Brian Cashman's Small Moves Propel Aging Yankees - Gary Armida's Blog

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Brian Cashman's Small Moves Propel Aging Yankees Stuck

Posted on August 6, 2012 at 10:12 AM.

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There is a general perception that Brian Cashman has one of the easiest jobs in sports. He has the ability to spend the most money for the most storied franchise in the sport, the New York Yankees.

Surely, Cashman has some built in advantages. A $200 million payroll does allow him to address needs on a big scale. Few teams can afford to add a CC Sabathia and a Mark Teixeira in the same off season like Cashman did a few years ago. Few teams can outspend their mistakes or just jettison players who won�t work out like Cashman can.

But, as the era of George Steinbrenner continues to fade and talk of avoiding the luxury tax grows louder, Cashman no longer has an unlimited budget. The Yankees aren�t automatically getting the big name free agents or making the big trade to acquire some other team�s bad contract. It just isn�t their business model anymore.

You get the feeling that Brian Cashman somewhat enjoys the budget thing. He gets to show the industry that he is able to make those types of decisions that people like Andrew Friedman and Billy Beane get credit for. But, Cashman only gets to make those types of decisions when it comes to addressing the Yankees� bench and bullpen. This season, Cashman has made a few moves that has helped the aging Yankees get out to the best record in the sport despite playing in the league�s toughest division.

During the winter, Cashman plucked Cody Eppley off of the free agent wire. There was no fanfare with the move; there shouldn�t have been. But, Eppley, a right handed specialist, has appeared in 37 games and has pitched 29.1 innings, while compiling a 3.07 ERA. Clay Rapada, another free agent pickup, has been the Yankees� second left hander out of the pen. In 50 games, spanning 29.1 innings, Rapada has allowed just 19 hits, while striking out 28 batters. The two journeymen relievers have helped stabilize the Yankees bullpen that lost the legendary Mariano Rivera early on and then lost David Robertson for a stretch.

Cashman�s best work came with plotting out the Yankees bench. On the last day of Spring Training, he traded for Chris Stewart, a backup catcher. That move caused a bit of stir as it meant that cult hero Francisco Cervelli wouldn�t make the team. While the 30 year old Stewart isn�t an offensive force--.260/.288/.337--he has been an upgrade defensively. Cashman also signed Jayson Nix to a contract with an invite to spring training. Nix didn�t make the opening day roster, but since his callup, he has filled in at shortstop, third base, and left field and has added 12 extra base hits in his 99 at bats.

Brian Cashman had one need to fill this off season. He needed to find enough moveable parts to help his aging team through the season. With veterans like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira as the core and with just two starters under the age of 30, Cashman needed depth. It was an area that the Yankees often ignored during the mid-2000�s. It may have seemed odd, but Cashman added three veteran players, two who were returning from last season. It may not make much sense for an aging team to add three players north of 34 years old, but Cashman did play a market inefficiency.

Every General Manager looks to exploit an area; Billy Beane made finding players who got on base quite famous. That is no longer an undervalued skill. The past few winters have seen aging players have to wait until the final hour before finding a team. Many of them, some with something left to contribute, are often just left without a team.

Cashman allowed his two veterans--Andruw Jones and Eric Chavez--to hit the free agent market. Nobody was interested. Jones was signed during the winter. Chavez signed closer to spring training. Cashman�s early winter move was signing 40 year old Raul Ibanez to a one year deal. It is important to note that fans and media were all supporting the signing of either Hideki Matsui or Johnny Damon to fill that role. Most believed that the former Yankees would be more productive and a better fit for New York. Cashman thought otherwise.

The signings have worked out incredibly well. When starting left fielder Brett Gardner injured his elbow during the first week of the season, Cashman�s bench was pressed into starting duty. Jones and Ibanez have formed a productive tandem. While they lack on base percentage, the two veterans have combined for 27 home runs and 77 RBI.

Then, Cashman acquired Ichiro Suzuki to man left field while sending his two veterans back to part time duty. Suzuki�s acquisition allows the Yankees to keep his two veterans healthy and rested for a playoff run. Suzuki was acquired for such little talent and the Mariners are actually paying most of his salary for the rest of the season. Again, Cashman acquired a veteran to fill a role. Without the aged group to man left field, Cashman would�ve been forced to trade prospects for a replacement. The veterans� platoon was productive enough to support the core, which allowed the Yankees to keep their resources.

Eric Chavez is looking as if he may just be Cashman�s best signing. Viewed as someone without much of a role, Chavez re-signed with the Yankees to be a backup corner infielder. Few remember that Eric Chavez was once one of the best third basemen in Baseball. He was the one player from the Moneyball A�s that Billy Beane chose to commit to a long term deal. From 2000 through 2006, Chavez hit .273/.352/.495 with an average of 31 doubles, 28 home runs, and 94 RBI. He also won the Gold Glove in six of those seasons. But, at age 29, Chavez began to break down. He couldn�t stay healthy and was limited to just 154 games from 2007 through 2010. Last season, he signed as a Yankees backup, but spent most of the season on the disabled list. But, Cashman saw enough value in him to bring him back late in the winter.

Chavez has responded with a productive year, hitting .264/.327/.478 with 8 doubles and 10 home runs in 178 at bats. Defensively, he is measured as an average third baseman, but his sample size is quite small, meaning that he is likely a notch above that. With Alex Rodriguez out, Chavez has stepped in and has given better than league average production. Consider that Yankees� third basemen rank second in the American League in on base percentage and third in slugging percentage, Chavez has allowed the Yankees to lose Rodriguez and not have a drop in production.

Brian Cashman will never get the type of praise that small market General Managers receive. He doesn�t deserve that because his advantages are far too big. But, the Yankees are successful this season because of some of the small market moves he made. He gave the underbelly of the Yankees bullpen some useful arms. He made the bench of the team interchangeable and, most importantly, productive. The loss of Brett Gardner would�ve been devastating, but Cashman had a ready-made platoon that has been productive. Then, he added another aging Hall of Famer to help keep that position productive. All three of those pieces were acquired for $5 million this season. Eric Chavez was signed for $900,000. Again, no other team even made an offer for Ibanez, Jones, or Chavez.

Cashman found value and production.

As Cashman has stayed away from the big name deal, he has continued to add pieces to the Yankees� core without just opening a checkbook. His non-headline moves have allowed one of the oldest teams in the league to have the largest division lead and, most importantly, stay healthy.

For that, he deserves a healthy amount of praise even though he won�t get it.

Comments

# 1 Candyman5 @ Aug 8

Very nice write up.

# 2 CMH @ Aug 15

Nice article and break down of Cashman's moves. Still has an enormous payroll, but he's done good with finding spare parts to fill the end of his roster.