Yankees Notebook: Brian Cashman speaks with his team in last place
With his team sitting in last place, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman spoke to reporters for nearly 30 minutes before Wednesday’s game against the Guardians.
Cashman, sitting in the Yankees’ dugout, discussed his team’s plethora of injuries, roster construction, failing to make additional moves over the offseason, organizational depth and more. He also had a message for fans with the Yankees amid a rough stretch that has seen them struggle to score runs and win games.
“We have time to make up ground,” the general manager said, adding that he still thinks the Yankees can contend for a championship. “Don’t count us out. Don’t give up on us.”
Below are the biggest takeaways from Cashman’s first media session of the season.
INJURIES, INJURIES, INJURIES
Even though the Yankees entered spring training with a handful of question marks, Cashman pushed the idea that his team’s woes are mainly the result of injuries.
The Yankees do have a dozen men on the injured list, including Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Luis Severino and Carlos Rodon, the team’s biggest — and most expensive — offseason addition.
“Obviously, it’s not the team that we put together,” Cashman said. “We’ve got a lot of injuries, so we had to turn our attention to some alternative choices. Obviously, we’re not playing our best baseball with what we currently have.”
Cashaman called Severino, Rodon and Frankie Montas “huge losses,” and he also admitted that some active players have underperformed. The GM added that some of the Yankees’ inexperienced players are still being “baptized,” or adjusting to life in the majors.
Cashman also said that the Yankees’ current problems and needs can’t impact injury timelines.
“We’re going through the careful process of making sure whenever we get them back, that they’re back to stay,” he said.
‘WE’RE NOT DONE YET?’
After the Yankees re-signed Judge and inked Rodon, Hal Steinbrenner said, “We’re not done yet.”
But they were, even though left field, among other concerns, was a pressing need. When asked about failing to follow through on Steinbrenner’s declaration, Cashman noted “it takes two to tango” and cited the owner’s optimism.
“We had a lot of conversations that there was some optimism if things went a certain way, but it didn’t play out that way,” Cashman explained. “So I can’t speak specifically to his comment. I can speak from our area on the baseball ops side that, yeah, there’s some players that other clubs coveted but not enough from our perspective to actually make a move that we were willing to make. I know, right now, that we’d be in a worse position if we did make those because they weren’t good deals.”
When asked if the Yankees were only thinking about trades at that point in the winter, Cashman said “probably” before adding that free agent conversations were happening as well.
ADDRESSING LEFT FIELD
After an offseason of worrying about the position, the Yankees have predictably received abysmal production from their left fielders. So Cashman was naturally asked if a move needs to be made there.
“We’ve got what we’ve got, and we’re gonna go with what we’ve got unless something can be obtained elsewhere that makes sense, but there’s no guarantee that will happen,” Cashman said. “But that doesn’t mean we’re not engaged with it. But right now, there’s really no realistic chances in May. We just got out of April. Those opportunities don’t necessarily exist this early.”
When asked specifically if he’s comfortable with the flailing Aaron Hicks continuing to receive playing time, Cashman added, “I think Aaron Hicks is having a similar season to a lot of people.”
RELIANT ON INJURY PRONE PLAYERS?
Is the roster construction flawed when the Yankees are relying on so many players with large contracts and extensive injury histories?
Cashman, speaking particularly about Stanton, Severino and Rodon, sidestepped the question.
“They’re elite players when they’re healthy,” he said. “And we just need to get them healthy. Whether it’s an over reliance on them or not, they are our players and I know what I can get when they’re healthy. And I’m looking forward to getting them healthy.”
RODON IS FRUSTRATED
A left forearm injury initially sidelined Rodon early in spring training, but a nagging back issue has been hindering the lefty lately. Cashman said the Yankees’ only prized free agent addition will see a back specialist on Thursday. He’s capable of throwing, but he doesn’t feel “fully comfortable.” The Yankees don’t want him to start ramping up just to wind down again.
“He wants to throw right now and we’re holding him back until we make sure he sees the doctor and checks all the boxes,” Cashman said. “Carlos is frustrated. He wants to throw. He wanted to throw today. We said no.”
PERSONNEL CHANGES NECESSARY?
The Yankees shook up their training and strength and conditioning departments a few years ago following a wave of injuries. So what’s the issue now?
“I just think we’re getting hit with injuries,” Cashman said. “I’m not blaming any individual for that. It’s not our strength and conditioning department. It’s not how we train our players.
“I believe we have really good personnel on the healthcare side of this thing from doctors to trainers to strength coaches. I think we have players that are wired the right way, that care and compete.”
Cashman added that he has “nothing I can convict others [of], other than if you want to convict somebody, convict me.”
DEPLETED DEPTH ON THE FARM
With so many injury-prone players on pricey deals, it’s crucial for the Yankees to develop talented prospects — not just this year, but for the future. So how would Cashman evaluate the organization’s minor league depth right now?
“It’s more of a challenge at the upper levels because of more recent trade activity we’ve had,” he acknowledged. “But we certainly have, I think, a strong minor league system that has continued to produce valuable assets that other teams want.”
MISTAKE MOVES
Every major acquisition the Yankees have made since last summer’s trade deadline is hurt or has been since coming over. There was also two deadlines ago, when the Yankees made the ill-fated decision to add Joey Gallo, who proved a poor fit in the Bronx.
Cashman conceded that he hasn’t had “much success” with big moves lately. He added that he “wished” last year’s trade deadline had “gone better.”
Cashman also said “no” when asked if there was anything he should have done differently due diligence-wise when it came to the additions of Montas and Rodon.
INFIELD SURPLUS
Finally, Cashman implied the Yankees’ infield depth can be an area the team could trade from a few times. At the major league level, logical candidates include Gleyber Torres, Oswald Peraza, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Oswaldo Cabrera, though the last two have mostly been outfielders this season.
Shortstop Trey Sweeney, the organization’s sixth-best prospect, is another possibility, as Anthony Volpe is blocking the position at the big league level.
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