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Tag: Brian Cashman

  • Scott Boras talks potential Yankees targets Cody Bellinger, Juan Soto and more

    Scott Boras talks potential Yankees targets Cody Bellinger, Juan Soto and more

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    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Standing on a soapbox before dozens of reporters, Scott Boras held court and delivered customary one-liners on Wednesday in Arizona.

    Naturally, the agent discussed a number of his clients. But he also spoke on the Yankees and what their approach could look like this offseason after failing to make the playoffs in 2023.

    “I watched an interview yesterday that said to me that they might be aggressive,” Boras said, poking a little fun at Brian Cashman’s unmeasured media scrum on Tuesday. “I’m not sure, I don’t know. I mean, look, they’ve got two top-five players in the game and they’re the New York Yankees, largest revenues in the game. Why wouldn’t they want to reward their fan base with New York Yankee conduct?”

    While it would be bad business for Boras to rule out the Bombers as suitors for any of his clients, it remains to be seen what Yankee conduct will look like this winter considering the team has a ton of needs. Boras, meanwhile, reps a few players who could fill those holes. Here’s what he had to say about players that may make sense for the Yankees.

    CODY BELLINGER

    Bellinger dominated Boras’ media availability, as the former MVP is coming off a bounce-back year with the Cubs that saw him hit .307/.356/.525 with 26 homers, 97 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

    Cashman, meanwhile, said the Yankees need two outfielders and left-handed bats this offseason. While there are concerns over Bellinger’s cost, injury history and underlying metrics — his exit velo, Barrel% and Hard-Hit% didn’t rank particularly well in 2023 — he checks those boxes. The former Dodger is also playoff-tested and still relatively young.

    “You’ve got a five-tool player,” Boras insisted. “Obviously, in the years prior to coming to the Cubs, he had a partial performance due to just lack of strength. He had surgery, broken leg, all those things. But I think it’s pretty evident that when you have youth and you’re 28, you’re a rare free agent. You have a lot of options. But when he came to Chicago, he just feasted on major league pitching.”

    Boras said that Bellinger has told him to “listen to everybody.” Asked directly if the Yankees have expressed interest in Bellinger, Boras said “there’s broad interest” in the slugger.

    “Cody’s played in major markets,” Boras added, “so he just wants to play on a winning team.”

    Boras later told the Daily News that Bellinger would be “comfortable” in New York, where his dad, Clay, played from 1999-2001.

    Boras said that most teams are looking at Bellinger as a centerfielder, but he can also play first base. The agent also said that Bellinger had a “great experience” in Chicago, but it will take a sizeable payday for the Cubs to retain him.

    “I think Chicago got the comforts of a full Belly,” Boras said. “So they’re going to have to loosen their belts to keep Bellinger.”

    JUAN SOTO

    Soto will be the prize of the offseason — if the Padres decide to trade him. However, Boras said that San Diego indicated otherwise when he met with the club.

    “They laid out their plan for next year, which obviously included a lineup that definitely includes Juan Soto,” Boras said. “They’re obviously looking for more left-handed bats, rather than less. That’s for sure.

    “Their ownership is highly committed to winning.”

    Boras also downplayed a recent report from The Athletic that said the Padres took out a $50 million loan to help cover payroll. According to Boras, lots of teams take out loans; they just don’t always get reported.

    “It doesn’t necessarily mean the implication that they are not financially adept or successful,” he said.

    Either way, moving Soto would help the Padres pay for other needs, particularly in the pitching department. The young superstar, also a left-handed hitting outfielder, is projected to make a record-setting $33 million in arbitration this winter. He’s slated to then receive a megadeal in free agency next offseason.

    Given the financial ramifications, the Yankees make sense as a Soto suitor.

    JUNG HOO LEE

    For those that don’t know, Lee is a lefty-hitting, Japanese centerfielder who has become a star in Korea. The 25-year-old is expected to make the transition to the majors this offseason.

    Boras said that close to half the league has inquired about Lee, a .340 career hitter who hit 23 homers with 113 RBI two seasons ago. An ankle injury limited him to 86 games this past season.

    “He can play defense,” Boras said. “He has power. I think Jung Hoo’s gonna bring K-pop to MLB.”

    Boras also highlighted Lee’s bat-to-ball skills and low strikeout rate, which fell below 6% each of the last two seasons.

    “To have that low strikeout rate and strike zone control really has created a lot of interests with teams,” Boras said.

    Boras declined to say if Lee had any preferred markets or if the Yankees have expressed interest. He will hold a workout in the coming weeks so that teams can gauge his agility and health.

    JORDAN MONTGOMERY

    Could the Yankees reunite with Montgomery following his impressive postseason run?

    Boras didn’t dismiss the idea, stating that “Jordan is taking all proposals from all teams.” While there’s no benefit in Boras dismissing a potential suitor, Cashman said that he wants to add pitching. However, Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto figures to be higher on the Yankees’ shopping list.

    Boras added that he expects the pitching market to move quickly.

    MATT CHAPMAN

    Cashman noted that the Yankees have a surplus of infielders, including some younger players. However, if they want more of a sure thing at third base, few are better defensively than Chapman, who can also lengthen a lineup.

    “When you think of bronze, you think of third. But when it comes to Chappy and third, you’re always gold,” Boras quipped. “As far as his bat, I’m not giving you lip service, but the Chap-stick really has a lot to do with the potentials and advances of a core lineup.”

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    Gary Phillips

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  • Bill Madden: Don’t blame Brian Cashman for Bryce Harper not being a Yankee

    Bill Madden: Don’t blame Brian Cashman for Bryce Harper not being a Yankee

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    Brian Cashman probably didn’t have a particularly great week after sitting through three days of Yankee meetings in Tampa listening to criticism of his analytics department and all that contributed to the disaster (his word) of an 82-80 season in 2023. But one of the most vocal criticisms of Cashman that has re-emerged after Bryce Harper’s .462, three-homer, five RBI destruction of the Braves in the NL Division Series is totally undeserved.

    The media and fans that are once again killing Cashman for passing on Harper as a free agent in 2018 have forgotten all the circumstances which led to him signing that record 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies. Because if Yankee fans are again lamenting that Harper is not in the Bronx, what about the fans of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and all the other teams that fell way short of the Phillies’ offer or took a pass altogether?

    Let’s re-visit that offseason of 2018-2019 when Harper finally hit the free agent market after his agent Scott Boras had predicted he would be the highest player ever almost from the day the Nationals made him the first overall pick in the 2010 draft out of a small college in Henderson, Nev. From the get-go, Boras made it clear the parameters for Harper were going to have to significantly exceed the reported final 10-year, $300 million offer made by the Nationals that was flatly rejected because so much deferred money had reduced its present value to only $184 million.

    Still, most every team in baseball viewed the 10-year, $300 million “benchmark” prohibitive, mostly because of the years. The only owner in baseball who did not view it that way was the Phillies’ John Middleton, who admitted early on that winter he was probably going to have to spend “stupid money” to restore his team to championship caliber after six straight losing seasons. Those words were music to Boras’ ears, but when Middleton followed them up with a “real” 10-year, $300 million offer, Boras, who was determined to get a deal that would exceed Giancarlo Stanton’s record 13-year, $325 million contract, had no response. Rather, he continued to try getting a market going for Harper, repeatedly leaking to the media an ideal fit for him would be his childhood favorite team, the Yankees.

    When it was pointed out the Yankees’ outfield was pretty set with Aaron Judge in right, Brett Gardner (coming off the most productive season of his career) in left and Aaron Hicks (who the next year they felt worthy of a seven-year, $70 million extension) in center — and that, the year before, they’d already committed to taking on Stanton’s contract to be their DH — Boras began to float the notion that Harper, a right fielder his entire career, would agree to play first base (for a record amount of money, of course).

    Given the Yankees’ wealth and previous propensity to pursue the top free agents in the market, it was hard to for the media to comprehend why Hal Steinbrenner was unwilling to spend another $300 million on a player into his late 30s; a corner outfielder that, at the time, he really didn’t need. Meanwhile, lest we forget, no other team was either. As the calendar went from November ’18 to February ’19, Middleton’s offer was still out there, unaddressed.

    It wasn’t until mid-February when Boras was finally able to get the Dodgers engaged but only on a short term deal with a record AAV, while there were reports the Giants were now supposedly willing to go beyond 10 years. That was when Middleton, probably weary of bidding against himself, ponied up the extra three years and $30 million Boras was looking for to finally get the deal done.

    I was as big a critic of Middleton as anyone for allowing himself to be played by Boras for as long as he was. But Harper already led the Phillies to one World Series last year, and I suspect if they make it back this year and win it all, Middleton will feel the “silly” $330 million — even the last $125 million of it when Harper will be over 35 and presumably starting to break down — will have been money well spent.

    IT’S A MADD, MADD WORLD

    Buck Showalter has a dilemma. At 67, he would like one more crack at managing in pursuit of that elusive first World Series, but the team that appears to be aggressively pursuing him — the Angels — needs him a lot more than he needs them. In fact, the Angels may well be the worst managing job in baseball, in the same division as the Astros, Rangers and Mariners, with a general manager, the very capable Perry Minasian, who’s in the last year of his contract, and an owner, Arte Moreno, who’s still believed to be looking to sell the team and who probably won’t be able to re-sign Shohei Ohtani. With or without Ohtani, it’s a bad team, with very little help coming in the farm system. A dead end street where Buck would be wasted. … There’s much wailing in Baltimore after the young Orioles, following their inspiring 101-win AL East championship season, wound up being swept out of the AL Division Series by the Rangers. But in retrospect they may have had no one to blame but themselves for being so shortsighted (and penurious) about their suspect starting pitching. They knew last winter if they were going to be serious World Series contenders they were going to have to considerably upgrade their rotation. But despite the majors 27th lowest payroll, GM Mike Elias’ answer was to sign the very mediocre Kyle Gibson for one year, $10M while passing on, among others, Justin Verlander, Chris Bassitt, Nathan Eovaldi, Zach Elfin and Jose Quintana. The Orioles got lucky this year when Kyle Bradish emerged as a true potential ace and rookie Grayson Rodriguez, after a rocky start and a demotion to the minors, was dominant in August and September. But at the trade deadline, Elias again went cheap, refusing to sacrifice any of his top prospects (Coby Mayo, Joey Ortiz, Connor Norby, et al.) — all of whom are blocked on the major league roster — for the White Sox’s Dylan Cease, the Tigers’ Eduardo Rodriguez or even Verlander (if he’d have approved). Instead he settled for sending a couple of marginal low level prospects to the Cardinals for the oft-injured, mostly ineffective Jack Flaherty. Despite one of the best lineups in baseball, when they got to their first postseason since 2016, the Orioles were lacking a veteran proven ace and it cost them when neither Bradish nor Rodriguez could deliver. If the Orioles are going to take it a step further next year, they are going to have to go bold on starting pitching this winter, perhaps re-visiting the White Sox on Cease, and getting heavily engaged on free agents Blake Snell, Aaron Nola, Jordan Montgomery and Rodriguez. If they are able to land two of them they will be unequivocally the team to beat in the AL. But after owner John Angelos said he didn’t think the Orioles had the money to sign all their young stars — Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Austin Hays, Ryan Mountcastle — to extensions, I have my doubts.

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    Bill Madden

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  • Yankees Pick Up Team Option For Luis Severino, Potentially Setting Him Up For A Bigger Contract

    Yankees Pick Up Team Option For Luis Severino, Potentially Setting Him Up For A Bigger Contract

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    Perhaps the clearest thing to emerge from Brian Cashman’s lengthy state of the Yankees press conference on Friday concerned the status of Luis Severino.

    During his roughly 45 minutes at the podium in the basement of Yankee Stadium and approximately 22 hours before the Astros clinched their second World Series title, Cashman gave his clearest answer when it came to status of Luis Severino, describing his status on the team “as an easy yes”.

    “He’s been a really impactful pitcher, so the answer to that would be an easy yes,” Cashman said.

    A little over 68 hours later, came word that the “easy yes” became official when the Yankees announced they were picking up the one-year, $15 million team option for Severino on Monday, hours before Angels GM Perry Minasian said he was not trading Shohei Ohtani, who has one year left before entering free agency.

    The option is part of the four-year, $40 million contract signed by Severino in spring training 2019. At the time, he signed on the dotted line, Severino made a little over $600,000 and was coming off a spectacular 19-win season, resulting in a 10th-place finish in the AL Cy Young race won by Blake Snell.

    At the time of the new deal, it was believed Severino was setting himself to cash in free agency. The original portion of the deal deal would take him through his age-28 season and the option would conclude his age-29 season, the same age Gerrit Cole was when he signed a nine-year, $324 million deal with the Yankees.

    Instead injuries constantly interfered, setting up the final year of the team-friendly deal as a second straight “prove it season” for Severino.

    Before pitching well enough to get his team option picked up, Severino strained a latissimus dorsi muscle and did not make his 2019 debut until Sept. 17. He then had Tommy John surgery Feb. 27, 2020 – two weeks before the season was delayed and ultimately sliced to 60 games in two-plus months due to the COVID-19 pandemic – and then did not return from the surgery until returning on Sept. 21, 2021 for four relief appearances

    At the moment 27 starting pitchers are scheduled to make at least $15 million in 2023, a list that includes Justin Verlander, who may not exercise his player option for next season after helping Houston win the World Series by winning Game 5.

    In the 99-win regular season, Severino did his part by going 7-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts, with 112 strikeouts against 30 walks in 102 innings. He also held hitters to a slash line of .196/.263/.353 in those starts and highlighted his success by pitching seven innings of a combined one-hitter against Detroit on June 4 along with also becoming the first pitcher to strike Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. three times in his second start on April 14.

    Seventeen of those starts were before he sustained right shoulder tightness on July 13 when he allowed three homers on three different pitches in two innings against the Cincinnati Reds.

    It took Severino over two months to return, though not by his design. While he understood the Yankee point of view, he was hardly thrilled with being moved to the 60-day injured list on Aug. 1 after throwing from flat ground in the previous two weeks.

    “I was not happy. I was not expecting that,” Severino said the day before the Yankees acquired Frankie Montas from Oakland and traded Jordan Montgomery to St. Louis. “If that’s the plan they have for me to come back healthy, I have to just follow the plan.”

    Perhaps as meaningful as his base statistics was performance of his three main pitches, the four-seam fastball, changeup and the slider.

    Hitters batted .186 and saw 780 four-seamers as Severino averaged 96.3 mph on the pitch. Severino. Severino threw his changeup 363 times and hitters batted .235 as it averaged 88.8. Against the slider, Severino threw the pitch 342 times, held hitters to a .169 average and averaged 85.2 mph.

    The velocity numbers are down from 2018 when he averaged 97.6 on 1,589 four-seamers, 88.1 mph on 1,132 sliders and 88.1 mph on 427 changeups while facing 780 hitters in 191 1/3 innings.

    Last year’s performance showed Severino could pitch as effectively as he did during 2017 and 2018 when he recorded 33 of his 50 career wins. If Severino pitches as well as he did for most of last season and does it for a full season, he could set himself for an even nicer payday and another key free agent decision for the Yankees.

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    Larry Fleisher, Contributor

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  • New York Yankees Emphasize Process As Discomfort Fuels Urgency

    New York Yankees Emphasize Process As Discomfort Fuels Urgency

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    The postmortem press conference held by the New York Yankees assessing the ball club’s 2022 season will not be remembered for its illuminating commentaries or bold proclamations given their dismal demise at the hands of the Houston Astros for the fourth time in the postseason since the 2015 American League Wild Card ball game. The Yankees did announce they will pick up right-handed pitcher Luis Severino’s $15 million club option instead of paying him a $2.75 million buyout. Manager Aaron Boone and Senior Vice President, General Manager Brian Cashman answered a myriad of questions regarding the next steps for the Yankees as it is safe to say the franchise’s leadership is deeply committed to a process oriented approach to management instead of one solely driven by results or emotion. As the Astros hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy over their heads once again after a 4-1 Game Six victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the 118th World Series, it is imperative for the Yankees to use discomfort as a fuel for urgency when it comes to offseason planning.

    Cashman’s contract had expired on October 31st and is essentially working for free until he and Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner can iron out the details on a new agreement. He just completed a five-year, $25 million contract according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. In a quarter century as general manager, Cashman has won six American League pennants and four world championships all but assuring himself a bronze plaque in the hallowed halls of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. A preeminent and well respected baseball executive, Cashman has been in the crosshairs of irate fans as some believe analytics has adversely affected the Yankees’ aggressiveness in free agency.

    Given a World Series drought that has now reached 13 years in length and concerns regarding roster construction, many are left to wonder are employees in the analytics department held to a different set of standards than coaches throughout the organization. A fair and honest question given the results in recent years, but not an indictment against analytics. It is healthy to assess all methods of management as ball clubs are constantly looking for competitive advantages and being early adopters of innovative ideas. Accountability cannot solely rest on the shoulders of the ball players and coaching staff if analytics are an integral part of the organization’s culture.

    The Yankees are emphasizing the importance of process when it comes to discussions regarding results. Curiosity and sound reasoning are just as important as the ability to adapt and grow in a fast paced, results driven environment. They have little patience for employees who are unwilling to make the necessary adjustments and have become stagnant both in thought and action. Trust is evident if the Yankees are seeing employees demonstrate a high aptitude for modern baseball management while carefully explaining decisions in a manner that makes logical sense given the situation. This thought process was evident in Cashman’s remarks when it came to discussing high-contact hitters such as DJ LeMahieu and Andrew Benintendi as their injuries adversely affected the postseason roster.

    It will not make the least of difference to fans if the Yankees part ways with a data scientist or two if they cannot recapture the essence of their past with a forward-thinking mentality. Intangibles have always played an integral role in cultivating the Yankees’ championship DNA. They have thrived when the clubhouse culture was a perfect blend of intensity and urgency with a splash of confidence. An endearing aspect of the most recent Yankees’ dynasty was how catcher Jorge Posada’s fiery personality fit perfectly with the quiet confidence exuded by Derek Jeter.

    The Yankees must ask themselves what a championship DNA looks like in 2023 with or without free agent outfielder Aaron Judge. The reality is they will not commit over $600 million to two ball players in long-term contracts with one of them being Judge this offseason. Dreams of pairing Judge with the likes of free agent shortstops Carlos Correa or Trea Turner will stay safely in the imaginations of fans. Don’t expect a present day version of the winter prior to the 2009 season where the Yankees had invested $423.5 million into pitchers CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett along with first baseman Mark Teixeira. Besides winning their 27th world championship, the Yankees paid a $25.69 million penalty on a $226.2 million payroll for Competitive Balance Tax purposes according to the Associated Press.

    With Judge being priority number one, the Yankees must thrive on the discomfort that accompanies urgency and get creative when it comes to addressing deficiencies. They also must reflect on an important question: do the Yankees need a dramatic shift by overhauling their roster or is it a series of careful tweaks at certain positions? Given the changes next season regarding the limitations on defensive shifts, the Yankees need to evolve from being dangerous to excellent hitters as they ranked 21st in Major League Baseball with a 75.8 percent contact percentage according to FanGraphs.

    Removing emotions and impatience, the Yankees have traditionally delivered on four key objectives: a top five payroll in Major League Baseball, 90 or more victories in a season, home attendance exceeding 3 million, and qualifying for the postseason. However, they are light years behind the Astros when it comes to the amateur draft, international scouting, free agency, payroll efficiency, avoiding the Competitive Balance Tax, high impact trades, and managerial experience. The Yankees have struggled to adjust when it comes to the big moments in the postseason, especially against the Astros.

    Contrary to the sentiments expressed by Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman, the New York Yankees are still a distance away from achieving World Series glory. The gap has widened between them and the Houston Astros after seeing their current nemesis celebrate a second world championship in six years. The Yankees have amassed a plethora of cutting edge resources and talent but have yet to find the best way to develop a checks and balance system that works well for the franchise. In some instances, they must get out of their own way and stop overthinking matters by finding the glue that binds everything together. The Yankees must use the discomfort of urgency as a motivating factor this offseason and pay close attention to the Astros’ blueprint for success.

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    Wayne G. McDonnell, Jr., Contributor

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