Should Yankees Brian Cashman be blamed and lose their job for the failures of 2021?

[ad_1]

The blame starts at the top.

But it is easier to lay the blame than it is to find a better solution.

Want more Yankees coverage? Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text directly with the beat makers

As the Yankees left the field at Fenway Park on Tuesday night, disappointment clouded every corner of the organization. It can be argued that the Yankees have just endured the most disappointing four-year run in franchise history, especially given the annual preseason expectations, payroll, and the trajectory of this group. which seemed to point after the surprise playoffs in 2017.

And it’s fair to attribute a ton of that to GM Brian Cashman, the architect of a franchise who made too many mistakes in putting together the roster and oversaw a slew of young players that are either in the process of making the roster. to drop out, or to go back in recent years.

When the playoff press conferences begin, Cashman should (and will be) blamed. Hell expresses the need to be better, to assess yourself and to make the changes necessary to bring the Yankees back to the World Series. He will (probably) not quit and give up his job after a tough regular season and the AL Wild Card Game loss to the Red Sox. This will bother many fans, especially those who think this executive is the Bronx’s biggest problem.

And that will ultimately be the best thing for the Yankees, with one caveat.

I don’t believe Cashman should take the fall for the Yankees’ problems, and still think he is one of the best leaders in the sport. Call me crazy. Call me delusional. Heck, tell me I’m hanging on to a different era of sport in which Cashmans teams have excelled in the playoffs more than they do now.

But I think Cashman, as the front office leader of the Yankees, still gives this frachsie a good shot at being a contender on an annual basis. With the correct self-reflection and roster changes (Corey Seager makes sense as a shortstop target), there’s no reason an AL East crown and a legitimate chance at the World Series cannot happen in 2022. But this correction is key. Cashman needs to learn from his team building mistakes (the balance is good, as we’ve seen with the acquisitions of Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo), and change the key voices around him.

One of those voices? Director Aaron Boone.

No Yankees manager has been allowed to manage a fifth season without having already won a World Series ring since 1922. If Boone returns for the 2022 season, a 100-year precedent will be lost. Cashman defended Boone and backed his hiring before 2018 for five years. If this GM is to stay and maintain any credibility with his fan base, a new voice in the dugout has to be part of the mix. While he’s there, why not change some of his front office trusted relatives? Cashman is smart and has won big in New York City, but will need to polish his staff to surround himself with better thinkers in 2022 and beyond.

If you’ve come here for me to tell you that Cashman is the worst executive in baseball because he uses analytics, wants home run hitters, and doesn’t appreciate small balls, well you’ve come to the wrong place. Good teams build their team in this kind of image in 2021. They win a lot of games.

But let’s also be realistic about Cashman: he’s not as good as Dodgers frontman Andrew Friedman, Erik Neander of Tampa Bays, Milwaukees David Stearns or Farhan Zaidi of San Francisco. If Theo Epstein takes a stand with the Mets, Cashman couldn’t be considered one of the top five GMs in the sport next season. Heck, he might not be one now when you think of names like Bostons Chaim Bloom or Atlantas Alex Anthopolous.

But if Cashman booked now, took the blame and reset his career, are we sure the Yankees would be in better shape in the long run? I am skeptical of it. Cashman’s track record (though admittedly stronger at the start of his more than two-decade run) is unmatched by nearly any ruler of all time. The Yankees’ way of finding and acquiring talent (including under-the-radar moves like Gio Urshela, Luke Voit and Clay Holmes) is a product of Cashman’s analysis and scouting department. Asking another GM to strike at a higher rate of small and large moves while operating within Hal Steinbrenners’ budget not hitting taxes can be more difficult than you might think.

The 2021 Yankees flopped. His 12 years without World Series. The frustrations are high.

Yes, Cashman deserves the blame.

But I don’t think the franchise would be in a better place if he put it all on him and walked away now. Change the people around him and there’s a good chance the Yankees will be playing for it all again soon.

Subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust.

Joe Giglio can be contacted at [email protected].

[ad_2]