On Tuesday afternoon, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman stood before the media and answered questions from the press. There was an array of topics discussed, including past failures as well as the disastrous 2023 season. Joel Sherman of the New York Post pressed Cashman regarding the team’s recent failures to produce any good homegrown hitters. Cashman did not take well to the question, saying that in the case of Oswald Peraza, he would have had to play him over Josh Donaldson (who shouldn’t have been brought back this season), Gleyber Torres, and DJ LeMahieu. Sherman further pressed Cashman, saying that if Peraza had played better, he would have stuck around. This was in reference to his previous point about a recent lack of homegrown hitters.
However, Cashman confusingly repeated his previous remarks, stating that the Yankees had to play the aforementioned veterans ahead of Peraza. There was quite a lot of tension between the two during the back-and-forth question-and-answer session. Cashman went on to answer questions posed on other past trades such as Sonny Gray and Joey Gallo. Cashman was trying to get across that both of these players were great trades, but they failed for the Yankees because they couldn’t handle New York. He tried proving his point further by saying that Gray is a finalist for the AL Cy Young Award and that Gallo was picked up by two playoff teams, the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Now the question remains: Was Brian Cashman correct in his defense, and what do the ex-players have to say?
Brian Cashman’s Defense to the Media
Cashman and His Young Hitters
Brian Cashman has often been criticized for prospect-hugging in big trades and, at the same time, his inability to produce major league-ready players. A clear example is when he refused to either trade Clint Frazier or call him up. This left the then-very talented prospect in limbo and frustrated at not being given his chance. Ultimately, Frazier fizzled out and his career took a major downward turn. This cannot entirely be blamed on Cashman, as Frazier also suffered from a significant concussion while in the minors. Miguel Andujar also suffered the same fate of not being called up after his initial promotion. If Cashman was not going to call either of them up, he should have traded them for a major league talent. He did not do that, and essentially trapped the pair until they were both released.
Sonny Gray and Joey Gallo
Gray and Gallo were big trades in 2017 and 2021 as the Yankees hoped they could take the club to the next level. They were not able to do so, but it may not have been because the pair couldn’t handle New York, but rather that the Yankees couldn’t get out of their own way. After being traded, Gray told the media that the Yankees were asking him to pitch in a manner that made him uncomfortable. Gray stated that they wanted him to throw his pitches in different locations and in different counts. The main driving force behind this was Brian Cashman’s front-office analytics team. They were telling Gray how to pitch, and clearly it did not work. Gray was traded away and found instant success with the Cincinnati Reds.
Brian Cashman says he “gets a kick out of” people calling the Joey Gallo and Sonny Gray trades bad: pic.twitter.com/LqO46E7hhU
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) November 7, 2023
In the case of Gallo, he was left off the Minnesota Twins’ playoff roster because of his poor performance. Gallo is in essence the analytical team’s dream. He is a true three-outcome player where he either walks, strikeouts, or hits a home run. The front office thought he would be great in Yankee Stadium with his left-handed swing, speed, and great defense. Gallo struggled significantly with the Yankees, batting almost 40 points below the Mendoza line and making uncharacteristic errors in the field and on the base paths.
He was underwhelming and was happy to leave New York, but he still has not become the player the Yankees thought he could become on another team. Yankee fans believed this was going to be a bad trade, as the team already had too much swing and miss in their lineup. Ultimately, Gallo was exposed by the high fastball, which works against his launch angle swing. Since leaving the Texas Rangers, he has been unable to recover his form.
The Verdict
The perspectives Brian Cashman brought up in his defense were very one-sided and not nuanced. He did not consider all of the factors that could have affected the team’s performance when questioned. Many of those factors were issues that Cashman is responsible for. Ultimately, he is responsible for developing talent and knowing when to trade players if they won’t break onto the major league roster. He is also responsible for trading for the best players in accordance with the team’s needs. In addition, he must allow the players to do what they do best, using analytics to assist the players, but not completely changing their game.
This all may seem harsh, and it’s true he cannot control everything. However, he is the head of baseball operations and the vice president of the New York Yankees. If he wants things to change, Cashman should conduct himself in a professional manner. There’s no need for cursing at journalists and reporters who hold him accountable. Cashman is the person who constructs the roster and the way the roster performs is a reflection of him. To put it lightly, the 2023 roster did not reflect well on the Yankees organization or Brian Cashman.
Photo Credit: © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
