Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman took their end-of-season turn on Wednesday, and the Yankees’ top voices delivered a clear message in very different ways.
Cashman used the Zoom session to announce that he has signed a new contract with the Yankees. Steinbrenner, meanwhile, leaned into a strong defense of manager Aaron Boone and placed the season’s failure on the players. But the sharpest moment came when Steinbrenner was asked about Aaron Judge’s postseason comments and the star’s call for the Yankees to go “all-in.”
Steinbrenner said he was not bothered by Judge’s interview and added that he did not watch the entire thing. He also said Judge is entitled to have expectations of the front office. Then he shifted the focus back onto the players’ responsibilities.
“I expect them to obey the rules, work hard, listen to their coaches, trainers, strength guys.”
That line landed like a message aimed squarely at Judge, especially given the backdrop of his injury situation. Judge was left out of the postseason and later made comments that suggested he believed he could have played if not held back by Yankees decision-makers, including Cashman and Boone. The comments left the impression of a player and organization not fully aligned on his availability.
Steinbrenner also said he had spoken with Judge at length on Tuesday, which made the public comments feel less like a blindside and more like a continuation of something already discussed behind closed doors.
The Yankees’ leadership appears united on the Judge injury storyline. Cashman said days ago that Judge simply was not physically able to play in the postseason, a view Judge later pushed back on in the media. Steinbrenner backed that position on Wednesday and, at the same time, sent a reminder that the organization expects cooperation from its biggest stars.
That perspective may also reflect the club’s view of Judge’s rehab process. His choice to skip a full ramp-up was discussed as a possible factor in the secondary calf injury that kept him out of the playoffs.
From Steinbrenner’s standpoint, the message was straightforward: he stood with his front office and manager, and he made it clear that no player gets to operate outside the Yankees’ rules.
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