According to a person familiar with what's going on in the upper reaches of the New York Yankees' hierarchy, new boss Hank Steinbrenner currently "blames Brian Cashman for everything.''
The way things are going right now, that's a lot of things.
Cashman said he "wouldn't comment on our internal discussions,'' but said nothing to suggest Hank is anything but dissatisfied with what's going on so far.
"I'm OK with everything,'' Cashman told SI.com. "The Steinbrenners are custodians of the greatest franchise in sports history. When things don't go well, there's an uncomfortableness. And it's my job is to deal with it."
Hank recently said in an outburst to the New York Post that the team isn't providing much bang for his family's bucks. But Hank's most pointed behind-the-scenes complaints are directed toward the big pitching decisions, and specifically the fact that Cashman -- with the backing of practically all the Yankees baseball people -- successfully argued to keep Hughes and Kennedy rather than trade them for Johan Santana, who pitches tonight for the New York Mets in the opener of a Subway Series that features the two struggling Big Apple teams. The Yankees are 20-22 and in last place in the AL East while the Mets aren't much better at 20-19, good only for third in the NL East.
Of Hank and the Santana deal, one Yankees insider said: "He won't give up on that one.''
It wasn’t just Cashman, though, who stumped for Hughes (who’s 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA) and Kennedy (0-3, 8.48), and Hank knows that. Of the Yankees’ expansive baseball department, only ex-GM Gene Michael favored trading the kids for Santana (who is 4-2 with a 3.10 ERA), according to people familiar with their internal votes.
And Cashman continued, “I believe in our players. And I believe in our process. In the short term, I understand why people are upset. My job is to do what needs to be done for the short term and long term, and I understand everything that goes with it.”
The subject of Cashman’s future could actually turn into a family debate for the Steinbrenners, as the quiet, younger son Hal is said to be a big supporter of Cashman. Hal sided with Cashman on the call not to surrender the farm for Santana, and is believed to generally support Cashman. Most people around the team still believe that despite the team’s dreadful beginning — and the fireworks occurring behind the scenes — Cashman and the Steinbrenners will eventually work it out, and that Cashman will stay.
“If I fit in or not is not a concern to me,” Cashman said. “I don’t worry about it. I don’t fear it. What is a concern is to make the right decisions for the club that are positive for both the short term and the long term.”
What a mess this could turn out to be. I happen to think Cashman has this team moving in the right direction, even if they don't make the postseason this year. But I can understand the impatience that Hank is showing, although we should remember that the Red Sox missed the playoffs in '06 and finished 3rd in the AL East, and things have gone pretty well for them since then, and it's mainly because they didn't get rid of Theo Epstein.
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