a medical sales worker and single mother of a 14-year-old daughter, and he turned on her when it ended badly.

“The Manhattan district attorney’s office bought his account of how this happened, hook, line and sinker,” lawyer Stephen G. McCarthy said. He and fellow Neathway lawyer Alan M. Abramson said Neathway denied the allegations.

Cashman said through spokesman Chris Giglio that he is “very grateful that this matter is in the hands of law enforcement.”

The Yankees declined to comment.

Neathway—who has a history of arrests on similar charges, prosecutors said — sometimes called and texted Cashman more than 10 times a night and threatened to harm someone he knew, prosecutors said.

After he told her last April that he didn’t want to talk to her anymore and even changed his contact information to avoid her, she asked him to pay for a $15,000-plus medical procedure and threatened to contact the press and his family with claims that would hurt his personal relationships and professional standing, according to a court complaint.

In response, he put $6,000 into two of her bank accounts Jan. 18 and tried again to extricate himself, but she instead demanded more money for operations, the complaint said.

A British native who also goes by Louise Meanwell, Neathway has a record that goes back to a 1998 trespassing arrest in North Carolina, Iverson told a judge. She’s still on probation stemming from a 2008 trespassing conviction in a New Jersey case that involved allegations of stalking and sending someone as many as 200 text messages in a weekend, and she has an open 2010 Manhattan harassment case, Iverson said.

McCarthy noted in court that the Manhattan case had been put on track to be dismissed, and he suggested prosecutors were making too much of the New Jersey case.

As for the current case, “it would be unfair to all of the parties involved to speculate about what occurred,” he and Abramson said in a written statement.

Neathway was being held on $300,000 bond. Her next court date is Tuesday.