Brian Cashman's response to 'competing financially' with Dodgers emphasizes he can't

Have you ever asked someone a straightforward, yet layered yes-or-no question in a job interview, then waited eagerly to see how they handled the nuance? And then, after the person was done answering at length, have you ever sat in silence and thought to yourself, "So that's a no, then?" Brian Cashman just performed the equivalent of that exercise in response to Athletic Yankees beat writer Chris Kirschner's Dodgers question on Friday morning.

When Kirschner asked whether Cashman believed, point blank, whether the Yankees could rise to the financial levels of the Dodgers (both in terms of payroll and the resulting taxation), the team's head honcho launched into a lengthy response that equated to, "We have to find a way."

Buried in that absolute truth is that the Dodgers aren't just financial behemoths in free agency. They also use their financial advantage to beef up their scouting corps and invest in the type of new technologies that keep baseball humming. While they haven't exactly mastered the art of keeping their pitchers healthy, yet, they're the champions of every other aspect of baseball right now. Their players feel comfortable and taken care of. Their stars recruit stars. They devise innovative compensation packages. They have embraced and rewarded their community.

In other words, Cashman's answer reminded us of all the "different avenues" the Dodgers have taken advantage of and the Yankees have yet to fully master.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman: We have to find a way to compete with Dodgers, but there are "different avenues"

At the risk of repeating myself, what Hal Steinbrenner has said in the past — "I don’t believe I should have to have a $300 million payroll to win a championship" — is absolutely true. Well-constructed teams can win titles with a lower payroll, rock-solid development, a few spectacular rookies/young players, and elite transactions.

But, given the financial corners the Yankees have already backed themselves into and some of their outstanding costs, we're not sure they can win a title with a payroll under $300 million. And, given the way the game is headed, we're not even sure how much longer Hal's favorite aphorism will be true. Let's see if anyone can muscle up and take it from the Dodgers and Mets anytime soon.

If Aaron Boone wants the trash talk to stop, it's essential that the Yankees not only force themselves to experience a bit of additional financial discomfort, but also draw their below-the-surface departments even with what the Dodgers have created. The Dodgers may be the decade's gold standard, but they still need an American League equivalent.