Cafardo: Rumblings that Cashman may be “a little tired” of Yankees

September 2, 2013 by Mike Axisa 55 Comments

Via Nick Cafardo: There is speculation among rival executives that GM Brian Cashman has grown “a little tired” of the Yankees and could head elsewhere if he finds an opportunity he likes with another team. This directly contradicts what Jon Heyman reported last month, that Cashman and ownership have no interest in severing their “overwhelmingly positive longstanding relationship.”

Cashman, 46, has run the Yankees for almost 16 years now. He is under contract through next season and it is very uncommon for a team to let a high-ranking executive out of their deal for the same position with another team. A promotion? Sure. A lateral move? Doesn’t happen all that often. I suppose the team could fire Cashman this offseason if they miss the postseason, but that would really surprise me. If he was going to leave though, this is the time to do it. The big league team sorely needs to be rebuilt, the farm system has little to offer, and payroll is coming down. Not exactly the most appealing situation for Cashman or a potential replacement. Given their track records with this sort of stuff, I buy Heyman’s report more than Cafardo’s.

Nathan

Can’t say I wouldn’t blame Cash for being tired right now. It’s been a tough season.
- Thiud
  
  Yeah, I don’t understand how he can deal with such disrespect.
  
  1) Gets paid $3M a year.
  2) Gene Michael and Bob Watson construct his first championship teams.
  3) He spends half a billion dollars to buy his most recent championship.
  4) He has been given the most resources in baseball.
  5) He has regularly demonstrated an inability to judge starting pitching talent.
  
  Yeah, he has it rough.
  - http://www.penuel-law.com/ Cuso
    
    What does #5 have to do with or without “disrespect?”
    
    Oh…nothing. you’re just listing reasons to bash him – understood.
    - Mac
      
      And I will bet the same point can be used to bash something like 75-90% of MLB executives.
  - Belize Travel Agent
    
    Yeah, but 2009!
  - Get Phelps Up
    
    I think the 2011 Red Sox, 2012 Angels and 2013 Blue Jays can refute the notion that Cashman “bought” the 2009 championship.
    - Cool Lester Smooth
      
      You can throw the 2013 Angels into that group.
  - Nathan
    
    I meant more about what is going on this season: the injuries, the A-Rod drama and the budget restriction.
  - Ricketson
    
    100% Correct.
- Miguel
  
  It would be a lot tougher if he didn’t trade for Soriano. Oh wait. He didn’t want to trade an A ball pitcher for him.
Preston

Whatever it is that Brian Cashman thinks or wants, I doubt either Jon Heyman or Nick Cafardo have any insight into it.
- toad
  
  +1
JLC 776

I wouldn’t jump too much over what any beat writer for any team says. No converging validity on either report, as far as I can tell.
crawdaddy

Read the excerpt from Cafardo. It’s a baseless assumption!

1. Brian Cashman, GM, Yankees — File this under something to keep track of, and only that. There has been murmuring among major league scouts and executives that Cashman might be getting a little tired of the Yankees, and that he could move on if something he likes opens up. There could be an opening in Los Angeles, where Angels owner Arte Moreno could do something dramatic and let GM Jerry Dipoto go. This is based on nothing Cashman has said, just what some are perceiving as a tough situation with the monumental rebuilding job ahead, while trying to stay under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold.
- JGYank
  
  So Cash would want to go to the Angels who are stuck with awful contracts like Pujols and Hamilton while spending less, and have an even worse farm system? They finished under .500 and have an even bigger rebuild in front of them and they won’t even be spending $189M. Cafardo makes so much sense.
- Cool Lester Smooth
  
  Well, it’s baseless assumptions from his sources.
  
  Cafardo is a hack, but he does know a -lot- of people.
  - crawdaddy
    
    This is based on nothing Cashman has said, just what some are perceiving as a tough situation with the monumental rebuilding job ahead, while trying to stay under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold.
    
    Looks pretty baseless to me no matter who Cafardo talked to.
    - Scout
      
      I might have grown “a little tired” of my organization, too, and “could head elsewhere if” I find “an opportunity” I like. In short, of whom would this statement NOT be true?
    - Cool Lester Smooth
      
      I’m just saying that Cafardo is reporting baseless assumptions, not making them.
      - Pasta Stumbling Sojo
        
        Not sure which is worse. If you make a baseless assumption, at least your readers can read what you write as an opinion piece, since there are no sources or anything. If you report baseless assumptions from your “sources,” it gives the appearance that you’re reporting something real, when in fact you’re just reporting some random thought that went through someone’s head.
        
        Either way, totally ridiculous reporting.
        
        Mac
        
        The worst is the reading comprehension of so many commenters on here.
        
        Have you bothered to read what was written and re-posted on here twice now? Cafardo is very, very, very clear about what he is reporting and how it should be taken. He goes over and above to make himself clear.
        
        Pasta Stumbling Sojo
        
        I don’t have any issue with reading comprehension. Being very, very, very clear about the fact that what you’re reporting is baseless speculation doesn’t make it reasonable reporting.
        
        Not everything is worth reporting, and reporting on the baseless speculation of people not involved in a situation is worse than reporting nothing. Surely you can agree that there is a threshold where something is simply not worth reporting, no matter how clear you are as to what you’re reporting. “An unnamed NL executive told me he had a dream last night in which Cano signed for $200 million over 10 years with the Cubs. Now, I want to make it clear that this is just a dream that an executive had, so don’t take it as any more than that, but you can file this under something to keep track of.”
        
        Cool Lester Smooth
        
        It’s from his “Apropos of Nothing” section in his Sunday “Baseball Notes,” which literally consists of rumors he’s been hearing recently.
        
        And all he says is that some of his guys are saying that Cash might be looking at other offers this season. Nothing more, nothing less.
JGYank

I can see why he would be tired of NY. The Arod stuff, the blame for the team/farm system from fans, the payroll excuse, the media, the stalker situation, and being overruled by ownership. But I still think he stays with the organization. Hard to picture him going anywhere else.
- radnom
  
  And why exactly shouldn’t the GM be held responsible for the team/farm system?
  - JGYank
    
    Never said he shouldn’t be held responsible but obviously you’re going to receive more of a reaction to failure in NY than in KC, Milwaukee or other small markets. Some of that blame stems from the media while the rest is from the fan base, and both are simply larger and more demanding in NY.
Bill

I wouldn’t shed a tear if he did. I’d be worried about who they bring in as his replacement, but he’s not really doing a lot of great things lately. Whether he’s hampered by ownership or his right hand guys aren’t doing their jobs well enough is up for debate, but his past few years have been pretty poor.

I’ll be surprised if they break things off after this year, but I think they’ll look to go one more year and then could move on then depending on how things work out.
- Mac
  
  There are reports on several of the moves ownership has pushed through.
  
  Pretty poor is winning 95 games a year? What would you call it if they finished under .500?
RetroRob

Yup, we heard a similar rumor the last time his contract was coming up. Purely a negotiating tactic.
- Mac
  
  He explicitly states it is based on nothing Cashman has said. It’s possible Cashman is putting thoughts in his colleagues minds to help with negotiations, but that’s not at all what is reported here.
  
  “File this under something to keep track of, and only that. There has been murmuring among major league scouts and executives that Cashman might be getting a little tired of the Yankees, and that he could move on if something he likes opens up. There could be an opening in Los Angeles, where Angels owner Arte Moreno could do something dramatic and let GM Jerry Dipoto go. This is based on nothing Cashman has said, just what some are perceiving as a tough situation with the monumental rebuilding job ahead, while trying to stay under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold.”
  - RetroRob
    
    That’s exactly what would be said if he was leaking it out.
    
    Could also be total fiction.
    
    Or, all a reporter needs to do is call up a few friends/sources and asks if there is any chance Cashman is tired of the Yankees. The leading question will give him the answer he needs to write his story.
    
    Any of the above, so I stand by what I wrote.
    - Mac
      
      I am at a loss for words.
      
      You are directly contradicting what you wrote and standing my it in the same comment? 1 of the 3 random options you came up with supports your original comment, the other two directly contradict it. For it to be a negotiating tactic it would necessarily have to come from Cashman or someone who benefits from him increasing his salary (agent most likely). You are saying it’s not necessarily coming from him and that it is necessarily coming from him in the same comment. I don’t get it.
      
      The most likely option in my opinion based on what was actually written and the reason I posted exactly what was written? A scout or executive who is not Brian Cashman can think whatever the hell they want about Brian Cashman, whether it agrees with or disagrees with what Cashman actually thinks about himself. If you talk to 10 scouts, leading them or not, you’re probably going to get a whole range of opinions on how Cashman feels and what he’s going to do. Even if you talked to 10 Yankees scouts I’d bet that’s the case.
      - RetroRob
        
        If only you were at a loss for words, Ted.
- The Big City of Dreams
  
  Yep happens every time and then he signs a new 3 yr deal and it’s I have a job to finish here.
http://www.penuel-law.com/ Cuso

Cafardo is on the Red Sox beat. He has a habit of intermittently making commentary about the Yankees that is absolutely baseless. He’s a Red Sox FO mouthpiece – its nothing new.

Why anyone would lend any creedence to anything he says regarding the Yanks is beyond me.

Likewise, I doubt Sox fans really listen to much of what Heyman says.

Cafardo is a Red Sox hack, plain and simple.
- Mac
  
  DId you pay any attention to what he actually said? He commented on gossip in other FOs regarding the Yankees. You don’t have to know a single thing about the Yankees to accurately report that.
trr

Plenty of grumbling that Yankee fans have grown a little tired of Cashman; he certainly won’t be missed in certain quarters if he does in fact leave (I’m betting he won’t)
- Mac
  
  You would probably be wise to wait and see who replaces him before deciding whether you miss him.
Mac

Speculation among other GMs and the interest of the Yankees and Cashman in severing their relationship are not actually contradictory reports. Both reports can simultaneously be true. Cashman can have no interest in severing his relationship, and other executives can still think he will.

Why do you feel the need to constantly look at the negative? It is so tiring. Just stop.

The farm system has little to offer? WTF? This “what have you done for me lately” prospects are only as good as their most recent season and only top 25 prospects count mentality among 16 year old commenters is one thing, but I’m surprised to see if from Mike (maybe I shouldn’t be…). The Yankees have plenty of prospects in the upper minors, not to mention guys who are further away. Who knows what the hell these guys have to offer? They certainly have the potential to contribute.

The payroll MAY come down. It has always been contingent on winning. Your approach of pretending you are holding ownership completely to their word while ignoring their actual words is so ridiculous.
- RetroRob
  
  Ted?
  - Mac
    
    Why is it that every time I dare to call Mike out for spreading ridiculous half-truths and passing off the worst case as truth that I get compared to one person. Countless commenters on here have made similar points about their dislike for Mike’s extreme pessimism. I can recall at least half a dozen comments where people in a caring way directly asked Mike is he is having an issue that he needs help with because of how overly pessimistic and just generally angry his writing has been at times.
    - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
      
      For someone who sent me multiple emails saying you going to stop reading because my analysis is lacking, you sure do come back often.
hogsmog

To be honest, I don’t know how much a GM can really do these days with a team like the Yankees. The way the draft and free agency seem to be working out, the way to assemble a winning team is:

1) Suck for a long time, pick up good prospects and afford to give them plenty of MLB plaything time.

2) When the prospects mature, sign one or two super expensive free agents in their early 30s on albatross contracts.

3) Win (see Detroit Tigers)

Then, as your dream team ages, suck for a half decade until you can do it all over again.

A new GM isn’t going to be able to fix the Yankees if this is the system he’s dealing with, at least not right away, and especially if ‘fixing’ means ushering in a new dynasty team.

The way I see it, there are no dynasties anymore. Selig did a really good job killing them off. Yet Cashman and whoever comes after him is going to be held to that standard. People criticize him for ‘buying’ 2009, but I think moves like that are going to be much more common than not among WS-winning teams (a slow buildup and a big push).

At any rate, Cashman or no, it’s going to take a while for the Yankees to be as strong as they were in the late 2000s, and they’ll never be that strong for more than a few years in a row. Unfortunately, the combination of 1998 being fresh in everyone’s mind, the lack of young free agents, and draft/IFA restrictions are going to make it really hard to stay in a positive light.
- Mac
  
  No. This is just not corroborated by the standings. Of the teams towards the top of the standings, very few sucked at all to get where they are. Look at the Cardinals, Braves, Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Reds, and Dodgers. You have every division leader except the Pirates and very little recent sucking on that list.
  - Get Phelps Up
    
    Well the Tigers were able to draft Verlander 2nd overall in 04 and Maybin and Miller who helped them get Cabrera were also top 10 picks. The Braves, Reds and Dodgers also have high draft picks for some of their key guys.
- JGYank
  
  I disagree. You can draft and develop well while winning to keep the team successful. The Yankees were very successful most of this time from a few farm guys from the 90s and their payroll alone. Imagine if they had drafted and developed guys well during that time.
  
  I do believe building dynasties are still possible just much less likely. If a team had a bunch of prospects come up and have success around the same time and surround them with smart FA signings and trades could have a dynasty. Think about the Rays and pretend they signed/traded for great position players along with all the pitching they develop.
  - Yankeeparrothead
    
    Dynasties are still possible. Lets not forget the Ynaks have only missed the post-season once since the 1994 strike (and if you consider they were declared the division winner that year even though there was no post season you can add another year).
    
    As far as the farm system, it seems the Yankees never have any top prospects int eh present but a lot more in hindsight. Back in 1994 the only hot prospect the Yanks had was Derek Jeter. The rest of the core 5 were not though to be very good. Posada was considered at best a back up since he might hit a little but wasn’t much defensively, Pettite was at best a back of the rotation starter, Mo was a mediocre starter who probably wouldn’t last long, Bernie wasn’t even the best Williams (everybody thought Gerald Williams was the real talent). Cano was never expected to be very good, nor was Wang, Gardner, Robertson or Nova. Many of the guys who were highly touted (Brackman, Hughes, Chamberlain, Betances, Balboni, Brien Taylor) have failed, but others have done much better than expected. It just goes to show that the scouts are wrong as often as they are right in porjecting success of minor league talent.
Eddard

Good riddance. Hughes and Joba are his babies and they’ve been colossal failures. The only way Phil Hughes can not lose a start these days is due to mother nature. It took an act of God for Phil Hughes to not lose a start and that’s why Cashman has got to go.
Robinson Tilapia

Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Steinbrenner’s Ghost

Maybe he can find some mistresses who aren’t crazy in another market.
nsalem

Who in this world is not a little tired of the Yankee’s?
Mike T.

Cashman is a tool who has already overstayed his welcome. Good riddance, and good luck running a team without having an unlimited payroll.
dick m

Who would take him?
JobaWockeeZ

Initially I was going to say how could one be tired of having the most money then i forgot that his bosses are idiots so he’s probably tired of them.
Kenny

Haven’t read Cafardo or the other guy. IMHO it’s reasonable to believe that Cashman might be ready for a change, for reasons not far from what Mike and others suggest.

The org doesn’t look too strong lately. The team does have lots of really old and declining stars. Some of these stars will not be back next year. Free agent pool is not great. One responder says Selig has done in “dynasties.” Again, this may true.

I don’t know what to say about these owners. Is 189 real or not? If they reset the luxtax to 0, does this really mean they’ll spend like old man Stein? If they don’t, they won’t be a damn near annual post season team.

That’s more than enough to make a guy who could once swagger around at winter meetings, think twice about staying with a sinking ship.

Course it’s also possible, for some of these same reasons, that the Steins may think they need a big housecleaning to show everybody that they’re “serious” or something about keeping the Yankees the Yankees.

Just about anything’s possible.