Brian Cashman

How long is Gary Sanchez’s leash with the New York Yankees?

by
New York Yankees, Gary Sanchez

New York Yankees’ general manager, Brian Cashman, doubled down this week on Gary Sanchez. In an interview with YES, Cashman stated that Sanchez is the starting catcher for the Yankees as they prepare for the 2021 season.

Cashman also stated that he believes the shortened 2020 season was to blame for the struggles we saw from Sanchez. The Yankees starting catcher posted the worst numbers of any catcher in baseball last year and was benched for the postseason.

The shocking thing is that the first part of that sentence wasn’t a lie. Sanchez’s abysmal .147 batting average was the worst of all catchers in baseball among catchers with 100 PA. Combine that with the poor defensive metrics and you don’t have a popular figure in New York.

The Yankees contemplated non-tendering Gary Sanchez this offseason. Ultimately, they decided to give him a contract. In my personal opinion, I think the decision was more based around fear as opposed to faith.

Sure, Sanchez made the All-Star team in 2019. However, if you go back to 2018, he’s hitting under .200 over the last three years. He’s also one of the worst defensive catchers in baseball, and the Yankees ace, Gerrit Cole, doesn’t like throwing to him.

Of course, Cole hasn’t and wouldn’t publicly say that. However, the fact is that Kyle Higashioka caught Cole exclusively before Sanchez was benched entirely. Simply put, Sanchez doesn’t have a lot going for him with the Yankees or the fans.

The Yankees leash?

The Yankees ultimately gave Gary Sanchez a contract this offseason because they fear his potential. If Sanchez is clicking on all cylinders, he’s incredible at the plate. If he played a full season, he easily could hit 40 home runs if he’s consistent.

That is insane for a catcher. However, Sanchez hasn’t shown consistency at all since 2018. 2021 is going to be the last stand for Gary Sanchez with the Yankees. The bombers want to give him one final try, but if he can’t turn it around, they need to pull the plug.

The reality is that Gary Sanchez is not going to become a better defensive catcher especially as he gets older. He might improve little things, but he’s never going to be a consistently strong defender behind the plate.

Sanchez will always have power, but if he can’t hit consistently, he’s not benefiting the Yankees. The bombers have plenty of power, but they struggle putting the ball in play. Sanchez struck out nearly 40% of the time last year.

I understand where the Yankees are coming from in giving Sanchez one final chance. However, they need to be prepared to pull the plug on this if improvement isn’t seen. If we get the same Sanchez we got in 2020, he shouldn’t be starting past the first month of 2021.

Yankees News/Rumors: Brian Cashman’s recent comments indicate more pitching problems

by
New York Yankees, Brian Cashman

The 2020 New York Yankees landed at $208,000,000 in the luxury tax threshold, paying $240,894,560 in 40-man tax payroll, which estimates that they paid $22,195,920 in tax last season, per Spotrac. Since the Yankees are moving on from James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, and JA Happ, their 40-man tax threshold will drop to $191.7 million, far less than the $240 million they were at in 2020.

Based on these numbers, and the fact manager Hal Steinbrenner wants to stay beneath the $210 million thresholds, the Yanks only about $30-35 million to utilize on the open market.

With a specific amount of money to spend, the Yankees will have to make some difficult decisions this off-season. Of course, they have prioritized the retention of DJ LeMahieu, who will likely garner $25 million per season, leaving them with minimal money to allocate in free agency.

However, general manager Brian Cashman remains optimistic about his roster and the talent they currently have.

“We already enter this process with a strong group;” “There are not an extensive amount of weaknesses;” and “I have a very strong nucleus in place and a roster that is almost full that we are proud of.”

Ultimately, things might seem perfect from the inside, but the starting pitching rotation lacks depth, and they cannot rely on young arms throughout the entire 2021 campaign. The Yankees will inevitably make the postseason, but how far they go is the big question.

They could target the trade deadline as an opportunity for them to pick up a solid pitcher to carry them the rest of the way, but that is a long time from now, and they will have to get to that point with the talent available.

“I thought last year’s team was really talented and we didn’t maximize that talent,” Cashman said. “That’s on me.”

This comment from Cashman seems misguided, as the talent he provided Aaron Boone should have been more than enough, he seems to believe. The Yankees’ inability to maximize that talent is a coaching problem, not a general manager issue.

Nonetheless, the Yankees plan on being spectators in the market until the LeMahieu negotiations have finalized. If he doesn’t end up signing with the Yankees, they can reallocate this money elsewhere, but for now, they are under the expectation that their available money will only take them so far and bolster units of weakness to a certain degree.

“We are not dipping toes in various waters until [the LeMahieu situation] declares itself.”

Yankees News: GM Brian Cashman talks Gary Sanchez’s future and state of the roster

by
New York Yankees, Gary Sanchez

There are still plenty of questions the New York Yankees need to answer this off-season, and one position they planned to reevaluate was catcher following the conclusion of the 2020 season.

Gary Sanchez has been the assumed starter for the last several years, but he’s gradually seen his production and efficiency on offense and defense decline. He finished 2020 with a .147 batting average, 10 homers, and 24 RBIs.

He set a career-high in strikeout percentage at 36%. He also logged a career-low .253 on-base percentage and a negative WAR for the first time in his career (-0.1).

Despite losing the privilege of catching ace Gerrit Cole and being replaced in the postseason for Kyle Higashioka, a career minor-league player, general manager Brian Cashman still feels confident that Sanchez will be their starter in 2021.

So far, during winter ball in the Dominican Republic, Sanchez has looked phenomenal, hitting home runs routinely and getting on base. Of course, the level of talent he’s playing against is significantly less, and the MLB represents a major step up.

However, it is good to see him refining his craft and continuing to play ball during the off-season, especially since he’s looking to regain full control of the starting catcher position this upcoming season.

The New York Yankees are still piecing together the last bits of the roster:

Aside from Sanchez, the roster still needs a few players at multiple spots, including the bullpen and starting rotation. Management is still working on an extension for DJ LeMahieu, but they are confident the deal will get done sooner rather than later.

Cashman is doing a good job mediating these negotiations as he waits for other teams to make their offer so he can counter. LeMahieu’s representatives have indicated they will begin negotiating with other teams, but DJ’s desire is to stay in pinstripes.

Aside from DJ and Sanchez, Cashman believes the Yankees’ roster is almost complete, and it’s something they’re extremely proud of:

“I have a very strong nucleus in place, a roster that’s almost full and that we are proud of.”

I wouldn’t bet my chips on the Yankees spending an exorbitant amount of money this off-season to bolster the starting rotation, despite losing three veterans to free agency.

Expect to see supplemental options picked up, specifically formally injured players signing on cheaper contracts. One player to keep an eye on is Corey Kluber, who is formally one of the best pitchers in the MLB but has struggled with injuries the past two seasons. A one year deal with the Yankees could be exactly what he’s looking for.

Yankees’ Aaron Boone is basically begging Brian Cashman to re-sign DJ LeMahieu

by
New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

The free-agent market has been slow developing this year, as expected due to COVID-19. The New York Yankees have prioritized the signing of DJ LeMahieu, but negotiations continue to move forward, slowly.

Recent reports have indicated that DJ will begin negotiating with alternative options, as multiple clubs have stated their desire to bring him on. Notably, the Toronto Blue Jays have been outgoing in their aspirations to sign the star infielder, but the Yankees are close to finding a middle ground, as he is approximately $25 million away from signing a new contract.

Whether that means the Yankees are offering him a year less or too little money per season is yet to be seen, but the Bombers are still heavily favored to keep the best hitter in baseball from the 2020 season.

If it were up to manager Aaron Boone, DJ would already be locked into a long-term contract, but Cashman is waiting out the hot stove months to find out his market value. They are trying to save every dollar this off-season, so gauging what other teams are offering will give the Yankees an opportunity to match any higher offers.

“I think it’s no secret that he is probably our number one priority to bring back this winter,” Boone said Tuesday afternoon during MLB’s winter meetings virtual media availability. “I know [GM Brian Cashman] is working on that. And hopefully, at the end of all this, DJ is a Yankee for a long time.”

The New York Yankees are begging Cashman to do what must be done:

Every player, including Boone, has voiced their desire for LeMahieu to stay in pinstripes, considering his professional mentality and exemplary Yankee mold. He is a player you want in the locker room and hitting in clutch situations whenever he has the opportunity, and it would be impossible to supplement his quality if he walks.

“There’s not much more to say about DJ other than, I think if we look over 2019 through 2020, and did a two-year MVP in the American League, it’s probably him,” Boone said. “His play completely speaks for itself. Then you couple the fact that he’s this really great teammate that’s been, despite his quiet reputation, a tremendous leader for us and an influential person by the way he goes about things.”

From the way Boone describes LeMahieu, I would be surprised if they didn’t solidify a deal in the coming weeks. I wouldn’t get too worried about his departure based on the fact that other teams clearly haven’t offered anything more, otherwise, DJ’s representatives would be all over it.

Yankees offseason: The most boring week in baseball, the 2020 Winter Meetings

by

For the New York Yankees and most of baseball, the Winter Meetings were by far the most boring in recent years. By Thursday you needed to be poked by a stick to see what you missed, but actually, you missed nothing. For Yankee fans, it was like waiting for your new Mercedes to arrive only to find out that the car carrier it was on crashed in Pennsylvania.

In a normal year all the baseball executives, managers, coaches and the like meet up at a post hotel at some hot destination to talk baseball and make deals. They win and dine, make deals over a few too many drinks at the bar or late night in hotel rooms. By the time all is said and done most if not all of the big names in baseball have signed or been traded for. This year “virtually” nothing happened. One reason is that it was virtual, not in person. At the end of these Winter Meetings for the most part all the big names are all unsigned. Trevor Bauer, J.T. Realmuto, George Springer, Justin Turner, oh yeah, and of course DJ LeMahieu, none have deals and there doesn’t look as there will be any in short term.

Some of the reasons for the snail’s pace is teams and their owners are still shell shocked by how much money they lost last year with a 60 game season with no fans in the stands. Another is the most of America is shell shocked by the ever-increasing coronavirus pandemic that sees thousands of people die each day. For most owners, the overriding reason there is so little action is that there is no clarity as to what a 2021 baseball season will look like. In fact, we don’t even know whether fans will be allowed in the stands next year.  It looks promising with vaccines on the way, but the herculean job of getting it distributed will take until the summer months, possibly too late to have an effect on the baseball season.

For the New York Yankees and its fans, it looks like it will be a quiet offseason with no really big names to be signed. Of course, that excludes DJ LeMahieu who the Yankees have said is their main priority to get signed. Recently general manager Brian Cashman has said he is satisfied with the pitching rotation they have. Notice I said satisfied not thrilled. With his confirmation that Domingo German will be allowed back on the team, it seems to indicate the only possible pitcher signings will be Masahiro Tanaka if they can get a super cheap deal and an arm or two for the bullpen. There will be no replacement for Gleyber Torres or Gary Sanchez.

When and if the baseball season starts on time, Yankee fans will pretty much see the same team on the field as they did last year when they exited the postseason early. The only real difference is the baby baby bombers will take a more active role in the season’s success or failure. Most likely you will see Deivi Garcia in the three or four spots in the pitching rotation after his successful debut last season. Clarke Schmidt most likely will be in the mix also. There is still time for some big moves to be made, but with the present climate and owner Hal Steinbrenner’s wish to stay below the luxury tax threshold, you need not hold your breath.

The only thing that could change this outlook dramatically, is if the Yankees and DJ LeMahieu can’t agree to another contract that satisfies both parties. If that goes south, you may see the pace escalate quickly as the Yankees try to grab what players are left in the market.

 

New York Yankees Analysis: Cashman’s pitching moves since 2000, the hits and the busts

by

The New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is the longest-tenured general manager in all of baseball. He has made some amazing acquisitions and trades over his time with the Yankees, but he has also had some terrible misses. To refresh your memory before the 2019 season, he acquired DJ LeMahieu from the Colorado Rockies for one of his best successes ever.

Cashman started with the Yankees as a humble intern in 1986, he impressed George M Steinbrenner, and six years later, he was promoted to the Assistant General Manager.  From that time, he worked hand and hand with then-manager Buck Showalter and “Stick Michael,” building the Yankee dynasty of the late ’90s. He became general manager of the Yankees in 1998. Under his leadership, the New York Yankees have won four World Series championships and six American League pennants.

Today thinking of this Yankees team’s pitching needs, we look at Cashman’s record in finding the starting pitching needs for the Yankees and how successful he was.

1998: Orlando Hernandez

One of the first moves Cashman made after being named general manager in February 1998 was signing Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez when the right-hander defected from Cuba. He was a crucial part of the 1998 team’s dominant rotation as he went 12-4 with a 3.13 ERA in 21 starts.

2000-2001: Mike Mussina

Cashman’s first great acquisition was Mike “The Moose” Mussina from the Baltimore Orioles. This one move may have been Cashman’s greatest. Mussina pitched successfully for the Yankees for eight years, racking up a 123-72 record. He also won over then games in each of those years. He ended his career with a 20 game winning season in 2008.

2001-2002: Jeff Weaver

If Mike Mussina was one of his best moves, Jeff Nelson turned out to be not so much. Nelson was okay in 2002, but in 2003, he fell apart. It all went south in 2003, though, as Weaver went 7-9 with a 5.99 ERA. He later gave up a walk-off homer in Game 4 of the World Series against the Marlins.

2002-2003: Jose Contreras

Contreras’ overall stat line in ’03 was 7-2 with a 3.30 ERA, but he had a rough postseason, allowing seven runs in eleven innings across his eight appearances. He reverted to being a full-time starter in 2004 but didn’t fare well and was traded to the White Sox. The New York Yankees also acquired Jon Lieber, but he didn’t appear in a game in 2003 as an injury that caused him not to appear for the Yankees until 2004.

2003-2004: Kevin Brown

The 2003 offseason was one of the most difficult for Cashman as he lost both Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens to the Houston Astros. He had to make up for the loss, so he traded for Kevin Brown and Javier Vazquez. Brown pitched well in 2004, going 10-6 but only had 22 starts due to frequent injuries, including the time he punched the wall in the dugout, breaking his hand. He won ALDS Game 3 before getting lit up in games 3 and 7 of the ALCS. He went 4-7 with a 6.50 ERA in 13 starts in 2005 before retiring.

Vazquez was actually an All-Star in 2004 before struggling down the stretch, going 14-10 with a 4.91 ERA. He got the win in relief in ALCS Game 3 before allowing the soul-crushing Johnny Damon grand slam in Game 7. Vazquez would again pitch for the Yankees in 2010. That stint did not go well. Oh, and back to Lieber; he was14-8 with a 4.33 ERA for the Yanks in 2004. He gave up 3 ER over 6.2 innings in a no-decision in ALDS Game 2 against the Twins. Lieber then won ALCS Game 2 against the Sox but took the loss in Game 6. Of the three pitchers mentioned, he was probably best for the Yankees. Whatever the case, all three were gone after the 2004 season.

2004-2205: Randy Johnson

After the huge collapse of the New York Yankees in the ALCS, the Yankees cleaned house. Brown retired from baseball, and Vazquez and Lieber were sent out to dry. Cashman hired the “Big Unit” Randy Johnson, Jeret Wright, and yes, Carl Pavano. Let’s get Pavono out of the way first. He was on the injured list more than the mound and was one of the Yankee’s greatest failures starting only 26 games over five years. Wright went 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA. He would make 40 starts over his two seasons in the Bronx, going 16-12 with a 4.99 ERA. Wright didn’t make it out of the third inning in his only postseason start, allowing four runs on five hits as the Tigers eliminated the Yankees in ALDS Game 4 in 2006.

Randy Johnson was a five-time Cy Young Award-winning and led the National League in strikeouts. Johnson was not nearly as good as a Yankee, posting ERA’s of 3.79 and 5.00 in his two seasons with them. The worst part was that he was an utter postseason failure in pinstripes. He got shelled for five runs in just three innings in ALDS Game 3 in ’05, and another five in Game 3 again in ’06. Considering he was hired to be a postseason killer, he was an utter failure with the Yankees.

2007: Kei Igawa

Cashman tried to repair the team in 2007; he did that by getting both Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens back from Houston. He also hired Igawa; rather than bore you, he was one of the worst Yankee acquisitions of all time.

2008-2009: CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett

This is like the tale of two cities, one of the best and one of the worst. Burnett never adjusted to playing for the Yankees in the big spotlight. In his first year, he went 13-9 with a 4.04 ERA in 2009 before pitching to an ERA over 5 in the next two seasons. He was rewarded by being sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Outside of Mike Mussina, CC Sabathia was Cashmans best Yankee signing. He went 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA in five starts in the 2009 postseason, during which he was named ALCS MVP. He went on to pitch 11 seasons for the Yankees, making three All-Star teams, leading the league in wins twice, and pitching to an 8-4 record in the postseason. Sabathia was a huge Yankee favorite. In his later years, although not as good, he battled each and every time he hit the mound for the Yankees before retiring last year.

2011-2012: Hiroki Kuroda

After an amazing postseason performance, Cashman signed Michael Pineda was at best a wild story with the New York Yankees, being both brilliant but at the same time horrible. He would have tremendous performances followed by long stretches of misery. He started with a shoulder injury that prevented him from pitching until 2014. Upon his return, he had a 1.89 ERA in 13 games. He never pitched that well again, and the Yankees let him walk in 2018.

Hiroki Kuroda was a consistent veteran presence in the rotation during his three seasons in New York. Kuroda also fared well in the 2012 playoffs, taking a no-decision after firing 8.1 innings of two-run ball in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Orioles. Kuroda was a much better pitcher than the Yankees give him credit for. He played during the years the had some pretty stinky teams.

December 2011 also saw Cashman sign international free agent Luis Severino. The verdict is out of Severino as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. In 2018 he went 19-8 before the surgery. Severino could still be a Yankee great when he returns this season.

2013-2014: Masahiro Tanaka

If there is a toss-up as to the best pitchers on this list between Mussina and Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka surely has to come in third place. Even with an almost immediate partially torn UCL, Tanaka has been one of the most dependable Yankee pitchers even though he was not the ace they thought they were getting. Up until the last two years, Tanaka and CC were the backbones of the Yankee rotation. Tanaka has not been the same pitcher in the past two years and doesn’t go deep into games. At the end of the 2020 season, the New York Yankees did not give him a qualifying offer to remain a Yankee. He isn’t worth near the $23 million he earned last season. That being said, he was good enough that the Yankee might be willing to take him back short term on a much-discounted contract.

2014-2015: Nathan Eovaldi/Domingo German

This could have been the biggest blockbuster move of Brian Cashman’s career, but two things went wrong. Eovaldi was a solid Yankee, going 14-3 with a 4.20 ERA in 2015 and 9-8 with a 4.76 ERA in 2016 before undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in August. The Yankees let him walk. After his recovery, he would continue an excellent career.

German is a different story. German would go on to be the best Yankee pitcher in 2019. He went 18-4 but was caught slapping his wife in public, breaking the MLB domestic violence protocol, and ended getting suspended for the remainder of the season while the MLB investigatory body looked at his case. He could have gotten over 20 wins and been a big asset in the postseason. Instead, he was suspended for 81 games, including the entire 2020 season.

2017 Trade deadline: sonny Gray

After being traded from the Oakland A’s, Gray was an immediate disaster under the bright lights of Yankee Stadium and a demanding Yankee fan base. In the remainder of the season, he went 4-7. He failed to make it out of the fourth inning in ALDS Game 1 in Cleveland. When Gray was available, so was aging Justin Verlander; the fact they went after Gray and not Verlander may haunt them forever.

Gray went with the Cincinnati Red where he was back with his old Vanderbilt coach. Out of the bright lights of New York, Gray blossomed. In the past two years, he has gone 16-11 with a 3.07 ERA. Some industry experts are predicting the Yankees may kick that tire again. Possibly under a new coach, Matt Blake, he could be a difference-maker.

2018-2019: Gerrit Cole

Shortly before Christmas 2018, a New York Yankee foursome of Cashman, Boone, Blake, and Andy Pettitte traveled to California bearing gifts. They came out of meetings with Gerrit Cole and his wife with one of the best pitching pickups of the decade. Gerrit Cole was a New York Yankee. In this first shortened season with the Yankees, he pitched well. However, for Cole, a season doesn’t make a career. He was signed for nine years; how that pans out only the future will tell.

2018: J.A. Happ and James Paxton

Let’s end the article here and not talk about them at all.

If you are trying to measure Brian Cashman’s performance, you have to remember it is not based on starting pitching alone. Cashman has also acquired Robinson Cano, Hideki Matsui, Giancarlo Stanton, Starlin Castro, Chad Green, Tommy Kahnle, Zack Britton, Nick Swisher, Bobby Abreu, Curtis Granderson, Didi Gregorius, DJ LeMahieu, among many others. The bottom like for Yankee fans is that the Yankees have not had a dominant starting rotation since 2009, the last time they won a World Series. This writer believes that if the don’t have a dominant pitching rotation they can not win in the postseason.

Yankees Hot Stove Update: Brian Cashman doesn’t sound so optimistic on DJ LeMahieu return

by
New York Yankees, DJ LeMahieu

The New York Yankees and star infielder DJ LeMahieu have been negotiating a contract extension for weeks now, but things have hit a snag as the player side wants a five-year contract and the Yankees want to stay four years and below.

Considering the Yankees are tied up in multiple contracts over five years with Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole, and Aaron Hicks, staying on the safer side is undoubtedly a lust.

With LeMahieu’s preferred contract, he would finish at 37 years old in 2025. However, if there’s anyone worth the length and money of this deal, it’s DJ.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman commented on the negotiation process but didn’t sound too optimistic things would conclude soon.

“We’re going to try to keep him here,” Cashman said. “He loves playing in New York, loves playing for the New York Yankees and our fan base, and he clearly loves his teammates. There’s a lot of things in our favor, but ultimately, it comes down to the financial opportunity that we provide, as measured to the financial opportunities that others are providing.”

The Yankees are willing to spend $20 million per season for his services, but managing partner Hal Steinbrenner made it known that the Yankees suffered extreme losses this past season and are trying to stay beneath the $210 million luxury tax threshold.

“We have good intentions when it comes to DJ LeMahieu and trying to re-sign him, and I think he has the same on his end,” Cashman said. “Free agency is very complicated and tricky. It’s a competition. The dance and the conversations will continue. We certainly hope for a positive outcome, but it’s also possible that there isn’t one, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”

At the end of the day, the Tampa Bay Rays blew past the Yankees in the postseason and made it to the World Series, showing ownership that spending money oftentimes doesn’t result in positive outcomes.

Better coaching and analytical usage should allow the Yankees to extract the most out of their players, but that simply isn’t the case. They lack pitching and relief arms but have the offense to get it done.

From the way Cashman is presenting his opinion on the DJ extension, it seems as if they have a price point they need to stick to and are unwilling to budge. The next few weeks should be interesting, and I’m starting to believe the Yankees might lose out on their best player.

Yankees: Brian Cashman discusses rotation plans and confirms the team is counting on German

by
New York Yankees, Brian Cashman

The New York Yankees are set to lose Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, and J.A. Happ to free agency. They might bring one of the first two back, but the chances of that happening are diminishing with each passing day.

The Yankees, for now at least, are prioritizing the return of DJ LeMahieu, and according to reports, that may leave the club with little money to maneuver and re-sign another high-profile free agent, like Tanaka or Paxton.

Only time will tell about the concrete New York Yankees’ actions in the offseason. However, general manager Brian Cashman implied that he is happy with the current rotation construction, and also confirmed that the team will welcome back Domingo German after his ugly domestic violence episode and the subsequent suspension.

“(Luis) Severino is coming back from Tommy John at some point this 2021 season. He’ll return God willing, as long as there are no setbacks. And then German comes back from his suspension. So we’ll kind of combine them both as one player because clearly how do you handle German after not pitching for as long as he hadn’t pitched. He’s pitching winter ball right now. Severino coming out of the gate in the middle of the season will have maybe some safeties on, so to speak, until we get a chance to get a feel for where he’s at,” Cashman said in the latest episode of YES Network’s Yankees Hot Stove.

The Yankees’ GM would like to add to the rotation but only “if we can”

He feels happy with his current group. “You’ve got (Gerrit) Cole at the number one spot. You got arguably guys that are easy in theory number two’s at worst in Severino and German when they’re firing all cylinders. They will be back with us. We’re really high on (Jordan) Montgomery and I think he’ll continue to take his next steps. I think Deivi Garcia at the end what he did last year was something that gives us great optimism. The limited experience and exposure that he got should serve him well moving forward,” he explained.

After that, Cashman discussed some depth options that could make appearances in 2021, mostly prospects. “Then you got (young arms) Michael King, (Clarke) Schmidt, (Nick) Nelson and (Miguel) Yajure, among others. Would I like to add to it? The answer is yes, if we can. I think it’s best served to do so, but at worst you could certainly daydream just to believe that you might actually have everything that you need there.”

Yankees Winter Meetings Update: Yanks lose out on top pitcher, Cashman taking his time

by
New York Yankees, Lance Lynn

It is no secret the New York Yankees are in the market for starting pitching, but general manager Brian Cashman is taking his good old time finding a supplement for three starters that hit the open market this off-season.

The Yankees are without James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, and JA Happ, and while they did save about $52 million with their departures, they have to jump on an addendum quickly before the better options are all plucked off the board.

Late on Monday night, former Texas Rangers starter Lance Lynn was traded, indicating that the Yankees would not be pursuing his services and a possible reunion was out of the picture.

The New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported that the Texas Rangers would be sending Lance Lynn over to the Chicago White Sox in return for Dane Dunning and a pitching prospect.

With another starter off the board, the Yankees now have to move forward and target other pitchers. Lynn would have been an excellent fit with the Yankees, especially after a dominant 2020 season where he finished 6-3 with a 3.32 ERA. He was sixth in Cy Young voting and had a concrete campaign in 2019 as well.

Chicago didn’t have to give up too much to acquire Lynn, who is only earning $10 million per season. This is a contract the Yankees would’ve happily consumed and added to the rotation, as he delivers more quality than Tanaka and any of the departing starters.

The New York Yankees are waiting patiently:

Nevertheless, there are several players on the market that the Yankees will undoubtedly be pursuing. Some recent names that have bubbled to the surface are Garrett Richards, Tomoyuki  Sugano, and even Trevor Bauer.

There have been reports that Bauer could be looking for a one year deal, something the Yankees might consider entertaining if they have World Series aspirations in 2021.

Assuming they will have to pay Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres down the road, fighting for a World Series appearance now is in their best interest.

Oddly, Cashman’s patience is not doing the Yankees any favors. As the winter meetings are held virtually this year due to COVID-19, things will be slow developing, which indicates Cashman’s hesitancy entering the hot stove months. However, missing out on a daybreak deal with Lynn isn’t Cashman-esque, so we will be keeping a close eye on his moves and what the Yankees are doing in the imminent days.

New York Yankees News/Rumors: Hello Brian Cashman where are you?

by
New York Yankees, Aaron Boone, Brian Cashman

For the New York Yankees, it’s day two of the MLB Winter Meetings and no news from the Yankees. Multiple reports say Yankees general manager is cautious. Some say docile in his search for a Yankees pitcher. The Yankees are in need of at least one starting pitcher after seeing Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, and J.A. Happ walk into free agency.

Last year during the Winter Meetings, the Yankees were diligent but bold in flying to California and wine and dining Gerrit Cole and his wife. They ended up signing the best pitcher in baseball for $324 million over nine years. With the need for great pitching this offseason to back him up, the Yankees have been very quiet. The only thing that rumors say is that they may make a play to return Masahiro Tanaka to pinstripes for another year or two.

The best pitcher in baseball available out there in free agency is Trevor Bauer, the previous Cleveland Indian and Cincinnati Red pitching star. For Cashman and the Yankees, he will likely cost in the nine figures for a reasonable contract, and it’s unlikely that the Yankees will spend that much after signing Cole last year.  They also have to consider their number one priority in this offseason is to re-sign DJ LeMahieu, who is adamant about getting security giving five-year contract.

The New York Post has a pair of reports that say this may be a bleak winter for the New York Yankees. Joel Sherman says:

The Yankees have surprised agents by how docile they have been on the starting pitching front.

The Post’s Dan Martin says:

“They showed last year they’re not going to rush into anything,’’ one agent said. “Even if it means seeing players they may like go somewhere else.”

Nevertheless, even with these reports, the one thing we know about Brain Cashman is that he is secretive at best in the move he may be making or thinking about. We also know he did nothing before the trade deadline. We also know with the Yankees’ dire needs that they must obtain a number two or three starter before spring training.  We also know that there is some water to be added to the oil, Japanese pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, will be posted today at 8 am.

The New York Yankees since the 1990s have had an interest in players that played well for Japanese teams, and Tomoyuki Sugano is arguably the best pitcher available from the Japanese market. Others the Yankee have acquired are Hideki Irabu, Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Kei Igawa, Hiroki Kuroda, Ryota Igarashi Masahiro Tanaka. Now they could be looking at Tomoyuki Sugano to solve their pitching rotation.

For New York Yankee fans, it sits and wait; it wouldn’t be surprising the three weeks to see nothing under the Christmas tree. But then again, as I said, you never know what Brian Cashman is doing; he is one of the most secretive general managers in baseball. He may pounce on Sugano or pull out an unknown that he sees something in that no one else does. We will have to wait it out.