MONDAY: The extension is complete, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports tweets. The pact is worth “$25MM plus” across five years.
FRIDAY: The Yankees are closing in on a five-year contract extension with general manager Brian Cashman that would pay him a total of $25MM, reports USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Not only would that represent a considerably lengthier pact than the three-year deal Cashman is on the verge of completing, it’d also represent a notable annual raise from his current $3MM annual rate.
The Cashman extension comes on the heels of an extremely successful season for a Yankees club that many believed to be in the midst of a transitional period. Rather, Cashman’s club was buoyed by breakouts from young names like Aaron Judge, Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery, while more experienced players such as Aaron Hicks and Didi Gregorius took significant steps forward and delivered career years.
The Yankees, of course, are also widely regarded to have one of the game’s best farm systems even after trades to acquire Sonny Gray, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Todd Frazier prior to this year’s non-waiver deadline. The prized farm system is the fruit of aggressive spending on the international market as well as recent commitments to shying away from free agents that come with draft-pick compensation — both of which were directives under the Cashman-led Yankees.
It’s a significant show of faith in Cashman at a pivotal point for the franchise. Cashman made a fairly stunning decision following the team’s loss in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, not only electing not to re-sign his manager of the past 10 years, Joe Girardi, but also to replace Girardi with a former player that does not have a single day of managerial or even coaching experience, former ESPN analyst Aaron Boone. Cashman has spoken positively about Boone and expressed a firm belief that he’ll be able to connect with players and approach managing with an ability to implement “evolving strategies” in a “progressive” manner.
The Boone experiment will be one upon which Cashman is judged extensively, though it’s also worth pointing out that Cashman’s five-year contract is longer than Boone’s three-year guarantee as the team’s new skipper.
Great gm
Should have kept Joe Girardi and dumped Cashman
Cashman as GM >> Girardi as manager.
Not even close. The impact of a manager is minimal IMO. A GM will make or break you for a decade. Cashman is arguably the best in the business.
I can’t stand the Yankees, but the reason I can’t stand em is because Cashman is so dang good. I think I’m just jealous the Yankees have had him for so long in spite of him being pretty edgy — sometimes downright insubordinate (e.g. Raphael Soriano signing press conference) — with his comments sometimes. Love it.
Top Baseball operations executives are about $7 million per year so it does not appear the Yankees feel he is the best nor does Cashman seem to believe he is
He is taking a team friendly deal. It’s not always about the money.
I would think it might be for a bit more than $5MM annually.
I bet he has some pretty significant incentives in that contract
Cashman is easily the best GM in MLB. This is a no-brainer. If you look at the Yankees since Cashman was given full reign over the team, his moves and decisions have been exceptional when measured against any other GM. The rebuild of the farm system, virtually every trade he’s made… it’s all working out beautifully.
Money covers up a lot of mistakes.
Sure, but not in this case. If you look at virtually any bad decision in recent memory, it’s involved lots of money and it has been a decision made by ownership (see Ellsbury, Jacoby and Rafael Soriano).
Also, arguably the Aroldis Chapman signing as well, which IMO was a bad signing.
Chapman got what he expected to get on the market. If Mark Melancon signed for $55-$60 million, it was obvious Chapman and Jansen would get much more money.
Markets for relievers are going up and up. Chapman also has an opt out too, and he finished last season strong, and if he pitches like the Chapman he has been for his career the next 2 years, he may opt out.
This is an old take. The middle three of the lineup and the ace all make minimum wage.
Yankees were second in baseball in opening day payroll last year at a tick over $200 Million.
Nearly 1/2 that payroll was committed to 4 players (A-Rod (retired but his salary still counted), CC, Tanaka and Ellsbury) who all combined for a total of 6.2 fWAR which was less than their teammate Aaron Judge who makes league minimum
Matter of fact, someone tweeted an interesting thing the other day
MLB’s 10 worst position players in 2017 combined for a 14.5 WAR and had a combined $97.4 million salary
MLB’s 10 best position players in 2017 combined for a 72.2 WAR and had a combined $85.4 million salary
Not many teams could absorb a financial mistake like Ellsbury. That’s my point. The Yankees have the advantage of having dead money on the books.
Just because its the going rate does not mean you have to pay it.
Soriano was not a bad deal at all
Just Ellsbury? You forgot about Igawa and Pavano, to name just a couple others. Yes, the Yankees do have the ability to absorb these mistakes, but I truly believe these signings were more George than Chashman. I’ve never been a huge cashman fan, but since he’s been given more responsibility, he’s proven he can build a winner while spending more responsibly.
And davebee the Red Sox banish their mistakes to Pawtucket, the Siberia of baseball. This allows them to game the system so the salaries don’t count against the cap.
If your team can’t do what the Yankees do they should start winning or move.
How could the ten worst position players combine for so many WAR? They collective WAR must be negative…
Chapman is decling. Terrible deal. A good GM would see that coming. Not one who gets fooled and suckered into that deal
Every GM is going to have some flops along the way. The point with Cashman is that he stuck his neck out and convinced the owners that selling was the best way to go . It was his gamble. Surely putting his job on the line. He did an excellent job and set up the Yankees with a competitive team for the next decade. Cudos to Cashman.
Chapman’s not declining. In fact, he recovered from the Maddon abuse just in time for the playoffs, where he was lights out. He’s solidified the closer position whereas, your Cubs are seeking Bullpen help to replace a departing Wade Davis. It’s nice feeling to have— Bullpen stability. Now and for the forseeable future. All these bullpen guys are young too, Chapman’s the oldest guy at 29. If Chapman doesn’t opt out… He’ll be 33 at the end of his contract.
I wish I could say the same for SP. Severino, Tanaka, and Gray have 3 spots next year. You can Add Jordan Montgomery to the mix. This is where Chapman will really earn his money.
I meant to say this is where Cashman will really earn his money^ Finding SP
But easier said than done 😛
Woops, I forgot about DRob (32)
But it’s still a young, stacked bullpen, controlled for the next several years.
Money doesn’t cover all mistakes. Ask the Red Sox with 3 last place finishes in the last 6 seasons, or this year’s Tigers who had the 2nd highest payroll on Opening Day to then finish with the Worst Record in Baseball.
Well yeah three last places and 2 AL East pennants and a World Series the other 3 but yeah let’s just cherry pick.
The Red Sox also have a World Championship and three division championships during that six year period.
Would you like mt to include the Angels who have had a Top 5-10 payroll for quite some time and have 1 playoff appearance in the last 8 years?
Or the Phillies who also have had a top 5-10 payroll (including a top 3 payroll for multiple seasons) and have the worst record in Major League Baseball from 2013-2017?
The Angels payroll was 11th last year, mostly due to a meddling owner, not the GM. The Phillies payroll was 21st, which befits their record.
You want a great GM? How about David Stearns in Milwaukee. He won 5 less games than the Yankees with a payroll that was $140 Million less.
Thank you for the correction. And you’re helping me prove my point even further. Large payroll doesn’t guarantee success. Small payroll doesn’t guarantee mediocrity.
And Cashmans Yankees and huge payroll have none
Lol. Exactly. You’re helping my argument even more.
Thanks for your insight Davebee. It’s time to drop your jealous ways by referencing moves from many years ago and just give credit to the MLB executive of the year who also deserved the same award In 2016.
Anyone who says otherwise is a hater
Hard to say if he’s number 1, but he’s up there.
I’m more impressed with the job Jeff Luhnow has done with Houston. Took a moribund team, drafted smartly, traded shrewdly, and turned them into a World Series winner in a very short time. And he did it with a much smaller payroll than the Yankees.
Lotta poor finishes, which he couldn’t have gotten away with in NY, and that payroll will now start to escalate quickly.
I’m not really impressed with Houston. With how many picks they consistently had in the top 5 of the draft, they should have been able to turn it around, and they did. Did it require some additional work? Absolutely.
However for Cashman to completely change the way the Yanks have operated, convince ownership to let him deal Miller and Chapman that year to rebuild the farm system, and make smart trades throughout the off-season, is far more impressive. I remember when Didi was acquired. Many wrote him off because of his poor offensive struggles. He has emerged as a consistent bat, and one of the best all around players on the team.
$200 million payroll, second in baseball. Covers a lot of bad moves like Ellsbury, overpaying Sabathia and Tanaka and still paying off Arod.
Drafted so well that they completely whiffed on 1-1. Twice. Lotta credit due there.
Evidently Cashman never had anything to do with the horrible contract Ellsbury has? McCann?
Where I do give Cashman credit is he came up through the ranks. As a former scout he well aware that you have plenty of eyes looking for players and the Yanks do so.
But, I’ll argue that when you are able to deal with players that garner top contracts in the league – it’s not that difficult to get higher caliber players in return.
The only way to measure Cashman is with big market teams and with that Yes he does stand out..
If Boone flops – Cashman will take the heat but with this extension sounds like the Steinbrenner’s don’t care. Mo money$$$$$!!
I wonder how much more Cashman would have to include along with Aaron Judge to get Mike Trout. It’s inevitable that Trout will come “home” to the northeast when his contract expires, and I’d rather have him than Judge and his 200+ strikeouts.
I think Trout will end up in Philly one day.
Things couldn’t look much better for Cashman. Only a matter of time before the NY media and fans turn on him, though. Savor this moment Cash…you earned it!
The house that Cashman rebuilt!
Well deserved, what Cashman has down for nearly 20 years now is remarkable, especially with the speedy “rebuild the past couple of season”. Maybe only Theo is as good as Cash. Happy he’ll be running the show for many more years. Only hope Boone does back fire. In Cashman we trust!!
Isn’t he completing a 4 year contract with an undisclosed amount of money?
Luhnow has done great things in Houston obviously. But you can’t judge him and cashman on the same spectrum. Let’s be real, Houston tanked multiple years, had numerous top 5 picks, along with extra compensation from the St. Louis scandal.
Cashman had to take the hard route and he made it work. Yankees are right on houstons level, but just shows how much more talented cashman is than someone who had everything fall in their lap.
Congrats to Houston on winning the World Series and congrats to cashman on the contract. Well deserved.
Ugh. Solid extension by the Yankees. Cashman has made a bunch of solid moves and only whiffed a few times. He’s easily one of the top 5-6 GMs in the game right now.
Him and Theo top 1&2 GMs
I think Cashman is currently a top 3 GM and here’s why.
-The 2018 starting 1B, 2B, SS, C, RF, CF, 3/5 of the starting rotation (Severino, Montgomery and Gray), almost all of the bullpen (Betances, Shreve, Green, Kahnle, Robertson and Warren) and most of the bench (Torreyes, Romine, Wade, Austin, etc were all either Yankee drafted/amateur free agents prospects or traded for using Yankee homegrown prospects (Castro, Didi, Green, Hicks, Gray).
** I didn’t include Gardner although he was drafted, he was retained using money.
-With all the hoopla made about deadline trades to improve the system, the Yanks were within 1 game of the WS and NONE….ZERO of the prospects acquired have made the majors (with the exception of Frazier who had about 100 AB).
He did what any other team could do, regardless of salary constraints. Most of the impact players (2 WAR or better) were all acquired via drafting or trades. Amazing job.
Cashman is just going to send the lineup downstairs every night and Boone is a yes man.
Baseball off what? What role has he had to be autonomous in his decisions and folded?
Well done, Cash.
Leading to this, Cashman signed three consecutive 3 year contracts. He’s never had a five year deal.
Technically four straight but that one was a 3+1 club option (NY exercised his club option)
Brian Cashman never got 4 guaranteed years, let alone 5, and this one’s well deserved.
How is it that Roger Goodell can turn the NFL into a dumpster fire and get 40M a year while the best GM in MLB gets 5M? I think in the next few years baseball will clearly establish itself as the number one sport in this country while the NFL continues its decline.
For starters , their jobs are completely different.
Cashman’s 2015 and 2016 were probably 2 of the best years a GM can have. First trading for Didi (worked out well for Arizona too), getting Justin Wilson from the Pirates, getting Shreve and Hicks for players who are not even in the MLB right now and getting Castro to play a good 2b, before getting an entire farm system in exchange for 2 relievers (Chapman of course returned after barely half a year). And yes, because he is with the yankees he can get away with a no-value signing such as a Matt Holiday.
Best in the business. People saying he’s not or that the Yankees should’ve dumped him are delusional
Cashman = goat
The puppet has been retained!!!
5 more years of buying himself out of poor personnel decisions! Huzah!!!
Cashman puts capers on his sandwiches.
All the burn from yankee haters, they will get their deserved comeuppance as Cashman earns this deal.
Big Market teams like the Yankees and Dodgers aren’t allowed to tank and finish last Several Times, Like Boston, Chicago and Houston. Thats the difference
None of that makes any sense.