Keep Calm, Cashman Has A Plan!

I’ve been listening to Dodger fans talk about building a new dynasty for a few days now. The Yankees won the World Series three years in a row from 1998-2000, but Dodger fans don’t care. Now that they have championships in 2024 and 2025 all they think about now is 2026.

Those were the days, huh? Now the Yankees can sit back and reminisce about them as the Dodgers try to make that a reality. They have a plan (regardless of if we like their plans and methods to get there or not) and we have….Brian Cashman. Does he have a plan? Because it just feels like more “wash, rinse, repeat” from years prior.

Cashman wants us to believe that there is a plan and that “Cashman knows best” if you will. We’ve talked a lot about how Cashman doesn’t know how to build a winning team. He hasn’t built one and as each year goes on the less we believe him (if that’s even possible anymore). There has been a lot of talk about the “R” word….REBUILD.

But according to Cashman HERE, he’s not thinking about a rebuild at all.

“There’s no indication that is something that should be considered,” Cashman said. “We have a farm system that is producing. We have quality major leaguers winning MVPs and potentially getting Cy Young Award votes, and we have the best record in the American League (tied with Toronto at 94-68), and we have Gerrit Cole coming back, along with other guys. I don’t understand how a rebuild could even be considered.”

Basically, Cashman is telling you this isn’t 2016. The Yankees still have Aaron Judge in his prime and in consideration for a third Most Valuable Player award and Max Fried up for Cy Young. The Yankees ace is coming back and without him they still had the best record in the American League AND had a better regular season record than the Dodgers. In Cashman’s mind, the Yankees can keep up despite their weaknesses.

But what does he consider to be a weakness? “One thing we always fight is that we rely too much on the home run,” Cashman said. “But the team that out-homers the other team always moves on in the postseason, and that’s a fact. You also need contact. You need it all.” That’s one. This team can’t manufacture runs. They can’t bunt, or move the runner over. We strand too many runners and then when we aren’t at bat we make too many stupid errors because we don’t have basic defense or fundamentals. We beat ourselves half the time. THAT is something Cashman has needed to fix for a long time….but can’t and also probably won’t because he can’t admit his own shortcomings.

So again, the “R” word is RELOAD for a wash, rinse, repeat effect. It will be some new faces maybe but no basic fundamentals to go with them. So, we just look the same against the Blue Jays and the Dodgers all over again. It’s just insanity.

Anyone else feel good about that plan? Because I don’t.

–Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor