Did Brian Cashman Seal His Fate as Worst GM After Recent Comments?

Lately, “Hideous”, ‘own worst enemy’, “worst GM” are the phrases used to describe Brian Cashman. Given that the New York Yankees have delivered an 82-80 in 2023; their most horrible season in 3 decades has put the unpopular General Manager in a questionable position. It is no more a secret that the Yankees’ games do not align with the much-maligned man’s statements. Well, actions do speak louder than words. 

But here’s the thing. With some of his words, he has dug his own grave. As a result of expecting some visible “big changes”, the only thing delivered is “I think we’re pretty f–king good”. Is it that the Yanks are denying that they are in dire need of drastic steps? Or is it that they are grappling with making the right decisions under management that won’t budge?

Brian Cashman Said Something That Stirred up the Internet

The Bronx is not having a great time. Amid that, Brian Cashman might have just fueled the already raging fire with his recent comments. But before that, it’s imperative to know that there were other disappointing moves by the ‘man on the hot seat’ himself. Following reverse chronology, MLB GM meeting at Scottsdale, Arizona witnessed some of Brian’s most unfiltered comments. One of the prominent ones was that about a key player of the NYY that enraged people. 

Let’s not deny that 2023 was Giancarlo Stanton‘s worst year ever. He hit.191/.275/.420 with 24 home runs and 60 RBI. Owing to his history of lower-body injuries, the 34-year-old was limited to just 101 games due to an early-season hamstring strain. Aside from that, he also had a slow speed when running in the outfield and on the bases. Now that the elephant in the room is addressed, it’s safe to shift the focus to Cashman’s comments on the 2X Silver Slugger winner.

Per NY Daily News’ Gary Phillips, the Yankees GM’s words were, “I’m not gonna tell you he’s gonna play every game next year, because he’s not. He is going to wind up getting hurt again, more likely that not because it seems to be part of his game”. Ouch!  Isn’t it natural for fans to lose faith on a team when the GM himself displays mistrust in his own key players? Well, that said, not only did he put Stanton’s future with the team in question but also his own credibility. Now the Yankees faithful are left to speculate on what might be the future of the mega-franchise, though he covered up his sneer.

He added, “But I know that when he’s right and healthy – other than this past year – the guy’s a great hitter and has been for a long time”. Though as a team his intention with Stanton is to “limit the time he’s down”, the 56-year-old’s comments were quite not taken well. With that, did he just strengthen his tag as the worst GM, after all? 

Some Indelible Missteps; Credit? Brian Cashman?

It’s time to look at some other missteps that might have marred the optics around his name. The Yankees traded for Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the Minnesota Twins during the previous offseason. Although this trade seemed lucrative for New York at the time, it did not hold up well over time. IKF joined the Yankees as a shortstop stopgap. For some reason, they were drawn to his style of play, and bringing him in allowed their young prospects, Oswaldo Cabrera, Anthony Volpe, and Oswald Peraza, more time to grow in the minor leagues. 

Josh Donaldson, on the other hand, should’ve been a better option and a replacement for Gio Urshela. He has just had a poor year. The 37-year-old, who even won an MVP award, was once one of baseball’s most dangerous hitters. At the plate, he remained a real threat. That is, until the Yankees acquired him. Ever since, Donaldson’s and the Yankees’ downfall have been synchronous. Additionally, how can one forget Cashman’s decision to forego the 31-year-old Philadelphia Phillies star? 

The New York Yankees Paying the Price for Rejecting a Couple of Goats

If there is one decision the organization could reverse, it would be not signing Bryce Harper. This is a misstep that stings the Bronx Bombers to this date. Atta boy Brian Cashman! Cashman’s defiant and haughty decision to withdraw from the Bryce Harper sweepstakes, and following boasts about how unnecessary he was for the Yankees’ depth chart, served as enough evidence for the fans to demand his firing. While the dream to see the Phillie-for-life’s play in pinstripes remains unfulfilled, another player slipping out of the Yankees’ hands has cost dearly.

Flashback to 2019, when everyone was still acclimatizing themselves to Manny Machado joining the San Diego Padres. New York, who went into the winter expecting to compete for his services, did not seem as serious about adding him as everyone had assumed. Machado may not have received a formal offer from the Yankees at all. The Yankees barely interacted with Machado after their December meeting. Sources said that there were strong voices opposing adding Machado from the outset of the Yankees’ internal discussions about the possibility.

The Decision-Maker In Question

Well, a certain decision is irreversible. That said, although having been the general manager of the Yankees since 1998, Cashman has made some dubious choices. The WFAN-FM Journalist Shaun Morash, in August said, “Brian Cashman is no longer the smartest guy in the room when it comes to baseball general managers. In fact, he got caught looking as one of the most hideous general managers…”

Read More: If Hal Steinbrenner Finally Decides to Fire Brian Cashman, Who Are the Potential Successors for the 4x Yankees World Champion?

Be it finance management or strategic discussions, the man wearing the GM hat has a lot on his plate. While no one blames him for the injury stained run, the one in charge of executing decisions is in question. There is no doubt that with the role of a General Manager comes great criticism about the organization, failures and decisions. There is no better man who can handle the heat like Cashman. But history speaks and fans demand his firing. It’s worth considering what his fate is going to be, considering he has the word ‘worst’ associated with his name. 

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