Why The New York Yankees Have the Best GM In MLB

With the 2016-2017 MLB offseason just around the corner, many fans are curious about the moves the Yankees could make. But why should fans have trust in Brian Cashman and truly believe he is the best general manager in baseball?

Brian Cashman, the general manager of the Bronx Bombers since prior to the 1998 season has yet another major task on his plate heading into this year’s offseason. Cashman has to determine how he is going to make the New York Yankees a playoff team once again after missing the postseason in three of the last four years. I’m here to tell you that there is no reason fans shouldn’t have faith in him doing just that.

So far in his tenure as the Yankees general manager, Cashman has four World Series rings under his belt and his currently going under his first “rebuild”. Many fans were critical of the longtime GM trading away Andrew Miller at the trade deadline and receiving an outstanding haul of promising young talent in return.

We get it, a lot fans aren’t patient to see prospects develop and grow into superstars, but for the time being you just have to trust what he is doing. With that being said, let’s take a look at why Brian Cashman is truly the best general manager in major league baseball:

The Track Record

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Sure, the argument could be made that Cashman did not draft the core of the Yankees that lead them to so many World Series titles, but he always added on the necessary pieces to make the team complete.

One of the first examples of this happening was in 1999 when the Yankees needed a true ace Cashman went out and traded for one the greatest pitchers of our generation, Roger Clemens. The right-hander would prove his worth in Yankee pinstripes, helping the club win World Series titles in both 1999 and 2000.

The Roger Clemens trade was not the only move that Cashman made that proved to be a pivotal piece in yet another Yankees world title. In 2000, Cashman made a deal with the Cleveland Indians that sent veteran outfielder David Justice to the Bronx and would have himself a postseason to remember.

Justice was the recipient of the 2000 ALCS MVP award in a series in which he drove in eight pivotal RBI’s against the Seattle Mariners to bring the Yankees to their fourth World Series in five years. The list really goes on and on of moves the GM made to bring success to the Bronx, but nothing compares to what he was able to do in the 2009 offseason in order to make the Yankees World Series contenders once again.

The longtime general manager went all out prior to the 2009 season when he spent a ton in free agency, signing CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and A.J. Burnett, all of whom helped bring the first championship to the Bronx in nine long years. Another move Cashman made prior to that season was an under the radar acquisition of Nick Swisher who brought a spark to the Bombers’ clubhouse and brought a passion to the field coming up with clutch hit after clutch hit in the regular season.

There are more things that could be included when discussing Brian Cashman’s successful track record but it would take more than a full day.

The Master Negotiator

Yankee fans should really be surprised that their general manager is not in jail by now following all of the steals he has made while negotiating trades. There may not be a better negotiator in major league baseball past Cashman and let’s look at some of the key reasons why.

In 2004, he might have gotten away with one of the greatest trades in major league history when he made a deal with the Texas Rangers. New York sent Alfonso Soriano and Joaquin Arias to Texas while receiving Alex Rodriguez in return, recently retiring as one of the most controversial/greatest players of all-time. It is almost impossible to get away with these types of steals but Cashman seemingly does it year-after-year. This past season was another way for him to display his master negotiating skills…

In the offseason, Cashman teamed up with Theo Epstein from the Cubs to complete a deal that sent Starlin Castro to New York and Adam Warren and Brendan Ryan packed their bags to head to Chicago.

Then later on in the season, the two sides made another deal that sent Aroldis Chapman to Chicago for three months for the Yankees new number one prospect, Gleyber Torres as well as receiving Warren back in the deal. So, technically the club acquired Castro for Brendan Ryan, who is not even signed to a team as of today, simply remarkable by Cashman.

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Therefore, before fans are quick to judge the moves Brian Cashman makes in the offseason, it is important to look at his past and truly put your faith in him because to put it in plain and simple terms, he is the best general manager in major league baseball.