Knight post=440680 said:
Cashman’s positive work is coupled with the Yankee’s checkbook. Just look at the state and quality of this roster.
The league has taken steps to minimize the effect of the Yankees checkbook for decades and they have finally accomplished their objective.
Consider what they Yankees have accomplished in the last 30 years (missing the playoffs twice?) and then factor in that they have had ONE pick in the 1st round that was earlier than #16 in the last 35 or so years and that was Derek Jeter.
They have had their ability to sign IFA's curtailed because there are league limits on what you can spend on FA's each year, and those with poor records get a larger allocation to spend than teams like the Yankees who are always in the post season. This puts them at a disadvantage in competing for the top IFA's every year.
The posting rules for Japanese players were changed to ensure that deep pocket teams like the Yankees had no advantage.
Face it. The league has done a great job of limiting or eliminating the Yankees financial advantage. This isn't the 1990's and those days aren't coming back. Expectations need to be adjust accordingly.
Cashman has done a good job building an IFA infrastructure in the DR and that has yielded a farm system that is larger that any other, and that is loaded with talent from Latin America. I'm sure that MLB will do something to curtail that in the next CBA, but it was the one area where we could still flex our financial muscle.
Cashman isn't perfect. I'm sure he'd like a do over on the trade/FA opportunities for Verlander, Cole, Scherzer and I doubt he'd pull the trigger on the Stanton deal in hindsight. Beyond that there isn't much to complain about with his job performance.
