Yankees: 3 early-season takes that look really stupid right now

2. “Cashman should be fired after trading for Giancarlo Stanton.”

Again. Sorry. But what else did you want us to say? Giancarlo Stanton, for as good as he’s been in certain stretches this year, has also looked really, really bad. Like, really bad. This is a guy who’s supposed to be leading the offensive charge, especially since he’s mostly been unable to contribute on defense until a few weeks ago!

Now, he’s finally fully healthy and hitting .251 with a .794 OPS in the beginning of August? No. Nope! We really cannot have that. It’s unacceptable for a player of his caliber, as well as someone with the size of his paycheck.

But the big man has turned it around, and it appears as if playing defense has really helped his approach at the plate. Stanton is now batting .267 with an .844 OPS and has the most hits on the team in the sixth inning or later that have given the Yankees the lead. Clutch! And powerful! We’d sure like to see a higher OPS, but we’re honestly just glad he’s healthy and finding a rhythm.

As for Cashman, for as much Yankees fans grow frustrated with him, he’s still among the best in the game, especially with the restrictions he has to work with. Hal Steinbrenner implemented unthinkable financial restrictions on the team this offseason and Cashman had to do some serious gymnastics before the year started and before the deadline.

He may not always make the move the fans want, but he generally makes the ones the Yankees need. Stanton was a luxury acquisition who still hasn’t fully panned out, but maybe that narrative is turning a corner. As for his deadline moves, if those don’t happen, we’re not sitting here making fun of our previous takes.