The Yankees are sticking with the same blueprint, and Brian Cashman is right in the middle of it.
Cashman will return for a 30th season as the club’s general manager, a decision that says a lot about how the organization views “good enough.” New York has made a habit of staying in the postseason mix under Cashman, and owner Hal Steinbrenner is putting the blame for another letdown on the players instead, with most of that criticism aimed at the lineup.
Since Cashman took over in 1998, the Yankees have been a constant presence in October. They won the World Series that year and then rolled through a three-year stretch that ended with a loss to the Diamondbacks in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. Another title came in 2009, and since Cashman’s arrival the Yankees have missed the postseason only five times.
But the bigger question has always hung over his tenure: has he built a roster that can actually win it all? The first three championships in that run came from a core that was already in place before he took over. Cashman deserves credit for the 2009 title, but he also carries the burden of the franchise’s longest title drought since the Yankees first won the World Series in 1923.
This past season offered the same old mix of promise and frustration. The Yankees fought through injuries all year, and losing Aaron Judge was a crushing blow to a lineup that was already without designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton. Catcher Austin Wells never fully got past his concussion issues early in the season.
Still, the injuries don’t explain everything. Outside of Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt, the performance drop from the rest of the lineup was hard to ignore.
The Yankees are likely to be competitive again in 2027, and they’ll probably find their way back to the playoffs. But unless Steinbrenner decides to push Cashman harder, merely making the field may continue to be treated as enough.
In Other News...
Yankees Outfield Plan Is Starting To Take Shape After Grisham
The Yankees outfield picture is already starting to come into focus with Trent Grisham trending toward an exit after a disappointing season. Grisham did provide some pop with 18 home runs, but the overall package never quite clicked, and his poor defensive metrics only add to the sense that a reunion in the Bronx is unlikely once he reaches free agency.
Jacob Young could be one of the names to watch as the Yankees sort through their next move in center field. The Washington Nationals regular brings the kind of glove the club values, even if his offense has been modest, and the possibility of a platoon role suggests the Yankees may be looking for a different kind of solution than the one they got from Grisham. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Fans Just Got The Answer They Feared From Hal Steinbrenner
A day after another postseason exit, Hal Steinbrenner spent an hour on Zoom with Brian Cashman talking through what went wrong for the Yankees, and the message out of that conversation was hardly a surprise to anyone who has followed this franchise closely. Steinbrenner pointed to the injuries that hit key players as part of the explanation for the early finish, while also casting doubt on the idea that harsh outside criticism would somehow be the thing that changes the clubs outlook.
Aaron Boone also addressed the situation separately, and the manager kept the focus on his own ability to guide the team moving forward even after New York again fell short of advancing. For Yankees fans, the bigger question now is not just what was said in these internal talks, but whether the organization is prepared to treat another disappointing October as a push for change or simply as another reminder of what went wrong. [Read more 🡒]
Hal Steinbrenner Just Sent Yankees Fans A Clear Aaron Judge Message
Brian Cashmans latest contract extension gave the Yankees a chance to reset the conversation around the front office, but Hal Steinbrenner used the moment to make clear where he stands with Aaron Judge and the broader clubhouse culture. In a joint press conference, Steinbrenner addressed Judges public call for the team to go all in, and framed his response around the standards he wants upheld inside the organization.
Steinbrenner said he spoke privately with Judge, while also backing the clubs approach to the captains injury situation during the postseason. The message was less about a public back-and-forth than a reminder that, in Steinbrenners view, the Yankees expect players to work hard and follow the rules the team has in place, even as the pressure to build a true championship roster keeps growing. [Read more 🡒]