By Donovan West, Sports Editor
@DWest_courant
20 division titles. 40 AL pennants. 27 world championships.
The New York Yankees are the most successful franchise in American sports history. They are the biggest brand, have the most fans, and have come to be a symbol of sports. I say all of this to emphasize the expectation of greatness that lies on their shoulders year in and year out. The Yankees are a shoo-in to make the playoffs. Assumed to win their division. Favorites to win the world series. Anything less is a failure. And after this season, they are going on 14 years of failure.
On October 1, the 2023 Yankees played the last game of their abysmal season, the only taste of October baseball they will be getting. They ended this miserable season in a way that summed up their entire year, losing 5-2 to one of the worst teams in baseball, the Kansas City Royals. This loss pushed the team’s record to 82-80, 19 games behind the division leader and 8 games out of the wild card. While this record may not seem terrible, still winning more than half of their games, this record will not suffice. To maintain their reputation of success, the Yankees must take a hard look at themselves, and decide what their future holds. The first step that needs to be taken is firing their general manager, Brian Cashman.
First, check out the roster that Cashman has constructed. To begin the year, Anthony Rizzo, Josh Donaldson, and Giancarlo Stanton were all starters that were expected to make huge contributions. On opening day, these three players were slotted at the three, four, and five holes in the lineup.
Yet, as the season went along, these players, with an average age of almost 35, showed that they are not capable of being high impact players. Anthony Rizzo was injured, forcing him to miss nearly half of the season. Josh Donaldson and Giancarlo Stanton simply could not make contact with the baseball. The two combined to have a batting average of .171, compared to the league mean of .248. Oh, and these three players make $70 million a season, more than the entire payroll of the Oakland Athletics.
As GM, Cashman is not only responsible for the roster, but also managing the entire entity. The Yankees are so obsessed with power and hitting home runs that they lack the ability to get on base. They were ninth in the MLB in home runs this year, with 219, but 29th in batting average, contributing to the 5th worst offense in the league. In addition to the lackluster offense in the big leagues, this organizational goal to hit solely for power has led to many top prospects fizzling out in the Yankees’ minor league system, as coaches are changing players’ swings to decrease contact and increase power.
In a time when teams around the MLB are constantly getting better, Cashman has always been hesitant to make the big move. And when he did make the big move last offseason, signing Carlos Rodon for $162 million, he brought in a pitcher who had a 6.85 era this season, one of the worst in the majors. Cashman has been manager since 1998, in that time winning one championship with a roster that was truly his. For the greatest team in American sports history, this production under the reign of Brian Cashman is not good enough. Changes must be made to restore the Yankees’ reputation as the best team in baseball and the best team in sports. Whether that be shifting developmental strategies, or obtaining more lefties to balance out their roster, the MLB is continuously adapting while the Yankees are stuck in the past. Change is needed.
