General Manager Brian Cashman Changes the Yankee Way

Hanging the “For Sale” sign in the Bronx for the first time in 27 years represents a colossal shift in Brian Cashman’s organizational philosophy ; a recognition that the Yankees Way is outworn in MLB’s new-age competitive balance machine.

When Aroldis Chapman was shipped to the Cubs last Monday, it was framed by the Yankees as purely a business decision– buying low and then ultimately selling high on an expiring contract. The decisions to trade Andrew Miller on Sunday and Carlos Beltran on Monday were much more significant.

Gone are the days when having deeper pockets than your competition loomed as the game’s biggest advantage. A punitive luxury tax, revenue sharing, a stricter draft slotting system, and modifications to international free agency are just some of the measures Major League Baseball took to level the playing field.

Other major market organizations saw these changes happening and were moved to rework their standard operating procedures. High-priced free agents are no longer the most sought after commodity in the game.

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It’s not always smart money to invest in late-20s, early-30s free agents that are effectively paid for what they have already accomplished, as opposed to what they will do for their new teams. Young, athletic, and versatile controllable talent is the name of the game.

This is where the Yankees have lagged behind much of the league for years. While teams like the Red Sox, Rangers, and Cubs have hoarded prospects– and used their financial might when necessary– the Yankees have continuously tried plugging holes with veterans, a habit they fell into when they signed Jason Giambi prior to the 2002 season.

It all seems to have caught up to them over the last four years. Finally, the Yankees have given in to changing their organizational focus.

By adding a group of eleven prospects headlined by Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres, and Justus Sheffield, the Yankees have certainly closed the gap. Brian Cashman was given authorization to move his three best assets and did well in the overall haul. 

Along with holdovers Jorge Mateo, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Blake Rutherford, the Yankees now boast seven of MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects, tied with the Astros for the most in baseball, and arguably the best farm system in the game.

Over the course of a week, Cashman put the Yankees in position to enjoy sustainable winning for the foreseeable future. The Yankees resemble a modern baseball organization more in this moment than in any other since their 2009 World Series win.

The Cubs have yet to win a championship, but Theo Epstein is certainly giving them a chance to do so for years to come. Under Epstein’s direction, Chicago spent three years in the bottom of the standings while stockpiling prospects.

The Yankees are hopeful their process won’t take quite as long, but the Cubs– perhaps the league’s best team over the last two years– are proof that this is the right direction to go in.

Chicago made the most of losing seasons by snagging top-of-the-line talents like Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber in the draft, and selling high on assets to bring in Addison Russell and Anthony Rizzo. Mix in big-ticket free agent signings like Jon Lester and Ben Zobrist to fill remaining holes and the Cubs have emphatically crawled out of the dark ages looking like baseball’s next powerhouse.

The Yankees are now in the same boat. New York has only had three top-five picks in the history of the draft, but over the course of the last eight days, they have acquired two such players, and another international prospect that was considered among the elite of his free agent class.

Cashman can take time easing these youngsters onto the big league roster over the next two or three years and begin forming a new core. Because their system is so loaded with outfield and shortstop prospects, they can also trade from a surplus should an attractive player become available on the trade market. The most important aspect in building this new team is only flexing the financial muscles at the right moment (something the Cubs have done extraordinarily well, with the possible exception of Jason Heyward).

Next: Should Aaron Judge Pack His Bags for the Bronx?

All of this should come together at the most opportune time. If Cashman’s plan works, the Yankees should have one of the game’s most exciting young cores by the end of the 2018 season. That winter, baseball will see perhaps its greatest free agent class ever. With tons of money to spend, New York looks destined to put the finishing touches on a championship caliber club before the 2019 season. The Yankees very well could be the next Cubs, and in 2016, that’s not a bad thing.