If you told an average New York Yankees fan in 2009 that they would still have 27 rings in 2022, they would certainly laugh straight in your face.
Yet, in a year where the Bronx Bombers have no clear plan and have had their hopes set on a core that just lost the 2021 A.L. Wild Card game to the rival Boston Red Sox, that is the frightening reality for Yankees fans. Bad contracts and underperforming years are just some of the terms to describe the last decade for New York, where the team not only failed to grab its 28th World Series title, but also failed to reach the championship at all. While Yankees management has gone to the drawing board year after year, they’ve watched teams like the Washington Nationals win their first ring.
Much of the blame for New York’s frequent failure can fall on one man: Brian Cashman.
The longtime Yankees general manager was beloved by fans when he started his career in New York, grabbing four World series rings throughout the late 90’s and 2000’s. But in 2022, reaching the playoffs was simply not enough for a Yankees franchise that is now known to baseball fans as a team that consistently chokes in the playoffs. It’s a steep drop off from a team that was once known to baseball fans as consistent winners. The team constantly has one of the highest payrolls in the sport, yet continues to get eliminated year after year.
What did the Yankees general manager recently say when asked about the Yankees championship drought?
“It does bother me when people say we haven’t been to the World Series since ’09,” Cashman told The Athletic. “We did it all right, by building it to a certain level that could have gotten us to a World Series — if not for something else. But hey! We’re back at it. Every year, we’re still back at it. We’ve been qualifying for the postseason, and we’re going to take this team as far as we can get it, and hopefully we can push through.”
Let’s focus on the words “could have” in the quote by Cashman. Other than a hopeful 2017 campaign, the team has arguably never been in a position to have a serious shot at a title. Even in 2017, the team still had to get through an impressive Los Angeles Dodgers team that could have easily bounced New York out of the World Series. The team has seen injuries, poor signings and overall poor preparation derail their seasons, yet Cashman hasn’t made the necessary moves to at the very minimum aid these problems. Instead, in 2022, New York may be faced with these very same problems.
The main issue is that New York is not a championship level team this season. The numerous holes that New York has throughout its roster is numerous. Even with its pitching, the team has no surefire quality starter in its rotation, other than New York’s ace Gerrit Cole, especially with Luis Severino coming off injuries, and that alone is a huge question mark.
Much of Cashman’s struggles have come with the team having no clear focus. While the team has had prospects come out of the farm system like Severino and star Aaron Judge, they haven’t had as much homegrown talent as teams like the Tampa Bay Rays or their rival, the Boston Red Sox. While both of these teams have reached the World Series since 2009, Cashman has spent millions on trying to get top free agents, while still vastly underperforming.
Even in 2022, fans have criticized the general manager for not going after star Carlos Corre, giving the Minnesota Twins the cap flexibility to sign Correa by trading for aging infielder Josh Donaldson, and opting to put all of his hope in talented prospect Anthony Volpe. While Volpe provides a ton of promise, it’s questionable to want to go from signing a star pitcher like Cole, promising him a championship, vastly underperforming in 2021, and balking on a major free agent.
Cashman’s strategy for 2022 is to essentially to hope for the best when he’s faced with a potential fourth or third place finish in a top-tier A.L. East division. That possibility alone should push owner Hal Steinbrenner to move on from the longtime general manager.
The team must face reality. It’s okay to lose, especially if that prepares the team for the future. They’ll need a new face that can make the necessary moves for the franchise to move toward the dominance they once saw under late owner George Steinbrenner. Whether the Yankees must put their pride aside and look toward the future or go with a different plan, one thing is for certain: Cashman is not the face that this team needs and ever since 2010, he has proven why.
Wow!!! You wrote an entire article and it seems as though you did 0% research before sitting down to write it. It’s as though you just paraphrased a buffet of lazy sports talk radio narratives without the requisite checking of the actual facts that would show just how merit less most of them are. I won’t begin to defend Ca$h here nor take the time today to break this all down item for item, but I will say the bit about return to the dominance…under late George Steinbrenner exposes you. The Yanks were ” great” or “dominant” under Steinbrenner’s stewardship for exactly 1 period, the 76 – 81 team. He then properly ran the organization into the ground culminating with him being kicked out of the sport. Stick Michael/ Buck Showalter/Bob Lemon and other “baseball people” rebuilt the organization from the ground up really and beginning in ’94 the Yanks have been on a near 30 year run where they’ve failed to make the post season once, won 5 World series, went to the LCS 10 times and probably averaged 98 wins over that span.
The issue is that some of us have the unrealistic expectation that We must win the WS every year or its a failure the George credo. Ironically under Ca$h’s tenure the Yanks have come closest to fulfilling this expectation by almost every year having 1 of the 3-4 best teams in the sport and a LEGIT contender.
Hey Samuel,
Thanks for the comment! You definitely got me on the Steinbrenner arguement as those early 80’s teams (other than the 80 and 81 team) were definitely not so dominant. However, I did acknowledge later that it is ok for New York to lose a season or 2 if that means preparing for a potential dominant era of sports in the Bronx. While they may have been one of the 3-4 best teams on paper for years, it seems as though the team can’t string apart full seasons from players that truly need to play their best for them to truly grab their true potential.
Thanks,
Evan
Hey Samuel,
Thanks for commenting! I definitely have to acknowledge my wrongdoing on the Steinbrenner part of my argument, as much of those 80s teams were very underperforming. However, I did acknowledge in my argument that it is ok for New York to lose, especially if that prepares for a potential dominant era. In my opinion, that’s the route New York should go with, especially with potential stars like Anthony Volpe in their farm system. With how the current team is strung together, it just doesn’t seem like they can be a contender with so many holes in the lineup. Even in previous years, the team hasn’t been able to get the guys they need to stay on the field for the entire season. While the team may be a contender on paper, they don’t always perform like one.
Let me know your thoughts,
Evan
Couldn’t agree more with removing Cashman ,Most Adequate GM’s with a inflated payroll this GM gets to put together for the team is unbelievable.. Imagine Oakland orToronto getting this ,they would probably have at least 5 world championships. Why would any GM of Yankees put together a predominantly righty team when the ballpark has always been favorable to lefties.Been an avid fan since 1965 and this guy keeps making excuses that he should he should have won in 2017. A man who makes excuses for his own incompetence you don’t need . Although Yanks lost to Astros from lack of their hitters Puts way too much pressure on minor leaguers one of the reason that when they finally get promoted they fail ,go elsewhere and thrive . This whole pressure idea of world Series or failure would be difficult for anyone in baseball today common sense of too many wrong moves. Strikeouts,,failure of players who never perform in The clutch you have your answer this guy has been a loser for 20 years. Kept him for another 20 and you will get same results Their are some very good baseball people out their but if Hal’s friendship with Cashman is more important than the greatest legacy in sports which George senior upheld Yankees might have to wait as long as the Cubs did. Fans all know George Steinbrenner would never tolerate such ineptness.
IMO Cashman is a reflection of Hal Steinbrenner and Boone does what he’s told to do with what he has. Seems to me that Steinbrenner is more concerned with high profile names than winning (ie: Gallo & Donaldson) & making money rather than winning games. This is a boring team with terrific pitching. Giant sized players who can’t run, steal, bunt or manufacture runs. More concerned with HRS than getting on base, that’s on the coaching staff who’s limited by the front office. I can’t fathom not bunting down third base when there’s no one there in a shift. Just get on base!