CALEB DURBIN IS IN THE NLCS GUYS

It’s almost hilarious — if you can stomach the pain — how the Yankees spent an entire season scrambling for a third baseman when the solution was sitting right in their own farm system. All they had to do was believe in Caleb Durbin the way they believed in Anthony Volpe. Instead, Brian Cashman — the self-proclaimed architect of modern mediocrity — shipped Durbin off to Milwaukee for a closer the Yankees didn’t even need. Devin Williams was supposed to “lock down” the ninth inning. Instead, he wasn't good.

Back in December, New York sent Nestor Cortes, Durbin, and some cash to Milwaukee for Williams. It was hailed as a “win-now” move — classic Cashman buzzwords for short-term panic disguised as strategy. In reality, the Yankees traded away a contact-hitting, glove-first infielder for a relief arm who couldn’t handle Yankee Stadium pressure. It’s the kind of move that defines Cashman’s reign: impulsive, short-sighted, and allergic to player development.

Durbin didn’t just prove New York wrong — he embarrassed them. Milwaukee simply believed in Durbin and handed Durbin the keys and watched him flourish. By midsummer, Cashman had to call the Rockies and overpay for Ryan McMahon just to stop the bleeding. Translation: the Yankees traded away a cheap, controllable third baseman, then had to buy one back who, also was not good. That’s not baseball IQ — that’s front-office malpractice.

Meanwhile, Durbin’s rookie season spoke for itself: a .256/.337/.402 slash line, 11 home runs, 53 RBIs, and steady defense that gave Milwaukee’s infield life. A walk-off homer in May turned him from promising prospect to clutch performer, and he hasn’t looked back since.

The irony? While Durbin plays in the NLCS, Cashman’s Yankees are at home wondering how they managed to get fleeced again. Every time this front office makes a deal, it feels like they’re chasing ghosts of the 2009 team instead of building something real.

So, here’s the truth: Milwaukee believed in player development. Cashman believed in another quick fix. Now the Brewers might win a World Series, and the Yankees are left with empty analytics spreadsheets and another October spent in silence.

Brian Cashman didn’t just lose a trade — he lost the plot.