Brian Cashman's team is 55-53.

I am waiting for Mark Feinsand to bash Brian Cashman. I hope I don't have to wait a long time:

"If you’re waiting for me to bash Brian Cashman, you’re going to be waiting a while. The general manager did what he could to improve the team at the deadline, but the two biggest names on the market — David Price and Jon Lester — weren’t available to the Yankees, and the Phillies wanted a big haul for Marlon Byrd, who was probably the best outfielder available.

Besides, if Cashman had traded a top prospect for Byrd, would the Yankees then look like a playoff team? I don’t think so."

I don't believe Cashman is getting much grief for his mostly pointless deadline deals. It's kind of the rest of the team that's the problem.

The Yankees are 55-53 this year and have been outscored by 31 runs. The 2/3rds mark of the 2014 season.

Last year, the Yankees were 85-77 and outscored by 21 runs.

Why would anyone believe this team is suddenly going to play .600 ball in the remaining 1/3rd of the 2014 season? Even if they do, that gets them to 87 wins.


"The addition of Martin Prado and Stephen Drew made the Yankees marginally better, but it’s hard to think it was enough to get them to the next level. The moves that were supposed to get them there were the offseason additions of Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran, but the lineup simply hasn’t clicked for any period of time during the season."

So you're bashing Brian Cashman for his offseason additions.


It's also kind of sad to review the current contributions of the big 2008 offseason additions. Sabathia is on the DL and seemingly washed up; Teixeira with his massive 50 RBIs; also paying A.J. Burnett to pitch for another team.

I remember how they won the World Series in 2009. I was there. However, this is what happens when a lot of players are past their prime.


"Long believes the additions of Prado, Drew and Chase Headley lengthen the lineup, giving the Yankees a chance to do a little more damage than they were with Brian Roberts, Ichiro Suzuki and whatever third baseman they were throwing out there. But a couple moments Friday night made Long wonder whether the baseball gods were telling the Yankees this just isn’t their year.

'It feels like something’s not meant to be,' Long said, referring to Mookie Betts’ amazing running catch on what would have been a triple for Ellsbury in the eighth, and Brett Gardner’s scorching line drive in the fifth that resulted in a double play."

I feel the need to say something about those "bad luck" plays:

1) Gardner's line drive double play was not bad luck, it was bad baseball. With the runner in motion, you hit a ground ball. If this team descends into whining about "almost hits" (aka "outs), then I might just go over the edge.

2) Ellsbury was robbed of a triple. A truly spectacular catch at a key moment.

Let's say it was a triple. I can state with near certainty that Ellsbury gets stranded at third. I know that Teixeira followed with a bloop double, but I've seen this particular close-and-late-RISP script a few too many times.

Furthermore, let's say Ellsbury scores nice and tidy-like. Let's even suppose the Yankees get out of the bottom of the ninth with a tie. I can also state with near certainty that the Yankees will eventually lose the game. The Red Sox bullpen probably wouldn't even allow a baserunner.


Preado, Drew, Headley I suppose will make the Yankees a little better (though Drew seems like the only starting player in baseball who was actually worse than Brian Roberts). Prado strikes me as the perfect player to add to the 2011 Yankees, who were all HR-happy DHs.

The criticism of Cashman is that he's putting band-aids on a patient that needs major surgery.

So the deadline moves are boring and unsatisfying. The fans go to the games to see Jeter, but can't recognize the other starting players on the team.

It isn't good. It is OK to criticize Cashman. He is the General Manager.