Brian Cashman confirms he blew Blake Snell pursuit for Yankees at Winter Meetings

Hey Yankees fans, are you ready for a Winter Meetings surprise? New York re-signed Juan Soto! Whoops, no they didn't! The Mets did. Oh, they came up with a can't-lose backup plan to replace Soto and more! Nope, didn't do that either.

Instead fans were reminded of Cashman's annual malfeasance when he spoke to reporters in Dallas. For this specific example, we'll rewind to just before Thanksgiving when Blake Snell signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Yankees were reportedly involved in the running after one of their ever so captivating Zoom calls. Nothing screams "this could've been an email" with a free agent than requesting a video chat when you're attempting to court one of the most sought-after talents in the game.

But this is what the Yankees do now. They are coasting on past success, praying that it still influences the current market — and it doesn't. And they just learned that the hard way when Soto turned them down in favor of more money from the Mets.

It seems like they treated Snell the same way, as Cashman thought he could simply make the left-hander wait until Soto's decision arrived. Not how this works, pal. In fact, not how this has ever really worked!

Yankees missed out on Blake Snell because of Juan Soto limbo, Brian Cashman confirms

Imagine being told the Dodgers were in hot pursuit of Snell and your response was "Well, we have to wait to make an offer so I guess we'll see." The Dodgers and Mets are the Yankees' chief competition on the free agent market, and passivity has doomed New York time and time again, even with lesser free agent destinations. Nobody has learned. Nobody will. This front office is outdated by at least 15 years.

Did the Yankees need Snell? No. But if he was a desired target, he should have been secured. Also, the more free agents who get some version of the cold shoulder from the Yankees, the less likely they are to sign. That explains why Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón have been the only true marquee imports from outside the organization since 2014.

Now, as the Yankees shift to their backup plans, there really needs to be a 180 shift in the front office's thinking. There's no more waiting around for players to accept the Yankees' terms. The aggression needs to return. The talent needs to be secured. And the current championship window needs to be maximized.

Anything short of that? Wasted primes for Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole. Unforgivable.