Once upon a time, the New York Yankees were a powerhouse to be worried about. In 2023, they are at the unfortunate bottom of the AL East, struggling to stay alive. Veteran players have turned out to be disappointments or are sitting out the season on the injured list. The front office has decided to launch a youth movement, but the youngsters must be more experienced to take on the big leagues. Owing to which the question lingers: Where does the blame lie?
Athletes cannot help injuries or slumps, although, of course, some responsibility lies on them. But for Bronx fans, it’s the terrible decisions from the front office that have ruined the team. Management has failed to build a roster to outlast their struggles, and no one wants to change things. The Steinbrenner family, in particular, is coming under more and more fire.
Hal Steinbrenner Trusts Brian Cashman Beyond Limits
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Hal Steinbrenner is leagues away from how his father handled things. And because he’s mostly terrible at his job, fans will never stop comparing the two. Brian Cashman is in his 25th season of managing the New York Yankees and by some stroke of luck, he has yet to see a season with the Yankees in a win deficit. But 2023 will prove everyone wrong because, for the first time since 1990, the Yankees are at the bottom of their division.
Cashman has never made radical changes, usually content to go with the flow. While that has been his biggest drawback, Steinbrenner refuses to see any faults. Despite a horrendous season, the majority owner of the team continues to give his full support to the GM as well as manager Aaron Boone. But while there’s still a guarantee that Cashman will stay in New York for the foreseeable future, Boone’s time may be up.
After Dillon Lawson, Will Aaron Boone Be the Next Scapegoat?
At the halfway point this season, just before the MLB All-Star game, the club parted ways with longtime hitting coach Dillon Lawson. In a season that had been terrible on the offense on various levels, Cashman finally decided he had had enough. In his entire career, he had never fired anyone in the middle of a season, but apparently, this was enough. Many thought Lawson was simply a scapegoat to put the blame on for the GM’s own decisions, and next, it may be Aaron Boone’s turn.
The manager has been getting more heat than ever in 2023 and while Cashman’s job is 100% secure, the same cannot be said about Boone. To his credit, the skipper has been trying to do his best with the roster he has been given because the GM refuses to improve it. Other than the big Aaron Judge signing, and a deal with Carlos Rodon, the 2022 offseason was glaringly bare of moves. The same went for the trade deadline at the end of July.
What Moves Did Brian Cashman Make at the Trade Deadline?
Brian Cashman held a press conference just after the August 1 trade deadline, and from beginning to end, it left Yankee fans furious. Not only did the veteran GM refuse to make trades that would help the team, but he kept up a stubborn belief in the team’s prowess. Insisting that the team “expect[ed] to get better,” Cashman did a complete 180 from 2022 when he made so many trades it ruined the team chemistry.
But instead of strengthening the struggling offense and suffering pitchers, 2023 was free of moves. Everyone loves the status quo and no one is willing to change anything.
Is It Really Aaron Boone’s Fault?
Simply put, yes and no. Or perhaps it cannot be simply put because a team is not a single individual’s responsibility. To function well, a team must be a well-oiled machine; from the front office to the players, everyone must have a single goal of winning in mind. Aaron Boone’s decisions have come under heat from fans because, for them, he could be a little better at his job. A manager’s job is to manage the roster that he’s been given, not cause it to implode in on itself. But Boone has made mistakes time and again, much like the rest of the front office, so yes, some of the blame lies on him.
Should the Yankees Trade Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole?
Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole are in the primes of their careers, stuck on a team like the New York Yankees. What could the two have accomplished had they played in an era before the Yankees arrived at their current position? Would they have shined with the team, and perhaps shortened the 13-year World Series drought?
It seems like after Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter retired, it was the twilight of the Yankees of yesteryears. Their glory has long faded and Judge and Cole are among two of the only players who have been good from start to finish. Even with Judge’s injury stints, the captain has been a force on the field when he’s been healthy enough to play. Cole has easily been among one of the best pitchers the league has seen since Opening Day this year.
But being stuck on a losing team is doing neither player any favors. While fans would like to keep at least some power on offense and defense, would it really be fair to either of them? Isn’t the team selfishly wasting their most dominant years, even if both players want to succeed in Pinstripes?
Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson: Brian Cashman’s Only Saving Grace
Two names no Yankee fan ever wants to hear again – Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson. Both players had long been struggling in New York, unable to perform despite the multiple chances the Yankees gave them. Most fans thought that the two had lasted longer than was necessary with the Bronx Bombers.
On May 26, the team finally released Hicks, who signed with the Baltimore Orioles four days later. After spending more time on the IL than on the field, and even then struggling with underperformance, the club finally released him on August 29th. He then joined the Milwaukee Brewers on a minor league contract, and it may be the only saving grace for Cashman. Even if it came too late.
Will the Yankees Ever Win Another World Series?
In their current state? Certainly not. 2023 will not be the year they break their playoff drought, much less win a trip to the Fall Classic. With their farm system now being made use of, Bronx fans may see a revolution in the next few years. But it will all depend on how the young squad of Anthony Volpe, Jasson Dominguez, Everson Pereira, Austin Wells, and Oswaldo Cabrera, among others, handle MLB.
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They may crack under the pressure or they may thrive under it. The fate of the Yankees’ World Series also rests on how healthy Judge can stay, along with the healthy return of Nestor Cortes Jr., Carlos Rodon, Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton, and DJ LeMahieu.
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Everything depends on how well the veterans and the rookies mesh together, which will decide when the Yankees can win their 28th title.
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