Yankees GM Brian Cashman tells Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald that he wants his team to develop top talent rather than acquiring it via the free-agent market. The lens of the piece is the Yankees’ rivalry with the Red Sox, which has changed in recent years as the Yankees have backed away somewhat from their previously big-spending ways. Here’s the latest on the Yankees’ current approach, as well as a player the Yankees and Red Sox did compete with one another to acquire.
- A number of key players, including Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, are set to become free agents in the 2018-19 offseason. But Cashman says the Yankees aren’t building their strategy on the availability of those types of talents. “We’re not planning that way,” says Cashman. “We’re waiting to transition out of some contracts and some older players and then eventually I’m hoping that we develop enough young players that would prevent us from having to go crazy in the free agent market. … Doesn’t mean we won’t participate in free agency, but we’re hoping to develop.” The Yankees, of course, did make a splash in free agency this winter, signing Aroldis Chapman to a record-shattering deal for a reliever. They also added Matt Holliday and Chris Carter. Still, they didn’t dominate the winter the way they have in the recent past, and will head into 2017 with a number of young players at key positions.
- Going forward, Cashman says he expects to see different teams drive the winter market and the summer trade market depending on the year. “One year it was the Padres, they spent a ton of money,” he says, referring to the 2014-15 offseason, when the Padres made a number of high-profile trades and signed James Shields. “I think it’s every year it’s different, every winter it seems to be different and other clubs emerge and step up, just like at the deadline the Indians stepped up to deals with us. They’re a small market club that typically doesn’t do that. But this was their window time.”
- While the Yankees/Red Sox free agent arms race isn’t as frenzied as it’s been in years past, the two sides recently did compete for one free agent — Mexican pitcher Hector Velazquez, who went to the Red Sox on a low-profile deal when the Sox purchased his contract from the Piratas de Campeche in the Mexican League. “After the Caribbean Series they told me that the Red Sox were interested,” says Velazquez through a translator. “[S]oon after, Campeche, which is the team that I play for, told me that the Yankees were also interested. The way things in work in Mexico is, Campeche is the one who decides exactly who do you go to. They asked me at the end of the day who I wanted to go to, and I chose the Red Sox because they were the first ones to come to me.”
The rivalry has certainly died down the last several years. Hasn’t been the same since the mid 2000’s. I’m not sure if that’s because the Red Sox broke the curse or perhaps because the AL East has been a 5 team battle this decade. All 5 teams have won the division at least once since 2010. Whatever it is, I’ve been to Red Sox/Yankee games at both Fenway and YS and there have been times in both ballparks where the atmosphere feels like it’s a Rays/A’s game. Okay, maybe not That bad, but you get my point.
Cashman’s contract is up at the end of the year, so there’s a chance (although it’s a small chance) he may not even be with the team by the time Machado/Harper get to FA. Unless the Yankees are horrible this year, I would still expect him to be with the team a few more years. I don’t buy his comments though. I still think they will make a run for Harper.
I agree I think Harper is a Yankee in 2019, but not for as much as he probably hopes he gets.
Zero chance
If Cashman is fired its because most of the prospects busted big time or suffered huge set backs. Think of it as a 9/11 event on the farm system
Such a thing makes it more likely a Machado or Harper is signed. Prospect success makes it less likely. As I have said all along. Hal is cheap so long as he can keep attendance at 3 million
I want Machado to the Phillies so badly.
Of course you do Brenton mania. Not gonna happen silly philly! He’s staying in Baltimore side burns.
Why are you acting like an internet tough guy to him because he said he’d like the Phillies to go after Machado? And how do you know he won’t go to Philly and Will stay in Baltimore? (I actually find the latter very unlikely)
Ya philly would be one of his most likely landing spots with where they’ll be in their rebuild and all their money
Because Brexton knocks everyone on here and trolls everyone as an annoying Philly fan! That’s why! He attacks fans on every other team.
Attacks? While Brixton certainly disagrees with many people on here, he’s pretty respectful and keeps it to baseball.
I’ve had many disagreements with him, but it’s always been about baseball and not personal attacks.
I think you’re confusing him with Just Another Fan.
Sorry
I think you might be right
Given the $$$ Baltimore has on the books already for CD and how frugile ownership is, my guess is Machado prices himself out of Maryland unless the I’d can find a taker for the CD contract.
Given the $$$ Baltimore has on the books already for CD and how frugile ownership is, my guess is Machado prices himself out of Maryland unless the O’s can find a taker for the CD contract.
He’s basically their only contract when Machado would be a free agent (Trumbo in 19).
They can easily afford Machado because they don’t have much money committed and have payroll flexibility.
Question is, should they tie that much of their payroll to one guy?
Machado could approach half a billion in free agent if he’s willing to commit long term enough (10-12 years for example). With his age, that’s possible.
Though, getting opt outs is more likely.
Yeah it’s a shame, the rivalry certainly hit it’s peak in 2003-04, every time the two teams played it was must-watch baseball. The past few years it actually bothers me how forced the rivalry is by ESPN and the MLB, giving them Sunday Night Baseball basically every time the two teams meet for a weekend series. MB923 had a great point, when it was at its recent peak, Toronto, Tampa and Baltimore were mostly futile.
Wait, how quickly you forget the Sox finishing in last place a couple of times recently!
Frugal
The Yankees shouldn’t be planning their future based on free agency. Free agency is best used as a tool to expand your odds of a World Series during an already existing championship window. If you don’t have the foundation to be a contender, free agency is a quick way to ensure mediocrity.
A great example is the 2009 free agency spend v. 2014 free agency spend. Before 09, the Yankees had a foundation of a championship team, and the spending made sense to expand that window by 3-4 years. It worked. They won in ’09, lost the CS in ’10 and ’12 and lost in the DS in ’11. They recognized the ’08 team was really good (89 wins) and they could still be a top team in the AL.
In ’13, the wheels fall off. The team has the worst record in 20 years. The team is devoid of building blocks as age, injury and scandal finally cracked the foundation of those great Yankee teams.
Instead of punting and allowing a couple bad years to help rebuild the farm, the Yankees go out and sign McCann, Beltran, Tanaka and Ellsbury to try to fix a broken foundation. It was doomed for mediocrity from the start. Now, Ellsbury’s contract is a joke. McCann is in Houston and Tanaka can opt out if his elbow doesn’t explode.
The only thing the Yankees should care about is can they find a foundation of the next great Yankees team from players like Sanchez, Bird, Torres, Frazier, Severino, Kaprielian, Adams, etc. If they can (like Boston did with Betts, Bogaerts, JBJ, etc.), then free agency can be useful. If not it’s just a band-aid on a bullet wound.
Cashman and the Yanks have always had star players which is a necessity in NY, but I think the Yanks will be smarter with their big spending this time around. I would like to see them sign Donaldson in 19, Goldschmidt, in 20 if Bird is average, and sign Trout in 21.. They will also need to sign a couple front line pitcher which is always iffy. Pitching is outlier, you never really know what your going to get. Right now the only sure things with a track record are Kershaw, Scherzer,Sale, Cueto, Price, Tanaka, Verlander, Lester, Bumgartner, Kluber and Arrieta. All these guys will cost you big bucks, and won’t be good by the end of their contract.
Your list of SP’s is not good news for the NYY. Arrietta is the only sure FA in 2018 with Tanaka an opt out if he is good in 2017.
Nobody knows, let’s wait and see, I will add Otani to that list. To me an ace has to have at least 3 good years under their belt with no injuries. The Mets have a great pitching staff, but they really don;t have an ace or a sure thing. Yanks will have to look hard before resigning Tanaka, I would rather have them sign Otani
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Why wait? They have some serious prospects in outfielders and infielders. They should really package them in a trade for Goldschmidt or Trout. These guys are under decent contracts and Yanks can extend them rather than bidding in a war for machado and Harper.
Those guys are not for sale, your talking about the best player in baseball and the best firstbasemen.
The Red Sox are always lumped in as a big spender. The LAD have been the biggest spenders the last five yrs with 113MM+ paid in Lux tax. In the 14 yrs 2003-2016 the NYY paid 325MM+ in Lux tax while the Sox paid only 25MM < 2MM a yr. In 2017 the Sox should break the cycle and reset the cap %. They have only 3 FA's in 2018 — Chris Young 7MM, Morehead 5.5MM and Abad 2 MM (all of whom can be replaced with cheaper younger players like Sam Travis. They are saving their $$$ for raises to their good young core. The Giants, Phillies, Det, Sox, NYY, & LAD refusal to even look at signing EE, Bautista, Trumbo et al really depressed the market. The NYY competition for Harper & Machado will be the Phillies
Worded perfectly. And NO TEAM wants to be paying a luxury tax for 3 years in a row because with the new CBA, their luxury tax will be 40%. No team, not even the Dodgers will pay a luxury tax that high. Thus, you will continue to see players like Trumbo wait all off season to get something better….and they won’t see it. The smartest player this season…..Kendry Morales who took his 3 years and about $33 million right away from the Jays. Said “thank you very much” and went to the bank. I’d argue that Morales got a better deal than Trumbo.
Yankees and Red Sox have not met in the post season since 2004. Since 2009 they have not even been in the post season in the same year . Hard to sustain a rivalry.
They used to compete for the same players in free agency but since 2009 they have not been big spenders in the same year. It seems like one year the Yankees may spend big but the Red Sox sit out another year the Red Sox spend while the Yankees sit out. Neither one has increased payroll relative to payroll inflation. In fact since 2009 both have adjusted payrolls that declined
Hard to sustain a rivalry under these conditions