New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman was recently asked about the unique relationship his boss has with some of the team’s top players, and he gave a response that clearly indicates he is trying to hold on to his job for a while longer.
The Yankees are at the early stages of what should be an interesting offseason for the franchise. This season, the 2023 edition of the team fell well below the organization’s usual standards as they finished with an 82-80 record and were shockingly near the bottom of the American League East standings.
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While the team clearly could use some upgrades to the roster, all indications point to the Yankees being more conservative with their spending this winter. Part of the reason is that they don’t want to increase their current luxury tax payments since they are locked into several massive long-term contracts, including for slugger Aaron Judge and ace Gerrit Cole.
Yet, not only does Judge and Cole’s contracts — which combine for over $684 million in owed money — have a huge influence on their financial strategy, but the two top stars also have some influence on the team’s controlling owner, Hal Steinbrenner.
Earlier this year, Steinbrenner revealed that he actually has monthly meetings with both players to get their thoughts about what is going on with the team. It was a surprising development and surely throws a bit of a wrench in the traditional chain of command channels.
New York Yankees GM speaks out on owner’s monthly meetings with top stars
During the General Manager Meetings this week, one member of the MLB meeting asked GM Brian Cashman about that unique direct line the two stars have to the owner. His response was fascinating while also obviously taking his job security into account.
“I don’t think that it’s a problem at all,” Cashman said (via USA Today). “And when you partner with somebody for that kind of money, he’s going to have some seat at the table, as he should. But this is a player’s game, no doubt about it, and they’ve got some good information that they can provide. We’re not going to ignore it.”
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With Aaron Boone’s future after 2024 far from guaranteed, Cashman is probably well aware he might be next if Boone can’t turn the team around in a major way next season. Questioning his boss’s decisions likely would not boost his standing, whether he has good reason to dislike the meetings or not.