Brian Cashman's comments on Yankees' current slide sure sound like he's fed up
And now he'll have to save the team at the trade deadline.
![Feb 15, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks with media at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3872,h_2178,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/43/01j2czpmw1yjseqvdfgv.jpg)
In previous seasons, when the New York Yankees underwent an unforgivable run of form, one of Brian Cashman or Hal Steinbrenner (and sometimes both!) would address the media about the state of the team, offering their perspective.
Whether it was an attempt to light a fire under the players and coaches or to absolve themselves of blame, it never really mattered. Nothing changed when they put themselves in front of the camera, so perhaps they learned their lesson in 2024. Say less to ease the burden of more disparaging headlines.
But with the Yankees in Tampa for a series against the Rays, Cashman seemingly couldn't pass up the opportunity while he was in town for MLB Draft preparation. He attended the team's series opener at Tropicana Field "because the team is playing so poorly."
A club with a $300+ million payroll shouldn't have to answer so many urgent, pressing questions, but here we are for the fifth year in a row, expecting things to change with the same people in charge calling the shots.
In Cashman's defense, however, he did his job this offseason. He went out and got Juan Soto. He made an offer to Blake Snell. He signed Marcus Stroman. He traded for Alex Verdugo, who was a sensation until about three weeks ago. He signed Luke Weaver. He elevated Ben Rice. This team has enough talent.
So it's no surprise he sounds a little bit fed up with how things are going over the past month. The Yankees are 6-17 in their last 23 games and everyone keeps wondering when it will end.
Brian Cashman on the Yankees’ struggles: “Thankfully, we got out of the gates really strong. Hopefully, that cushion will allow us to work through this — hopefully sooner than later, because it's gone long enough. But it's been a tough stretch for us.”
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) July 9, 2024
Brian Cashman's comments on Yankees' current slide sure sound like he's fed up
That doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement of ... anybody! "It's gone on long enough." Yes, it indeed has ... again, for the fifth straight year. This happened in 2020, 2022 and 2023, with 2021 being the only outlier, but that season didn't need a 5-15 (or worse) run — it was terrible baseball from start to finish for a team with the second-highest payroll in the league.
YES reporter Meredith Marakovits asked Cashman if he felt the need to address the team at this point in time and he said he didn't, and that he'd leave that to manager Aaron Boone and the other coaches. How has that worked out for the team, though?
He was also asked how he felt Boone has handled the current situation, and he seemed exhausted with his boilerplate response (at the 2:50 mark in the video below). Everything is so generic and never genuine.
Brian Cashman met with @M_Marakovits and the rest of the media earlier today, to discuss the state of the Yankees. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/ZCREbKbzSj
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) July 9, 2024
We get it, though. If the fans are tired of it, just think about how those who put the team together have to live with their decisions. Think about how they must feel about the constant criticism (flashback to Cashman's rant to reporters at the GM Meetings last year).
This has all gone on long enough, which makes it evident the larger point is being missed by everybody with the power to control the process.
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