Yankees agree to three-year deal with GM Cashman

[Blue_Chip]

NEW YORK -- Brian Cashman figures he has more work to do with the New York Yankees. After a sustained run of success, he wasn't about to leave on the heels of a failed season. Cashman is staying on as general manager of the Yankees, agreeing Tuesday to a three-year contract that runs through 2011.
"I've got a job to finish here," Cashman said in a statement. "That's the bottom line." New York missed the playoffs this year for the first time since 1993. Cashman took over as GM in 1997 and his current deal was set to expire at the end of October. He was expected to re-sign, especially after Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner told Cashman earlier this season that the team wanted him back. But there had been rumblings that Cashman might be interested in running another club -- perhaps one without such a vocal, hands-on ownership group. "I consider coming off a season where we didn't reach the playoffs for the first time since 1993 as a personal challenge. I've never been one to run from a challenge, and I look forward to having the chance to go after this thing again," Cashman said. "It's an incredible opportunity and honor to hold the title of general manager for the New York Yankees. With it comes a great responsibility to ownership, the people who wear the uniform and our fan base." He has plenty of work to do. Beset by injuries, a mediocre pitching staff and a disappointing offense, New York (89-73) finished third in the AL East this season, six games out of playoff position. Cashman was criticized for turning down a deal that could have brought ace Johan Santana to the Yankees last winter. He chose instead to stick with a plan of valuing young players, but it backfired when pitchers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy combined to go 0-8 and failed to stay healthy. New York is expected to make a strong push for several stars who can become free agents, including ace CC Sabathia. First baseman Mark Teixeira and pitchers Ben Sheets, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe could be targets, too. "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," co-chairmen Hank and Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. "We are thrilled that Brian has accepted to renew his commitment to this organization for at least three more years." The Yankees could have nearly $90 million in salaries coming off the books. Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu and Ivan Rodriguez are unsigned for next season, and center field is an uncertainty. "Brian has shown throughout his Yankees career that he has the dedication, integrity and know-how needed to perform -- and succeed -- in this environment," the Steinbrenner brothers said. "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." A news conference was planned for Wednesday morning at Yankee Stadium.

 

[Blue_Chip]

I hope Yankees fans aren't expecting success anytime soon. Cashman is your problem, Torre was not.

 

[cogenman]

You have to be shitting me? You blow the most money, don't make the playoffs, and you get an extension? WTF. What does he need to do to get fired?

 

[B.A.R.]

You have to be shitting me? You blow the most money, don't make the playoffs, and you get an extension? WTF. What does he need to do to get fired?

have al davis as his boss

 

[Yanks27Sox9]

don't be Yag, girls :shake:

and knowing what you're talking about never hurts either.

 

[B.A.R.]

don't be Yag, girls :shake:

and knowing what you're talking about never hurts either.

Shit talker:whip:

 

[Throwback420]

have al davis as his boss

:eyes:

 

[B.A.R.]

:eyes:

Had to fuck with you and cog...:tiphat:

 

[Blue_Chip]

and knowing what you're talking about never hurts either.

What I'm talking about, Yanks, is that Torre did the best with the talent he was given.

Cashman is the ass clown in the organization that thinks a pitching unit must double as a geriatrics unit.

How do you see things in the organization?

 

[Yanks27Sox9]

Shit talker:whip:

take this, pinko illow:

 

[B.A.R.]

:7_5_142:

take this, pinko illow:

 

[Blue_Chip]

Break it up, ladies!

 

[Yanks27Sox9]

What I'm talking about, Yanks, is that Torre did the best with the talent he was given.

Cashman is the ass clown in the organization that thinks a pitching unit must double as a geriatrics unit.

How do you see things in the organization?

Torre was and is a pretty good manager overall...except when it came to handling the pitching staff. In that respect, he was poor. Proctor is a perfect example, since Torre's had him in both NY & LA...and before Proctor got hurt this year, he continued to make the mistake of running the douche out there in crucial situations.

But the bold tells me what i need to know, to be honest. Cashman is for the most part the only voice of reason in the organization, and has been fighting to build with young talent for some time. It's the Steinbrenner's...first George, now Hank...that are the ass clowns, as you say.

Do you know that the Yanks have the #3 rated farm system in all of baseball, top to bottom? And that last year they were the only organization to have their minor league team at each & every level make it to their respective post seasons?

The Yanks built a dynasty from '96 to '01. Cashman took over in '97. After the '01 series loss to AZ, it was George that said changes would come...and he got way too involved again...like he was in the 80s. And sure enough, all the bad FA contracts started. From Giambi to Damon...Cashman was just following orders when he was being overruled.

But read that article again. Fwiw, it's incomplete...but almost every one of those bad FA contracts (like a pavano) are gone now...with the completion of this season. In fact, barring any options being picked up, there'll be well over 100 million coming off the books.
My only hope is that Hank is smart enough to listen to Cashman, and the NYY baseball people, and spend the money wisely...which means avoid making the same mistakes of the recent past...from the '01 offseason to the '06 offseason, basically.

Anyways, that's all i have time for now. But i couldn't disagree more about Cashman. And i'm sure most around baseball feel the same way, as Cashman wouldn't remain unemployed even a week.
The problem with the Yanks is the ownership...nothing more.
And if Torre was such a great manager...and he truly did do the best with what that he was given...then my Yanks would literally have 4 more rings, and my name would be Yanks30...in all honesty.

 

[B.A.R.]

Thatta boy

 

[B.A.R.]

I knew it was coming...and he is right...

thats what happens when bosses get involved

 

[Yanks27Sox9]

I knew it was coming...and he is right...

thats what happens when (some) bosses get (too) involved

dont get me wrong. i love the steinbrenners in 2 respects, while disliking them in 1 respect.

in terms of wanting to win, and spending money to win/make money, they're the best owners in the game. in terms of it being a business, they're also the best owners in the game. for example, the yes network. after all, george bought the yanks for a couple million...and 30 years later they were worth over a billion. that alone says it all in terms of the business aspect of things.

but the one down side is the meddling. that's the one respect of their ownership that i don't like...because they are not "baseball people," but more like fans/fanatics. look at that dynasty i mentioned. that was built correctly...with youth, and with key FA signings like O'Neil or Tino. And why was that? because for much of it, george wasn't around to meddle. remember his getting kicked out of/suspended from the game, due to some shady shit he pulled? what his forced absence did was allow the "baseball people" to really run things. and sure enough, the crap from the 80s turned around...and the yanks were back where they belonged...starting in '94, when they and the expos had the best records in baseball before the strike.

anyways...no, cashman isn't the problem. he definitely has them on the right path. my only worry for their future is hank, if he gets too "hands on." so far he's proven he can sure run his mouth like his old man...

 

[Blue_Chip]

I see the situation through a different lens, but I liked reading your take,Yanks, as I am not a Yankee fan nor closer follower. GL in the future. Hands on bosses seem to be a growing problem in sports.

 

[BetCrimes1984]

Why Bringing Cashman Back Was A Mistake

As we learned yesterday, Brian Cashman and the Yankees have agreed on a three-year deal that will keep him with the team through the 2011 season as their General Manager.

Now, Brian Cashman has some great qualities. As I wrote back on August 29, 2008:

Brian Cashman has value. He understands New York. He can navigate through the Yankees organization. He’s polished. He can take a punch. There’s nothing wrong with having Brian Cashman as the face of the front office - and being the person on point between the owners, the team, the media and the fans.
​

Still, Brian Cashman’s career resume in Yankeeland is also full of bad results as well.

“What a minute!,” some are probably thinking here…”Cashman has three World Series rings on his report card. How are those results bad?”
The answer to that is simple.

Brian Cashman became Yankees G.M. on February 28, 1998. And, yes, the Yankees did win rings in 1998, 1999 and 2000. However, when Cashman took over as the head man in charge, the following players were already on the team: Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, Paul O’Neill, Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mike Stanton, David Cone, Ramiro Mendoza, David Wells, Joe Girardi, Jeff Nelson, Chad Curtis and Darryl Strawberry.

This group of Yankees was added to the team by Stick Michael and Bob Watson. It was they, and not Cashman, who built a powerhouse entity (via this cadre of players) who went on to win three rings from 1998 through 2000 - and which benefited Brian Cashman when he took over for Watson in 1998.

After 2001, when that the force that Michael and Watson created was nearly tapped out, is when the Yankees sincerely became “Brian Cashman’s team.” And, sure, from 2002 through 2008, under Cashman, the Yankees were marvelous in terms of their win totals and revenue. But, if not for Boston collapses in the 2003 ALCS and the regular seasons of 2005 and 2006, this seven-year period would not look as pretty for New York as it does on the average fan’s ledger.

On the whole, Brian Cashman took a team that was a three-peat World Champion and turned them into a team that would finish first and then lose in the LDS…and then into a team that would no longer finish first but would win a Wildcard (and lose in the LDS)…and then into a team that would not make the post-season at all. Notice the trend here?
In addition, there’s a long list of moves made by Brian Cashman that suggest he’s clueless when it comes to evaluating talent. For example:
On February 1, 1999, he traded Mike Lowell to the Florida Marlins for Mark J. Johnson, Ed Yarnall, and Todd Noel.

At that time, it was claimed that Cashman was stocking the Yankees system with up-and-coming young pitching talent - like Yarnall, Ben Ford, Ryan Bradley, and Craig Dingman - much like his recent “plan” with Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain. (The plan didn’t work back then and it sure didn’t work this season.)

On July 5, 2002, as part of a three-team trade, Cashman traded Ted Lilly, John-Ford Griffin, and Jason Arnold to the Oakland Athletics and received Jeff Weaver from the Detroit Tigers. For the Yankees, Weaver was a complete bust - while Lilly has been a solid major league starter since leaving New York.

Looking to later dump Jeff Weaver, on December 13, 2003, Cashman traded Jeff Weaver, Yhency Brazoban, Brandon Weeden and cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Kevin Brown. Like Weaver, Brown was a bust in New York.

Three days later, on December 16, 2003, Cashman traded Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera, and Randy Choate to the Montreal Expos for Javier Vazquez - who had as much fun in New York as Kevin Brown.

The next year, on December 20, 2004, Cashman signed free agent Carl Pavano to a four-year deal worth nearly $40 million. Pavano would go on to become the modern day poster-child for a terrible free agent signing.
Then, about two years later, in November of 2006, Cashman spent $26 million to earn the right to sign Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa - and then spent another $20 million on a contract for Igawa. When last seen, Igawa was coaching first base for the Yankees Triple-A farm team.

Granted, it’s not been all bad under Cashman’s watch. As many would be quick to point out, players like Chien-Ming Wang and Robinson Cano have come to the Yankees under his leadership. Yet, Cashman reportedly also offered Wang and Cano to the Arizona Diamondbacks back in January 2005, in an attempt to acquire Randy Johnson, and they only remained with the Yankees because Arizona instead wanted Brad Halsey and Dioner Navarro. So, was Cashman smart with Cano and Wang, or, just lucky?
Here’s another way to look at the job Brian Cashman has done - in terms of building the Yankees pitching (which is the element of the game that separates the men from the boys). Start with ERA+ (which is the ratio of the league’s ERA, adjusted to the pitcher’s ballpark, to that of the pitcher). An ERA+ greater than 100 is above average and an ERA+ less than 100 is below average.

From 1998 through 2008, here’s a count of how many pitchers were on each Yankees team where they pitched in at least 10 games and had an ERA+ of 90 or less:


Year #
2005 12
2008 9
2006 8
2004 8
2007 4
2003 4
2000 4
2002 3
2001 3
1998 2




</PRE>[* Pitchers names appear at the close of this entry.]

As you can see, from 1998 through 2003, the Yankees only had a few “dud” pitchers on their roster each year. However, in the last five seasons, the Yankees, on average, have had around eight “dud” pitchers on their roster each season. Those Yankees pitching staffs from 1998 through 2003 were manned by the Michael and Watson carry-overs. Since 2004, the Yankees pitching staff has been all-Cashman…and contained many “duds.”

When you take this all in…the bad moves, especially when it comes to pitching, and bringing the team from the status of World Series contender down to first-round post-season road-kill and then down to non-contender…I just don’t see how you can reward Brian Cashman with another three years of being in charge of the New York Yankees.
Obviously, the Yankees feel differently. And, if you ask me, that’s a mistake.


As promised, here are those “dud” pitchers on the Yankees from 1998 through 2008:

2005: 12 - Tanyon Sturtze / Felix Rodriguez / Scott Proctor / Mike Stanton / Buddy Groom / Alan Embree / Paul Quantrill / Carl Pavano / Al Leiter / Jaret Wright / Wayne Franklin / Kevin Brown

2008: 9 - LaTroy Hawkins / David Robertson / Damaso Marte / Ross Ohlendorf / Darrell Rasner / Billy Traber / Sidney Ponson / Chris Britton / Ian Kennedy

2006: 8 - Ron Villone / Randy Johnson / T.J. Beam / Tanyon Sturtze / Shawn Chacon / Octavio Dotel / Aaron Small / Cory Lidle

2004: 8 - Felix Heredia / Tanyon Sturtze / Scott Proctor / Bret Prinz / Gabe White / C.J. Nitkowski / Jose Contreras / Esteban Loaiza

2007: 4 - Sean Henn / Mike Mussina / Edwar Ramirez / Kei Igawa

2003: 4 - Jeff Weaver / Sterling Hitchcock / Juan Acevedo / Jesse Orosco

2000: 4 - David Cone / Allen Watson / Denny Neagle / Craig Dingman

2002: 3 - Sterling Hitchcock / Randy Choate / Mike Thurman

2001: 3 - Ted Lilly / Randy Keisler / Sterling Hitchcock

1998: 2 - Mike Stanton / Mike Buddie

1999: 0 - None

courtesy of waswatching.com

 

[AgainstThePublic]

Agree with Yanks. It starts at the top and that is the problem. Cashman was/is the voice of reason. In years past it wasn't Cashman's decision to pull the trigger on a deal. He was the so called puppet and the Steinbrenner family are the ones who wanted a Randy Johnson/Carl Pavano etc... Cashman would sit back and take the blame when in all reality he isn't the one to blame for bringing in the garbage. The $100 million coming off the books is huge. I would say next year is a rebuilding year and the following year the Yanks should make some noise. I still see them making the playoffs next year but winning it all might be a stretch depending on what moves are made in the offseason. Offseason meetings will be taking place soon and for us Yankee fans let's hope that actual "baseball people" are involved in the talks or else next year will be worse than this past year.

 

[AgainstThePublic]

Whoever wrote that story has absolutely no clue in what they are talking about. About 85% of it is flat out wrong. Like I stated earlier, the Steinbrenner family pulled the trigger on these deals regardless of what Cashman input was.

 

[MrMulligan]

As yanks mentioned, Cash is the "voice of reason" in the pinstripes Front Office. When he took over the Yankees had one of the worst minor league systems in all of baseball...now #3 and rising. :cheers:

Cash' mistakes this year were not bringing in a veteran bench coach to help guide Girardi and putting too much faith in Joba, Hughes, and Kennedy based on last fall's excellent showings.

Cash is the man who has pushed the Yanks to focus on internal player development and using young pitchers. Now, this tact caused a one year fall but may lead to the next Yankee Dynasty -- remember, we have over $75M coming "off the books" this year:


Giambi: $21 million
Abreu: $16 million
Pettitte: $16 million
Mussina: $11 million
Idle: $11 million
That’s $75 million plus a few million for Ensberg, Pudge, Ponson, etc.


Plus, another $25M after next year when Matsui & Damon are gone.


Mully :cheers:


IMO, best Yankees Blog on the net - http://yankees.lhblogs.com/

 

[MrMulligan]

Cash is FIRED UP:

Cashman has 'unfinished business' with Yankees

By Peter Abraham
The Journal News • October 2, 2008


NEW YORK - If the Yankees had played with some of the passion their general manager showed yesterday, there might have been a playoff game at Yankee Stadium instead of a press conference.
A feisty Brian Cashman said he signed a three-year contract extension with the goal of completing the task started three years go when he and George Steinbrenner decided the organization needed a new direction.

<script language="JavaScript">OAS_AD('Articl</script>"There's unfinished business here and I've chosen to finish that business," Cashman said a day after accepting a deal believed to be worth at least $7 million.
Had he jumped to another team or left the industry, Cashman knew he would be regarded as a quitter. The Yankees have not been to the World Series since 2003 and this season failed to make the playoffs.
"For a long time, we've been old and everybody knows it, right?" Cashman said. "For a long time people have pointed it out. So now when you start to fix it, people are 'Oh my God, you missed the playoffs.' Off with his head, right? That's fair, that's fine, that's part of this town. I accept it. I'm not running from it."
Cashman said that while the Yankees would surely pursue some high-priced free agents this winter, he remains committed to the idea of rebuilding the team via the draft and player development.
"I care about my name and I care about how I'm perceived and I care about this franchise. I need everybody that works for me who feels the same way to pull in the same direction," he said. "If I wanted something easy, I could do a hell of a lot of other things than run the Yankees."
Cashman, 41, took full control of the baseball operations department in 2005 when he negotiated his last contract, gaining oversight of the amateur-scouting and player-development branches.
What has changed is the ownership structure above Cashman. The general manger now reports to Steinbrenner's sons, Hank and Hal. In 2006, Hank Steinbrenner held no title whatsoever within the organization and wasn't even listed among the limited partners. Hal Steinbrenner was a general partner with no specific duties.
Cashman admitted yesterday that there were "growing pains" in his relationship with Steinbrenner's sons.
"They stepped up to be the leaders of the franchise. When you do that in an environment like New York, it's certainly new," Cashman said. "Obviously every step that they take and I take, we're all finding out what's best for each other. ... There's a lot of things we agree on and some things we disagree on."
Cashman would not detail what specifically troubled him. But Hank Steinbrenner proved eager to provide reporters with details about proposed moves, particularly last winter's negotiations with Minnesota regarding left-hander Johan Santana. At one point, without Cashman's knowledge, he imposed a deadline on the Twins to make a deal.
"We all had to find our niche. There were adjustments that needed to be made as we went along," Cashman said.
As Hank Steinbrenner reveled in the spotlight once courted by his father, Hal Steinbrenner established a working relationship with Cashman, manager Joe Girardi and other team officials by making frequent trips to New York for face-to-face meetings.
But it wasn't until a meeting in Tampa, Fla., before the trade deadline convinced Cashman that the situation was tenable.
"I don't know that I would call it a turning point, but there was progress," he said.
Cashman will hold meetings with his pro scouts in the Bronx later this month. Full organization meetings will start in Tampa on or around Oct. 15. At that point, Cashman said, they will target certain players.
"There is no doubt that starting pitching is something we have to clearly address," Cashman said. "We need to address the starting rotation whether it's by free agency, by trade. ... Just because you put certain players on the top of your list doesn't mean you're going to be on the top of their list."
Cashman all but invited his critics to an alley fight, saying he came back to prove he could do the job.
"I'm a competitive person. I don't like what I see sometimes that shows up in the newspapers. I don't like that some people forget that I've been here since 1986; that I've been part of this franchise when it wasn't very good," he said.
"This story line that was going to be written if I left, I didn't agree with. I'm not going to let that story be written. One thing Reggie Jackson has said, when you have the bat in your hand, you can always change the story."

Mully :cheers: