The Rotation Continues to be Cashman's Downfall

Brian Cashman

While we spend a lot of attention debating the merits of retreads like Garcias and Colon the real issue is the inability of Brain Cashman to build a complete starting 5. I know there was some excitement last year over adding Vasquez to an already good rotation but we know how that turned out. The Vasquez move was widely applauded but a GM must be scored on his results NOT how a move appeared to the public and MSM at the time.

Take a look at some of the staffs the Yankees have had since 2005. I have put any player with an ERA+ of over 100 in bold and listed all starters with 10 or more starts;

2005 Yankees - Johnson, Mussina, Wang, Pavano, Brown, Wright, Chacon, Leiter, Small (9 starts)
Post the series we never speak of the Yankees "loaded up" by signing Pavano and Wright. This works out so well they needed a player off the trash heap(Chacon) and a player from the independent league(Small) to catch fire for them to make the playoffs.

2006 Yankees - Wang, Johnson, Mussina, Wright, Chacon, Lidle (9 Starts)
Jaret Wright actually proved useful this year but unfortunately the 42 year old Johnson was less then useful. Who could have seen that coming? Chacon and Small both had era's north of 7 and picked up Lidle at the deadline in an attempt to have someone useful at the tail end of the rotation.

2007 Yankees - Pettitte, Wang, Mussina, Clemens, Hughes, Igawa
This year was two bad decisions maybe three. Clemens was brought back (OH MY GOD HE IS IN GEORGE'S BOX!), the great Igawa was signed and Hughes was rushed into the rotation at age 21.

2008 Yankees - Mussina, Pettitte, Rasner, Wang, Ponson, Joba
The Yankees took a chance with some youth and it didn't work out in the short term. Joba got hurt after pitching well, Kennedy was horrible and Hughes was horrible and injured.

2009 Yankees - Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Joba
Three deep with a decent number 4. The 5th starter spot was split between Mitre, Wang, Hughes and Gaudin. The real difference in 2009 was the top three were legit.

2010 Yankees - Sabathia, Burnett, Hughes, Vasquez, Pettitte
Three good starters and two bad starters. This was enough to get the Yankees to the ALCS.

So since 2009 the rotation has produced a good staff once, in 2009. We had aging stars who could no longer get it done(Clemens, Brown, Johnson), some bad signings(Pavano, Igawa, Wright), a player who had nothing on any of his pitches (Vasquez), and a lot of mediocre veterans(Rasner, Ponson, Small, Chacon, Leiter, Lidle). These results are simply not good enough for a championship caliber team. Cashman can excuse away one or two years of mistakes but the fact of the matter is the rotation has been and remains an issue.

The Yankees inability to build a rotation has been an issue since 2005 and with the likes of Colon, Garcia and Millwood lining up for significant starts in 2011 it appears it will continue to be an issue.

Organizational Meetings Under Way

Brian Cashman

Hank and Hal, Randy Levine, Lonn Trost, Cash-Money, and other assorted Yankee Brass have gathered at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa today to begin the meetings that will plan the different strategies that will hopefully lead the Yankees back to the promised land in 2009.

According to Hank, the goal of the meeting is to fix whatever was broken in 2008 and restore order to the universe for 2009.

"It's to set our offseason priorities, certainly, and what we need to try and do," Hank Steinbrenner said Wednesday. "This year, we definitely are all pretty much on the same page. We know what we have to do, and it's going to take a lot of work and a lot of effort. Hopefully we can get as much done as we hope."

"Our goal is to win the World Series," Steinbrenner said. "This year was a little strange because the American League East was so powerful. We finished third because of the division we're in. But, is it acceptable for us to be with what we ended up with? No, it's not. So we're going to do what we can to correct that."

This will officially kick off a lot of interesting moves that we will be following this offseason. I hope you join me in the fun!!!!

Cashman: "Joba Will Be A Starter In 2009" (Duh)

Brian Cashman

Don't know if anyone caught this, but apparently the organizational plan on Joba Chamberlain is to develop him as a starter for the 2009 campaign (wait, you mean there were other plans?!).

As per Kat O'Brien of Newsday:

As some of you noted, Brian Cashman said on WFAN that they plan for Joba Chamberlain to be a starter all next season.

He confirmed that to me in an email.

If health is not a concern, they want Joba in the rotation.

Of course, we have known this all along. But a confirmation from Cashman is a good thing.

Cashman Retunrs for Three more Years

Brian Cashman

It's offical the Cash-man will be back for three more years as the Yankee GM. So as we brace for three more years I start to wonder, what GOOD decisions has Brain Cashman made in the pitching department the last 6 years? I count Tom Gordon and Jon Leiber as good decisions. What else? There has to be more....right?

Here is a breakdown of all his moves. So where is the genius? How does this guy avoid blame? Expect more bad moves this offseason in the pitching department. Maybe no CC, sign Burnett and resign a clearly fried Andy Pettitte, yeah that sounds Cashman-esque.

Am I missing the positive moves he's made?

Cashman: "I've Got A Job To Finish"

Brian Cashman

Bryan Hoch/MLB.Com:

Brian Cashman finalized a contract extension on Tuesday to remain as the general manager of the Yankees, an agreement that will run through the 2011 season.

"I know I've said it before, but it's an incredible opportunity and honor to hold the title of general manager for the New York Yankees," Cashman said. "With it comes a great responsibility to ownership, the people who wear the uniform and our fan base. I've got a job to finish here. That's the bottom line."

"I consider coming off a season where we didn't reach the playoffs for the first time since 1993 as a personal challenge," Cashman said. "I've never been one to run from a challenge, and I look forward to having the chance to go after this thing again."

"Before we could move forward as an organization this offseason, we needed to come to a resolution on the person who would hold the important position of general manager and allow us to make another run at a 27th world championship," Hal and Hank Steinbrenner said in a joint statement released through the team.

"We are thrilled that Brian has accepted to renew his commitment to this organization for at least three more years."

"Holding the position of general manager for any Major League team is a challenge," the Steinbrenners said. "But to do so in the great city of New York, where baseball is passionately followed 12 months a year, you must possess a number of unique attributes.

"Brian has shown throughout his Yankees career that he has the dedication, integrity and know-how needed to perform -- and succeed -- in this environment. Having him in place allows us to begin an offseason of hard work, and we are pleased he will be working hand in hand with us to bring the New York Yankees back to the postseason."

Hank And Hal Set Timeline For Cashman Decision

Brian Cashman

Jon Heyman/SI.com:

Brian Cashman was asked by the Steinbrenners to respond by next week to their offer to return as Yankees general manager, according to people familiar with the situation.

Most baseball people believe that for a variety of reasons, including an excellent working relationship with Hank Steinbrenner's younger, quieter brother Hal, Cashman will choose to return to the job he's held for 11 years. Cashman is expected to give both Steinbrenners his answer as early as next Monday or Tuesday. Negotiations on his new deal would begin the moment Cashman provides the go-ahead and are not expected to take long.

There has been speculation for months that Cashman could be intrigued by any one of a number of potential GM openings, including one in Seattle, another in Philadelphia (Pat Gillick has said he's retiring), and possibly a third in Washington (although Jim Bowden is still hanging in there). And if Cashman chooes not to remain with the Yankees, a few more opportunities could be opened up for him. Yet people close to the team still expect Cashman to stay.

Yankees people are anxious to commence what's likely to be an extreme makeover after missing the playoffs for the first time since long before Cashman became GM (only one Yankee defeat or Red Sox victory will ensure a quite October for the Yankees). So they want an answer by sometime next week, the first week of a postseason that will not involve them.

Hal Steinbrenner recently told Newsday, "He knows that we're with him, that we want him back.'' SI.com reported last winter that the Yankees made a play to try to extend Cashman's contract and again on Aug. 13 that the Yankees still wanted him back, despite the difficulties of the 2008 season.

Should I Stay, Or Should I Go...

Brian Cashman

Buster Olney/ESPN:

The Yankees will face a crossroads in the next month. Brian Cashman has been the team's general manager since February 1998, and since the fall of 2005 Cashman has run the baseball operations, focusing on rebuilding the team's farm system. His contract expires at the end of October, and the Steinbrenner brothers have made it clear that they'd like to keep him.

But Cashman could choose to leave to pursue another job, either in Philadelphia, Seattle or some other place. If he does so, the executive who would replace him would face extraordinary pressure to deliver a championship as soon as possible. Under those circumstances, it might be difficult for the Yankees to continue reconstructing their farm system -- so Cashman's decision could have an incredible impact on the Yankees' future.

Imagine if Cashman sat down at his kitchen table with a notepad, and drew up two columns -- one listing the reasons to go, and the other the reasons to stay. 

It might look something like this...

Brian Cashman's Fan Q&A On LoHud

Brian Cashman

After receiving over five hundred emails containing questions for Brian Cashman, Peter Abraham of the LoHud Yankees Blog was able to narrow down the list and fire off a few of them for the GM to answer.

Here is the audio from the interview (thank you, Peter):
Part #1:
Part #2:

Click Here To Read The Transcript Of Peter Abraham and Brian Cashman's Interview

Cashman:Mussina in the Rotation

Brian Cashman

According to Peter Abraham;

Cashman said that Wang, Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina are in the rotation.
The other two spots are open. At some point, Chamberlain will have his innings restricted. That could come in a variety of ways including being used in the bullpen. “We have to see how it all plays out,” Cashman said. “But Joba will prepare as a starter.”

I really thought we had seen the end of Mike Mussina's days in the Yankee Rotation. Take a look at Moose's ERA the last four years;
4.59
4.41
3.51
5.15
Take out the walk year abberation and Moose has been a bad pitcher for some time now. It is time for Moose to join the ranks of the National League or slip into his spot as a long reliever. Hearing Cashman say that he is in makes me cringe. I only hope that this is the plan to start the season as a way to avoid Joba's innings limit(~160) and once the calendar turns to June, Joba takes over every fifth day.

Joba and Johan

Brian Cashman

The Daily News has an article headlined "Joba Chamberlain may start next season in bullpen for Yankees " but the headline does not jive with the content. Cashman is non-committal to any strategy other then preparing Joba as a starter;

"We're going to prepare him as a starter and we see him as a starter," Yankee GM Brian Cashman said yesterday. "But we have an innings limit that he won't exceed. How we manage the innings limit remains to be seen. The plan is to have him start, but there are a number of scenarios that we'll review."

A non-story.

Also, there is now talk that the Yankees are out of the Johan sweepstakes and this comes a week after Hank said the Yanks were still in it. So now the Red Sox were about to make a deal, then they were the clear leaders, then Johan was not going to be traded, then the Yanks were the leaders and now they are out of it with the Mets in the lead. Got it? Ignore all the talk until something happens. I still say he ends up in the Bronx.

2008 - The Cashman Swan Song?

Brian Cashman

Brian Cashman made some interesting comments at Theo Epstein's charity round table;

On Hank and Hal
"So I’m focused fully on doing everything I possibly can to assist them in their emergence now as decision makers.”

On His future with the Yankees;
"Because of all the work that gets involved with doing the job, it kind of prevents me from really looking ahead past this year,” he said. “I’m just doing everything I possibly can to assist the transition with the new manager, the new owners, with the involvement now with the Steinbrenner sons. And then the rest will take care of itself at another time.”

Now Cashman fought hard to have the final say on all baseball decisions and that power has clearly been transferred to the Brothers. I would expect that at the end of this year we might be looking at another power struggle by Cashman and this one I think he will loose. George was aging in 2005 and clearly needed to get out of the day to day operations of the Yankees Hank and Hal are just getting their feet wet and Hank clearly loves the spotlight.

So the question is will Cashman except less control and if he doesn't do we as Yankee fans have reason to feel concerned?

I can see Cashman walking. He has spent 10 years with the Yankees and is well respected in the game. He probably will have no trouble finding another job.

So do we care? You have to give Cashman some credit for the recent success of the player development program but really the man who deserves the bulk of the credit is Damon Oppenheimer. With Hank at least publicly stating interest in the youth movement and Hal's tight purse strings you can expect Damon to continue to make a large impact without Cashman and for the Yankees to give some of these guys a shot. Cashman has not had a lot of success with his veteran player moves especially pitchers in recent years (Wright, Pavano, Randy, Vasquez, Weaver) and continues to make questionable decisions(1 year of Hawkins instead of 2 with Vizcaino) so in the end I am not sure if this would really be a lose at all.

My take - thanks for time serve Cashman turn off the lights on your way out.

Cashman

Brian Cashman

Saw this and couldn't resist. Something about seeing Brian Cashman on the cover of a magazine with "Mad Hot Dancing" made me smile....think he is dancing now?