"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

Cashman Admits Loss of Power


http://mvn.com/mlb-yankees/


Peter Abraham over at Lohud has the story. In a telling statement, Brian Cashman said,

“The dynamics are changing with us. When I signed up with this current three-year deal, and this is the last year of it, it was with full authority to run the entire program. George had given me that. But things have changed in this third year now with the emergence of Hal and Hank Steinbrenner and that started this winter.”

Essentially, Cashman conceded to the fact that his place in the organization has been altered by the rise to prominence of the Steinbrothers. He then confirmed what we have heard about the Johan Santana talks, referencing “spirited conversations” within the Yankees hierarchy as to the prudence of a Santana deal.

The obvious question for the fans is whether we should be concerned. On the one hand, most of us cheered when Cashman finally rose above the various factions that had plagued the organization and essentially received autonomous control over player procurement and development. There has been a refocusing on building the farm system and on retaining those players, developments that most fans welcomed. If the Steinbrothers now have the final word, it is possible that the organization will revert back to the old ways, where every prospect was a trading chip, and no bad long term contract scared the Yankees off of a player they thought could help them immediately. Furthermore, Cashman is in the final year of his deal. Might he decide to leave to find a position where he can truly achieve full organizational oversight? Cashman has done a fine job as the General Manager, and losing him would most definitely be a blow to the club.

The other side of the argument would suggest that debate is a positive element in a business model. Hank and Hal seem inclined to work with Brian, rather than against him. Further, Hank seems to show an understanding for the importance of the farm system. The old Boss would have thrown Ian Kennedy into the Santana deal by now. If the brothers continue to show a willingness to spend as their father did (as evidenced by the Rivera, A-Rod, and Posada signings), as well as allow Brian Cashman to persist in cultivating a base of young talent from which to build the core of future teams, Cashman’s loss of final decision-making power may ultimately prove to be irrelevant.

Currently, the evidence that I have seen leads me to cautiously espouse the second point of view. What do you think? Should we be worried about these developments? Or is it much ado about nothing?

Cashman opens up
GM discusses Santana, Yanks hierarchy

http://bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?articleid=1064862#articleFull



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Boston Herald Sports Reporter
Have been around the Red Sox since interning for New England Sports Network during the Butch Hobson managerial years, stopping at such media outlets as The Salem News, The Gloucester Daily Times, The Lowell Sun, and, most recently, The Eagle-Tribune Publishing Co. Along the way wrote the book Chasing Steinbrenner, which focuses on the front offices of the Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays throughout the 2003 season.
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As Brian Cashman walked out of Fenway Park [map]’s EMC Club yesterday, the New York Yankees general manager offered a final message.

“Right now,” said Cashman, “all is quiet.”

But when it comes to the Yankees and a potential trade for Minnesota Twins ace Johan Santana, comments from both Cashman and the team’s senior vice president, Hank Steinbrenner, suggest serenity is anything but the norm these days.

On Friday, Steinbrenner told the Associated Press: “Nothing is really decided at this point. I’m still leaning toward doing it. There’s others leaning not to do it. There are some others that are leaning to do it also. Disagreements within the organization. Nothing major, but just different opinions. I’ve changed my opinion a couple times.”

Steinbrenner also touched up the dynamic between himself and Cashman.

“I always told him, ‘I’m going to make the final decisions because when you’re the owner you should,’ ” Steinbrenner said. “He is the general manager, and he has the right to talk me out of it and he has talked me out of some things.”

Yesterday, Cashman, in town to support the annual Hot Stove, Cool Music charitable event put on by Red Sox [team stats] general manager Theo Epstein and twin brother Paul’s Foundation to be Named Later, offered insight into how decisions are currently being made within the Yankees organization.

“The dynamics are changing with us,” said Cashman, while serving on a panel discussion that also included Toronto Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi, Red Sox adviser Bill James, agent Scott Boras, Hall of Fame writer Peter Gammons and Theo Epstein. “When I signed up with this current three-year deal, and this is the last year of it, it was with full authority to run the entire program. George (Steinbrenner, the Yankees’ owner) had given me that. But things have changed in this third year now with the emergence of Hal and Hank Steinbrenner and that started this winter.

“I’ll be honest, I’m learning as I go along, too. But it is different. But the one thing is that I’ve been with this family, the Steinbrenner family, for well over 20 years, so I’m focused fully on doing everything I can to assist them in their emergence now as decision makers. But it is definitely different than it has been the last two years.”

Listening to Cashman and Epstein, it sounded as though the priority was to focus on the development of the here and the now of their organizations’ younger players, rather than Santana.

“There’s a lot going on around baseball,” Epstein said. “We’ve reached a point with our situation, with most of the world championship club back and a burgeoning farm system which was just rated second in all of baseball by (Baseball America), we feel we can improve by letting our young players play. We don’t have desperate holes that we have to go out and fill at any cost.

“We can pick and choose what makes sense for us rather than being desperately in the market place.”

Cashman reiterated that this time of year typically isn’t reserved for slotting in big pieces of the puzzle, although, as he points out, the Yankees in past years made trades for Alex Rodriguez and Roger Clemens well into the offseason.

“I can only tell you I know where we’re at, but I can’t speak for (the Twins) because they have more information,” said Cashman regarding the Santana situation. “They know what they want and they know what’s on the table.”

Not so fast

Despite the perception that the delay in a trade involving Santana might be holding up other moves, such as finding a fourth outfielder if center fielder Coco Crisp [stats] is dealt to Minnesota or elsewhere, Epstein said that isn’t the case.

That was a factor in some potential opportunities at the GM (meetings) or winter meetings. But now things are fairly settled and I don’t think there is one central deal that is holding up something else,” Epstein said. “I think that has been overstated.” . . .

Boras said the plan is to begin talks regarding a potential contract extension for catcher Jason Varitek [stats] during spring training.

“(Varitek) is a valuable part of the franchise who is a unique guy,” Boras said. “He’s a special man to an organization, which is realized more now than before.”
The agent had no news to report regarding another of his clients, Sox pitcher Julian Tavarez [stats], who was reportedly not pleased that the team picked up his option of $3.8 million for 2008.

“I knew it was going to happen,” Boras said. “These baseball people (with the Sox) are smart.”

Boras said he hadn’t heard whether or not former Sox reliever Eric Gagne, a client who was named in the Mitchell Report shortly after signing with the Milwaukee Brewers, would be releasing a statement.

Helping hand

The event, which also featured a panel involving Celtics [team stats] co-owner Steve Pagliuca and Bruins [team stats] Hall of Famer and vice president Cam Neely, raised more than $100,000.

The second portion of the weekend-long fund-raiser takes place tonight, a concert staged at the Paradise Rock Club. For more information, visit hotstovecoolmusic.org.
rbradford@bostonherald.com

LoHudness


http://canyonofheroes.blogspot.com/
Hello COH fans and newcomers. You might be checking in during your normal browsing routine, or maybe this is your first time by the Canyon. Either way, welcome.

This will be short as I`m holed up in an internet cafe in rural Akita, Japan right now as a blizzard rages outside. I`ll be here another week and have little access to post. Here`s what`s in store over the next couple of weeks here at COH (in addition to any breaking Yankees news):

* The Yankees and Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish
* My thoughts on Spring Training
* Jason Giambi v.2008
* Yankee Memories: Joe Girardi

and more. Stay Tuned. Thanks for dropping by. Make COH a favorite.
Mike.

Santana to Boston....maybe

More stupid Johan talk. Apparently, the Globe is reporting that the Red Sox will score Santana if the Yankees don't include Ian Kennedy in their deal, and soon. I laugh.

If Minnesota wants to take the Red Sox flotsam for Santana, congratulations. More power to you in Fenway. I think the Sox have finally crossed over into Steinbrenner territory and while there's no guarantee that the highest payroll in the sport is going to win you the Series, they are adopting our former ways. Great. They are the same as us. Makes for a more interesting rivalry.

I think it would be great to have Santana, but giving up more than we've offered is beyond insane. You don't need the best pitcher in the sport to win it all, as much as it helps. Having 3 top quality starters at bargain basement prices is more valuable to me and is more conducive to dynasty building, where Santana would be a win now deal.

Here's hoping that he's a Red Sox and that we beat his ass repeatedly.

Cashman is gone just like Alex Rodriguez is gone.

I mean we see it all the time, Hire being dead on about the Yankees.

Whoops typo, I meant dead wrong.

You don't know what is going to happen. Please stop acting as if you do. No one knows. To say "Cashman is gone." and present it as fact, is just...a little silly I would say. I can't tell you the future of the general manager at this point and time. It's too early. Yankees trade Hughes and other prospects for Santana which is against what Cashman wants to do, I might start leaning towards thinking that. Hasn't happened yet.

Hank has gone a long way to pushing Cashman out the door, whether intentional or unintentional. It has been tried before and Cash stuck to his guns and got his way. So, I don't think he is done yet. Cashman is smart and can play the game.

I haven't pushed my panic button just yet. But I do think that Hank needs a wake up!

It's funny how defensive some Yankee fans get when you talk about Hank, it's like they don't want to see what's happening right in front of them. I've been talking about this for months now.

Hank is sending the Yankees down a bad road right now, owners hire GM's for a reason. If things change, great, maybe Cashman will stay. If things stay the way they appear to be going, my bet is he's gone. You can read into what he's saying.

Good chance Yankees Wont Make Playoffs
skufner Post #1: Jan 05, 2:00 pm Quote | Report Violation
Total Posts: 3034
They have done almost nothing to their roster besides get Hawkins and that offense isn't getting any younger. A-Rod is going to have to work even harder to put that team in the playoffs.
PaPeLb0n58 Post #2: Jan 05, 2:02 pm Quote | Report Violation
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Arod<35 HRs
Ligers_rule Post #3: Jan 05, 2:59 pm Quote | Report Violation
Total Posts: 114


Arod<35 HRs


Care to explain why???
ArodsNY Post #4: Jan 05, 3:00 pm Quote | Report Violation
Total Posts: 5803
And the Indians have done what.....Aren't they already behind the Tigers?
skufner Post #5: Jan 05, 3:06 pm Quote | Report Violation
Total Posts: 3034


And the Indians have done what.....Aren't they already behind the Tigers?



They didn't have to do much. The Indians only weakness is their production from LF. Tigers are in the same boat as the Yankees. Great hitting but horrible pitching. That guy was right the Yankees and Tigers are sticking together a lot lately. Btw... the Indians did more then the Yankees. They got Mashide Kobayashi from Japan to strengthen the bullpen and reserve infielder named Jamey Carrol. Neither of those acquisitions are huge but they are good for the team.
patriotjake252 Post #6: Jan 05, 3:07 pm Quote | Report Violation
Total Posts: 463
Personally I have no faith in the Tribe. I wish them well because I hate the yankees but you know that NY will be competitive every year and Cleveland seems to rise and fall like the tides for no apparent reasons. Should NY's rookie pitchers come through they have a chance to win the $ast, although I don't see that happening.
AGSMITH3 Post #7: Jan 05, 3:17 pm Quote | Report Violation
Total Posts: 1634


They have done almost nothing to their roster besides get Hawkins and that offense isn't getting any younger. A-Rod is going to have to work even harder to put that team in the playoffs.



While its true what you say about the Yankees roster not changing much from last year , i dis- agree with your philosophy that they have a good chance to not make the play-offs . I think they have a better chance of making the play-offs . They have quite a few young pitchers coming of age and experience , also you cant dismiss the fact that the Yankees are'nt done making deals . There is plenty of time before the season starts for the Yankees to aquire another Veteran pitcher and add to their already potent line-up.
Yanks23242 Post #10: Jan 05, 7:36 pm Quote | Report Violation
Total Posts: 9702


Arod<35 HRs


Care to explain why???



b/c he's an idiot.
tygerphan4ever Post #11: Jan 05, 7:39 pm Quote | Report Violation
Total Posts: 8994
Trolls make threads about teams they're scared of....paranoid schizophrenia is bad... hmmmmmmkayyy???
scott91801 Post #12: 7:50 am Quote | Report Violation
Total Posts: 202


And the Indians have done what.....Aren't they already behind the Tigers?



They didn't have to do much. The Indians only weakness is their production from LF. Tigers are in the same boat as the Yankees. Great hitting but horrible pitching. That guy was right the Yankees and Tigers are sticking together a lot lately. Btw... the Indians did more then the Yankees. They got Mashide Kobayashi from Japan to strengthen the bullpen and reserve infielder named Jamey Carrol. Neither of those acquisitions are huge but they are good for the team.


Actually, the Yankees did more than the Indians. They resigned a bunch of guys (Rivera, A-Rod, Posada). Hawkins is a proven big leaguer, Kobayashi is not. Who cares about Jamey Carrol? And exactly how is the Tigers pitching horrible? I am not saying they are great or anything, but they are far from the worst in the league.
Duke418829 Post #13: 8:36 am Quote | Report Violation
Total Posts: 5293


And the Indians have done what.....Aren't they already behind the Tigers?



They didn't have to do much. The Indians only weakness is their production from LF. Tigers are in the same boat as the Yankees. Great hitting but horrible pitching. That guy was right the Yankees and Tigers are sticking together a lot lately. Btw... the Indians did more then the Yankees. They got Mashide Kobayashi from Japan to strengthen the bullpen and reserve infielder named Jamey Carrol. Neither of those acquisitions are huge but they are good for the team.


Actually, the Yankees did more than the Indians. They resigned a bunch of guys (Rivera, A-Rod, Posada). Hawkins is a proven big leaguer, Kobayashi is not. Who cares about Jamey Carrol? And exactly how is the Tigers pitching horrible? I am not saying they are great or anything, but they are far from the worst in the league.



and the Yankees pitching isn't horrible either.....both of their staff's are middle of the pack.

I'm a Yankee fan, but I'm a fan of baseball....and I like to see a historic old time franchise like the Detroit Tigers being competitive again, and I like them b/c they are the right handed version of the Yankees.

Meet the new boss, Hank
Sunday, January 06, 2008

http://www.nj.com/yankees/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/119959777672890.xml&coll=1&thispage=1

In his few months after taking over the reigns of the Yankees from his father, Hank Steinbrenner has rarely been at a loss for words. Here are his thoughts on a few issues facing the team:

On Roger Clemens and his upcoming appearance on 60 Minutes:



"I'll watch it. Oh yeah. I don't know if Roger did anything or not. Nobody knows. We'll have to wait and see what he says."

On repairing relationships with former manager Joe Torre:

"I was hoping that he would take (the contract offer), but he didn't. That fence will be mended -- there's no problem there as far as I'm concerned. I liked the way he stuck up for the Yankees when he said the Mitchell Report was lopsided. He'll always be a Yankee, and when he's done, he'll always be welcomed back with open arms."

On the Red Sox winning a second championship in four years:

"All credit to them. John Henry has done a great job as owner, (Theo) Epstein has done a great job as GM, but we intend to make things right again -- the way they have historically been. Obviously, the Red Sox are going to continue to be a major player, which they weren't in the past. But we intend to be the champs again, and they can be runner's up."

On trading for Twins pitcher Johan Santana:

"Yeah, I'm still thinking about the Santana thing. I haven't made a final decision on that. Obviously, there are different opinions in the organization, and a lot of it depends what they're asking. But I think we're all kind of happy we're we at with young talent. We'll have to wait to sit what happened."

On pitcher Andy Pettitte admitting he used HgH:

"I talked to Andy. I said he should do what he thought was right, and what his conscience said he should do, and he did. He is still a Yankee. He is still loved by the fans and his teammates, and he'll be welcomed back."

On Alex Rodriguez returning to the team:
"I don't blame him. I don't blame him at all. He never intended on leaving the Yankees -- believe me, it's the truth. This guy is -- and I keep telling people but it's like they don't believe it -- but this guy has done a great job with our young players. He's a leader, they look up to him, just like they did with I truly believe him when he said he had no intention of leaving. Like I said before, he won the fans over quicker than Mickey Mantle."

On his relationship with general manager Brian Cashman:

"(Brian) can be more conservative with our money than we are. He put back together our organization. I've always told him, there are things that have to be my final decision. But he's the general manager, and he has the right to try and talk me out of it. And he has talked me out of it."

On the management lessons he learned from his father:

"There are so many. There are things that prop up every day that I see that makes me say, 'Oh, that's why he did that.' At the time I may not have agreed with him, but you come to understand how much you've learned from him over the years. It's really a lot of stuff. The biggest thing is, though, you don't go into any kind of sports business if you don't intend to win. Otherwise, you're spinning your wheels."

On whether he likes being on the back pages of the tabloids:

"No. No. Nooooo. I'm not looking to be a celebrity. That's not what I'm not looking for

."

Meet the new boss, Hank

http://www.nj.com/yankees/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/119959777672890.xml&coll=1&thispage=1

In his few months after taking over the reigns of the Yankees from his father, Hank Steinbrenner has rarely been at a loss for words. Here are his thoughts on a few issues facing the team:


On the Red Sox winning a second championship in four years:

"All credit to them. John Henry has done a great job as owner, (Theo) Epstein has done a great job as GM, but we intend to make things right again -- the way they have historically been. Obviously, the Red Sox are going to continue to be a major player, which they weren't in the past. But we intend to be the champs again, and they can be runner's up."

On trading for Twins pitcher Johan Santana:

"Yeah, I'm still thinking about the Santana thing. I haven't made a final decision on that. Obviously, there are different opinions in the organization, and a lot of it depends what they're asking. But I think we're all kind of happy we're we at with young talent. We'll have to wait to sit what happened."

On his relationship with general manager Brian Cashman:

"(Brian) can be more conservative with our money than we are. He put back together our organization. I've always told him, there are things that have to be my final decision. But he's the general manager, and he has the right to try and talk me out of it. And he has talked me out of it."

On whether he likes being on the back pages of the tabloids:

"No. No. Nooooo. I'm not looking to be a celebrity. That's not what I'm not looking for