Yankees GM Brian Cashman’s direct challenge to 2018 team

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman wasn’t stoking the fires of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry with his rhetoric this week when he called this year’s team, “The little engine that could,” on the ‘Michael Kay Show.’

Reigning MLB Executive of the Year, Yankees GM Brian Cashman may have ignited the fires of a young and hungry team that a year ago were within a single victory of the World Series.

Appearing on the ‘Michael Kay Show’ on Wednesday, Cashman offered this solemn reminder to his ballclub.

They’re the AL East champs, so we’re not on equal footing,” Cashman said Wednesday. “We were the Wild Card. They had the title within the division last year. I don’t know if they’re putting a flag up for it or not, but they are the AL East champs, we are not. So we are not on equal footing until we take that away from them, while at the same time preventing anybody that finished behind us from surpassing us and joining the fray.

Cashman, now in his 20th season as GM of the Yanks, sent a clear and direct challenge to the 2018 Yankees — a team returning many players from the 91-win season of a year ago.

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His message was to focus on what matters — winning. In no uncertain terms, Cash let everyone in camp know that Last year’s defending American League Wild Card team, must “take away” the division title from the Red Sox; that is if they intend to move beyond last year’s accomplishments.

I guess time will tell, but there is a lot of excitement about what we did last year and the offseason additions,” Cashman said. “We’ve got ground to make up. Despite what happened in the postseason, the Red Sox won the division, and Cleveland and Houston each won 100-plus games. They were the best teams in the American League. We know our work is cut out for us.

The addition of Giancarlo Stanton created a lot of buzz about the Yankees in the offseason, but Cashman states that the work of winning still lies ahead for this team.

Cashman, who has scored four World Series rings in his tenure with the Yankees (five if you count 1996 — when he was the assistant general manager to Bob Watson) also announced this week, “I need another ring.”

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A challenge that resonates both with his Yankees team — spurring them on — and a challenge to all comers that the Yanks are on course for championship No. 28.