YANKEES CREEP INTO "FAVORITE" STATUS FOR TATSUYA IMAI

Yankees fans, rejoice—or at least pretend you know what’s going on. Word is the Bronx Bombers have emerged as one of the favorites to land three-time NPB All-Star Tatsuya Imai. And yes, relax, you’re not alone: most of us needed Google to figure out who this guy is, too.

Imai, a 27-year-old righty for the Saitama Seibu Lions, has been lighting up Japan since 2018. He’s made three All-Star teams, carries a career 58–45 record with a tight 3.15 ERA, and he’s officially being posted on November 19. After that, MLB teams will have 45 days to woo him—or he packs his bags and heads back to Japan.

MLB Network’s David Vassegh has already tossed the Yankees’ name into the rumor tornado, grouping them with the Phillies, Blue Jays, Mets, and Padres. Apparently, according to Vassegh’s “Japanese friends”—his words, not mine—the Yankees are right in the thick of it.

The competition makes sense: all these teams desperately need arms for 2026 and beyond. And Imai’s arsenal is the type that front offices drool over. We’re talking a fastball up to 99, a biting slider, and a changeup that makes hitters look like they forgot their glasses. Control used to be an issue, but he’s sharpened that up—so much so that he just posted a 1.92 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. Not bad… though, let’s be real, NPB hitters aren’t exactly the same beasts lurking in MLB lineups.

The elephant in the room? Kei Igawa PTSD...for me at least. Big, glowing, neon PTSD. Yankee fans don’t need another reminder that not every Japanese pitcher is the next Tanaka; sometimes you get the guy who makes you dive behind the couch every fifth day.

Meanwhile, the Yankees are watching the Dodgers printing money, collecting Japanese stars like they’re Pokémon cards—Ohtani, Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki—and they seem to think they can just… copy-paste that blueprint. Here’s the catch: the Dodgers actually spend money. The Yankees? They talk about spending money and then they get a guy like Frankie Montas. Totally different.

Stay tuned. This could get interesting. Or it could get very, very Yankee. We shall see.

I REALLY HOPE A MICHAEL KING REUNION IS NOT IN THE CARDS

I liked Michael King when he was a Yankee. Truly. Fun pitcher, great story, easy guy to root for. But he’s gone, he moved to San Diego, he eats fish tacos now—I’ve moved on. As a fan, I’m not carrying a torch for an ex when the current Yankees rotation is basically a triage tent.

Because let’s not sugarcoat this with the Yankees’ usual “everything’s fine” front-office fan fiction: the pitching situation is a disaster. Gerrit Cole isn’t going to be ready for Opening Day—I can feel it in my bones, which is more than I can say for whatever medical charts Cashman keeps pretending not to read. Carlos Rodón? Also rehabbing. So, our supposed 1-2-3 punch has turned into “well… Max Fried and a couple of guys who own ice machines.”

Which brings me to the baffling topic of the week:

Why the hell are we talking about Michael King coming back?

If he’s not a top starting pitcher—and he’s not—then what are we doing here? Reminiscing? Trying to plug a crater with packing peanuts? Did Cashman lose the phone number of every other GM?

But of course, chatter is everywhere because the Yankees once again failed to meet their annual “sky-high expectations” in 2025, which we all know is front-office code for “we had no plan, and shockingly, it showed.” This offseason, the Yankees are reportedly going to be aggressive—because nothing says aggression like Brian Cashman promising the moon and landing a used lawn chair.

Enter Jim Bowden, who reported that a reunion with former Yankee Michael King is “a real possibility.” Bowden’s a good guy, but let’s be honest—half the time he says something, it’s because he threw a dart at a corkboard and hit the word “Yankees.”

Yes, King will draw interest in free agency. Sure, in theory he could slip in behind Cole, Fried, and Rodón. Maybe he even goes back to the bullpen where Aaron Boone will use him like a Swiss Army knife someone accidentally put through the wash. But again… what’s the plan here is this story has legs? Are we seriously elevating King to the No. 2 spot until Cole returns if this is a real story? Or are we just collecting mid-tier pitchers that used to be Yankees like Cashman collects excuses?

Because at this point, why stop at Michael King?

If we’re really embracing this “blast from the past, bargain-bin reunion tour,” is Sidney Ponson available? How about Jaret Wright? Maybe see if Kei Igawa still has a glove? By the way, this is sarcasm.

I like King. Really, I do. But if this is the Yankees’ grand pitching strategy, then the front office truly has no clue what planet they’re on. And until Cashman finds one with better pitching options, Max Fried might need to pitch every other day.

IF THE YANKEES ONLY FIRE BOONE, IT DOESN'T FIX THE PROBLEM!

The "FIRE BOONE" chants are at an all-time high (as they should be). Even though BOONE PREDICTED TO BE TOAST BY SEPTEMBER would make most of Yankeeland happy when it happens....it's not enough. 

That should only be the start. I say should because I don't think Hal Steinbrenner will be smart enough to do what is REALLY needed to fix the organization. He just doesn't have the knowledge (or I would argue desire) to start a new legacy. Firing Baboonie is only step 1 in this gigantic mess of a franchise. The manager is only a small biproduct of the real problem.

Mickey Mouse could be the manager of this team and it wouldn't matter. Until Brian Cashman is gone the identity of the manager is irrelevant. Cashman is the puppet master and even if Aaron Boone is fired, Cashman is just going to bring in a clone of Baboonie. It will be someone else that Cashman can control. The reality is until the ENTIRE organization is stripped down and rebuilt from the top all the way down to the bottom nothing is going to change. I do mean everything. From the coaching staff, medical staff, training staff, scouts, analytics team and contributors in the front office. Burn the whole thing down and start over! As painful as that may sound to some people, it would not be an addition by subtraction.

Unless Cashman and his crazy ideas on how to construct this team are gone this team will not evolve or win. Cashman's ideas are crazy. The rosters he has built over the years are insanely stupid and some of the contracts he's given are certifiably stupid. Some of his most criticized moves include the signings of Jacoby Ellsbury, Kei Igawa, Carl Pavano, and the trade for Javier Vazquez. We can't forget about the extensions given to Aaron Hicks and Aroldis Chapman. I still think about all of these....and Giancarlo Stanton isn't going to be pretty when that is said and done. The list is quite lengthy, he's been screwing up since 1998.

It's painful to think about how we went from a real thinker in Gene Michael who understood that the farm system is meant to develop good talent to benefit the Yankees to Cashman who only values the farm for trade chips. He cant draft the best pieces for the Yankees to develop in the Bronx....they have to be used as trade chips. It hasn't worked out well for us considering we haven't won a championship since 2009.

If the Yankees miss the playoffs for the second time in three years firing Baboonie isn't enough. It's not even a band-aid fix. It's an embarrassment. It's time to strip it down. Time to fly the "Fire Boone" and "Fire Cashman" banners together!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE GREAT VOLPE DELUSION

Look, I’m not here to throw dirt on a kid’s dream—but I am here to call out one of the most baffling experiments in Yankees history since we decided Kei Igawa was a good idea. Why on Earth is Anthony Volpe still our starting shortstop? I haven’t been this uncomfortable watching someone man the infield since Bobby Meacham was doing the cha-cha around second base in the '80s. And folks, that was a dark time. But here we are. Again.

Last night? An error. A costly one. Another L handed to us, this time by the Toronto Blue Jays—whom, and let me be clear, we cannot afford to lose to. Division rivals. Must-win game. And Volpe boots it. Cue Aaron Boone with the latest chapter in the Volpe Apologist Press Conference Tour.

Boone admitted—begrudgingly—that Volpe has made “a few too many” errors this season. You think, Aaron? The kid now leads the American League in miscues at short. That’s not elite. That’s not “still making a lot of plays.” That’s a problem. A big, glaring, costly, standings-shifting problem.

Let’s look at the cold, hard, inconvenient facts:

• 2023: 17 errors in 1,346 2/3 innings.

• 2024: 16 errors

• 2025: Leads the AL with 12, and it's only July.

But Boone continues to trot Volpe out there like this is some heartwarming Disney story. Spoiler alert: it’s not. The damage is done, and we’re losing ground in the AL East because the manager refuses to admit that the golden child can’t handle the position. This isn’t loyalty. This is mismanagement, plain and simple.

Boone claims Volpe is just “a few plays off.” Sorry, Aaron—those plays cost games. And last I checked, games are the whole point. You're in love, just admit it.

Instead of making the hard decisions champions make, Boone’s out here gambling the season on a kid who should be learning second base with the Marlins, not trying to “figure it out” at shortstop in the Bronx. He’s backing Volpe like his job depends on it (it might), but the only people paying the price are the fans, the standings, and probably Aaron Judge’s sanity.

Even Carlos Rodón chimed in with the ever-faithful, “Hang with him, he’ll be better.” That’s not reassuring—that’s a concession. It’s baseball code for “Yeah, we know he sucks, but please stop booing.”

And don’t get me started on the Yankees front office. Brian Cashman, with all his spreadsheets and whispered analytics, still doesn’t seem to understand what this team needs to win. The trade deadline is around the corner, and instead of adding firepower, we’re clinging to false hope and failed experiments. I'm tired of the projected analytics that suggest that Volpe WILL get better. In the now, he sucks... and we need him now.

Do you know I haven’t been to a single game this year? And I won’t. Not with Boone’s word salads, not with Volpe fielding like he’s wearing oven mitts, and not with this once-proud franchise settling for mediocrity while telling us it's all part of the plan.

And poor Aaron Judge. The face of the franchise, breaking records, carrying this team on his back—and for what? A wild card chase? A first-round exit? This isn’t what he signed up for, and it’s not what we, the fans, deserve either.

The Yankees are no longer serious about winning. Not really. If you need proof, just keep watching the Boone-Volpe lovefest unfold every night while the AL East slips away.

This isn’t just frustrating—it’s a tragedy. A baseball tragedy playing out in real time. And unless someone wakes up soon, we’ll be looking back at this era the way we look back at the Meacham days.

Fix it, Yankees. It's delusional now.

ROKI SASAKI'S AGENT SPILLS THE TEA. DECISION LOOMING.

The baseball world is buzzing as Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki is in the driver’s seat of his MLB journey. With an impressive 20 teams vying for his talents, the pitcher’s agent, Scott Wolfe, dropped some important info about what’s next for Sasaki and his highly anticipated decision.

Here’s the scoop: Sasaki isn’t just another prospect being wooed—he’s the captain of his own ship. Wolfe revealed that Sasaki has asked for players from interested teams to sit out the recruitment process. Yep, no star-studded Zoom calls or locker room tours for this guy. It’s all about the pitching...pun intended.

So far, 20 teams have made their case to land the young ace, but the field is about to shrink. Sasaki is expected to start cutting down his options soon, with possible second meetings for the lucky finalists. His top priority? Teams with killer development programs. Translation: franchises that know how to take a talent like Sasaki and turn him into the superstar he’s destined to be.

Projections for Sasaki’s deal hover around four years and $10 million. That feels modest for the phenom. And all this talk reminds me of the cautionary tale of Kei Igawa. Remember when the Yankees were eyeing Daisuke Matsuzaka back in the day, only for the Red Sox to snag him? The Yanks ended up with Igawa instead, and, well...let’s just say it didn’t go as planned.

Back then, the Red Sox dropped a jaw-dropping $51 million just for the chance to negotiate with Matsuzaka. Meanwhile, Yankees GM Brian Cashman landed Igawa, a “back-of-the-rotation starter” and later a “potential middle reliever”. Igawa, sadly, didn’t live up to even those tempered hopes.

But Sasaki? He’s a whole different story. This time for the Yankees and a Japanese pitcher it’s about writing a new chapter.

For teams like the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, and other contenders, patience is the name of the game. Wolfe hinted that a decision might not come until January 23. That’s right—there’s still time for fans to speculate, dream, and maybe even stress a little.

So, buckle up. The Roki Sasaki saga is just heating up, and whether he ends up in pinstripes, blue and orange, or somewhere else entirely, one thing’s for sure: this young pitcher is a game-changer in the making.

Stay tuned.

THE YANKEES HAVE A PLAN IF THEY CAN'T LAND YAMAMOTO!

The Yoshinobu Yamamoto Sweepstakes is getting real hot.  The rumor was that after the Yankees met with Yamamoto earlier in the week, he was going to make a decision "by the end of the week".  But then the next chat he had was with the Phillies... another powerhouse team always looking to improve.  That worried me, although, it is a common exercise to see what teams are offering and so, it didn't totally surprise me.  But we are on Yamamoto watch right now, and as fans we all want this guy. What we don't want is for him to turn into Kei Igawa.  That being said, I don't think that will be the case.  But what if we don't get him?  What if he goes to another team instead? Well, the Yankees have a back up plan... and I have to say, I really like it.

Inside the Pinstripes writes:

" If the Yankees miss out on Yamamoto, they will turn their attention elsewhere in their pursuit of another ace. One player whose name has come up as a trade candidate is Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

"The White Sox are talking to clubs about Cease, but still seem inclined to wait until after (Yoshinobu Yamamoto) and company sign, believing the urgency of teams that strike out on those pitchers will only increase," Rosenthal said. "Cease, who is under club control for two more seasons, remains an obvious target for the (Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles), who are not involved with the top free agents.

"But he also is a possibility for other teams monitoring the trade market, a group that includes the Yankees..."

Now obviously the Cease idea is a trade, and the last thing we want to do is trade away guys we need, so I think ultimately, we'll need to get Yamamoto, but as far as a potential back up plan... I don't hate it.

We are on Yamamoto watch... let's go Yanks!

YANKS NEED TO MAKE A BIG SPLASH, BUT WE'RE NOT AS PRESTIGIOUS AS WE USED TO BE

When the Yankees were good, they were great.  But the Yankees aren't good and anyone that's been reading the papers knows that it has everything to do with the front office, the manager and the analytics department, who should be renamed "Amateur Hour Office".  Sure, blame some players for not stepping up, but it was even Aaron Judge that took a shot at the front office saying that the players were probably given the "wrong numbers".  That's bad.

Bruce Bochy is a player's manager just like Aaron Boone, but Bochy is also a baseball man. He is wise and manages with his eyes, his heart, his gut. He doesn't use analytics as the law on the field, he uses it as a guide and that's the difference.  Boone uses the numbers for what it is and doesn't factor in many different other factors on any given day... weather, player error, the elements, the different days, the matchups, etc. Boone's a clown. 

The point is at the end of the day, when players are looking to get a big pay day and you see a team like the Texas Rangers and a loser team like the New York Yankees... who are you going to sit down at the table with the negotiate?  

The Yankees should and need to make a big splash this off-season. It's a must.  Here's the problem; Who the hell wants to come to the Yankees these days? This team has been crucified by the press and their own fan base is leaving in flocks.  Do you know a friend of mine received an email from the Yankees ticket office to re-up for the 2024 season? You know what he told them?

"Sir, with all due respect, I will not step foot in Yankee Stadium again until Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone are fired."

And you know what? That's a fan... that's fair.  If the front office doesn't want to try and fix things to give their team the best chance to win, why the hell would the fans want to be there? Look, the Mets suck too, but at least Steve Cohen's trying to figure it out. 

There are 3 names out there that the Yankees are continually connected to, but I just don't know if they can get them.

Jordan Montgomery for one. Now let's cut through it right now. The Yankees never gave this guy a fair shake. They didn't believe in him and they didn't allow him to find his groove. The Yankees front office was impatient. But you know who did give Jordan a shot? The Rangers.  So, while the rumors are that the Yankees are going to try and pursue him, what makes you think for a second that JoMo wants to come back to New York?  I think this rumor, while fair to speculate, may be the most ridiculous of them all.  

Cody Bellinger is another guy, but this guy I see coming to New York.  Cody had a great season with the Cubs.  His father Clay played for the organization.  As far as I know there is no bad blood.  Now, would the Yankees be willing to bring this guy in? Would Cody want to be in the Bronx?

Yoshinobu Yamamoto. A Japanese pitcher that's lights out.  Now look, there are many players from Japan that pan out and many that do not.  For the Yankees, it's a mixed bag between guys like Hideki Matsui, Kei Igawa and Masahiro Tanaka, but at the end of the day, Matsui is the anointed ambassador for the Yankees when it comes to Japanese players and I do believe with some help, Yamamoto could end up in pinstripes.

But look, at the end of the day, it really comes down to the Yankees cleaning up their camp.  The front office is a mess, the direction they give their players is amateur and while money fixes a lot of stuff, it has not fixed this team at all.

Yankeeland needs leaders... and we are not seeing that, especially in 2023.  Who knows what will happen in 2024, but I'm not hopeful.

RODON IS BRONX BOUND!

I expected this to happen after Christmas, not going to lie. I'm unprepared like many and I really wanted to show everyone Rodan from the Godzilla movies in my story today, but then the "A" in that Rodan character threw a wrench in my illustrations for the Yankees Carlos Rodon... as seen above, spelled with an "O". 

Oh well. Life goes on. You know what else? Carlos Rodon is a New York Yankee. Hell yea he is!

News broke about Rodon's signing last night. I was out Christmas Shopping. And I figured the news would still be here this morning, and so here I am.

ESPN writes:

"Left-handed starter Carlos Rodon is in agreement with the New York Yankees on a six-year, $162 million deal, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Thursday.

Rodon, 30, was the top pitcher left on the market after he opted out of a contract with the San Francisco Giants following last season. He was 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA in 2022, pitching a career-high 178 innings over 31 starts. He also earned his second straight All-Star selection."

And NJ.com writes this:

"According to the Boston Globe, New York finalized the deal with Scott Boras while the uber-agent was at Fenway Park.

Moments after the media availability to introduce (Masataka) Yoshida, (Scott) Boras concluded a deal with the Sox’ rivals, negotiating a six-year, $162 million deal with the New York Yankees for lefthander Carlos Rodón. The late-stage negotiations took place as Boras snacked on food from a buffet provided by the Red Sox."

Now this kind of thing has happened to the Yankees too. I remember the Yankees were interested in Dice-K, we lost to the Sox and snatched up Kei Igawa. 

Yeah... that didn't work out. But look, this one, Rodon, did work out in the Yankees favor however, and I'm thrilled.  Look at this rotation:

Listen to our guys Jack Curry and Bob Lorenz:

.@Boblorenz & @JackCurryYES break down the reported addition of Carlos Rodón to the Yankees starting rotation. pic.twitter.com/DZUcQXkGeC

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) December 16, 2022

Something the Yankees have wanted for a long time, solid consistency. The bottom line is the Yankees want to win. 

This is big.  Thrilled that Hal Steinbrenner has woken up. Looking forward to this Yankee season. This 2023 season will be a very important one.

THE END! THE YANKS JUST RELEASED ELLSBURY!

It's the end of an era, guys.....more like, the end of an ERROR! Yes, it has finally happened, after this post we never have to talk about Jacoby Ellsbury in a Yankee uniform EVER again. Thank goodness! Christmas has come early this year.

The Yankees had until 8pm yesterday to set their 40-man roster and had some tough decisions to make. Multiple sources reported just minutes after the deadline passed that the Yankees released Ellsbury, but the New York Post's George King and Ken Davidoff were the first to report the suspected rumor earlier in the day, read more HERE.

So, what about the rest of his contract? Unfortunately, cutting the 36-year-old Ellsbury means the Yankees will eat the remaining $26 million on his contract AND it will count towards the luxury tax for 2020 but it opens up other opportunities in the outfield. He hasn't played since the 2017 ALCS anyway, and his last season at $21 million was not going to be covered by insurance so there was no reason to keep him. Time to give his spot to someone else.

Ellsbury wasn't the only move the Yankees made last night. The Yankees also DFA'd Greg Bird and left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. and added seven players to the 40-man roster including outfielder Estevan Florial and right hander Deivi Garcia. It was time for the Yankees to make these moves. Bird will likely sign with someone else, and if he does I wish him luck. He's always had potential, but we never got to see enough of it thanks to the injuries.

So now, we can FINALLY stop updating about Ellsbury. He's gone. Now we can remember him for the BUST that he was. He was one of the Yankees worst signings of all time and possibly one of the worst in baseball history for that matter. Now he gets to join the ranks of other terrible contracts including the five years and $20 million the Yankees gave Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa, which didn’t even include the $26-million posting fee. There's also Carl Pavano and his $39.95 million over four years and his 5.00 ERA over 25 starts. And don't forget about Kevin Brown and his 10-6 record with a 4.09 ERA. Near the end of the 2004 season he punched a wall in frustration injuring his hand and
his meltdown in the 2004 ALCS.

Good riddance, Ellsbury. Now it is time to make moves that make sense and improve this team. There's no more room for dead weight. I'm glad we no longer have to talk about this guy. Onward and upward, folks!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @NYPrincessj

OTANI & WHETHER OR NOT THE YANKEES SHOULD BITE

BYB did a piece about the newest pitching sensation out of Japan in Shohei Otani the other day and how he will no doubt be a huge investment for any team in the MLB if he were to post and bail on the Japanese league. Read THE NEXT BABE RUTH for more of that.

The Yankees have had their share of luck and disappointment with Japanese pitchers before, going back to Hideki Irabu to guys like Kei Igawa and Masahiro Tanaka.  We finally got it right with Tanaka, and with the Yankees in need of solid pitching, many wonder if the Yankees would ever go after Otani. 

There's a great article from Tanya Bondurant from Pinstripe Alley today and it says just that...

"The Yankees find themselves finally on a path to getting younger, but their rotation leaves a lot to be desired...With money coming off the books this offseason, it would be a great time for the Yankees to reload their rotation. The problem with that is that there are no good starting pitchers available on the free agent market. It’s really bad out there. Brian Cashman could use some of the improved farm to make a trade, but the kind of pitcher the Yankees need to get would come at a very high cost. Parting with a top prospect or likely multiple top prospects would sting.

The saving grace for a team in search of pitching may come in the form of Shohei Otani from Japan. The 22-year-old right-hander is the best pitcher to come out of Japan since Tanaka or Yu Darvish. The catch is that his team has not yet decided to post him yet. It’s not a sure thing that they will. However, if Otani is made available, the Yankees really need to do whatever it takes to get him."

Yes, ultimately, this is just a waiting game now, but with money being freed up, and if the timing is right and Otani does post, Tanya and I agree... it's something the Yankees should definitely pursue.

What do you think?

 

THE BIG JAPANESE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

I’ll tackle this bad boy!  I’ll say it.  My concern with Masahiro Tanaka goes deeper than his partially torn elbow ligament...that will or won’t need surgery at some point in his career.

No, what troubles me is that I can’t think of one highly touted Japanese hurler that panned out to be the game changer he was rumored to be before making the trip across the Pacific.

I have a buddy who has bought Volkswagen Jetta after Volkswagen Jetta.  Yet every time he gets one he will complain to me that, “As soon as the warranty is up it sounds like I have a tea set under the hood.”  Basically he is saying that the car is a headache in the making after the 5th oil change…and yet he buys them as if he didn’t have any other choice!  Maybe he should go with a BMW or Range Rover…maybe an Acura or Kia…or maybe…BUY AMERICAN!

Nomo, Dice K, Irabu, I’d say Igawa, but…well, you know that story.  They come over, make big money, have one good year and then the Major League hitters time that leg hitch or odd delivery and tee off like John Daly after 4 or 5 Bloody Mary’s. And yet…MLB GM’s still feel the need to pay top dollar for players that just might not be that good.

Look, I really like Tanaka.  He seems like a class act.  He is humble and works hard.  His spilty is NASTY…but puts tremendous strain on the elbow.  What happen when it goes “POP”?  Then he will rely on a hittable fastball and possibly have to learn some different breaking stuff…while collecting crazy money to be a number 4 or 5 starter.

I am not looking to bring doom and gloom to the otherwise happy days in the Yankee Universe.  This is just something I have wanted to get out there for discussion.  Masahiro is good…but he probably won’t be great…and hopefully won’t join the list of Japanese heroes that transform into Major League zeroes.

Food for thought….

** Yeeeah, Chuck!  Tell ‘em what time it is Bhoy! **




 
--Mike O'Hara Senior "Features" Writer
Twitter: @mikeyoh21


 




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WHO THE HECK'S THE YANKEE MANAGER?

I feel duped.  For the longest time I’ve praised, berated, lamented, and dissected moves the Yankees have made on the field and in the lineup, and attributed them to Joe Girardi.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve come to realize that Mr. Girardi isn’t the Yankees’ manager.  Instead, he’s more of a figurehead along the lines of the Queen of England.  He sits as manager in title only, and in his best Barry Switzer imitation, shuffles along the dugout pretending to know what is happening on the field.

Only I’ve discovered who’s really behind the scenes pulling the strings.  It’s none other than our building-rappelling, sky diving GM Brian Cashman.  Yep, the genius who brought us the likes of Scott Proctor, Sergio Mitre, Brian Roberts, Stephen Drew, Carl Pavano and Kei Igawa (and many more!) is the one calling the shots in the batting order, pitching rotation and bullpen.

Just look at the last few weeks of moves made by Cashman and what he’s said about them afterwards.  First, well start with the trade that brought up-and-coming shortstop Didi Gregorius from the Diamondbacks to the Bronx.  It was a deal where the Yankees had to give up Shane Greene, the young hurler who splashed upon the scene out of the minor leagues when our pitching staff was in tatters.  When the deal was first announced, I thought it was a fair move that addressed a high-priority issue with the Bombers – replacing Derek Jeter at shortstop.  Gregorius is young and has issues that he must work on – namely, improving at the plate against left-handed pitchers.  His fielding is stellar and his range at shortstop will be a welcome relief to Yankees fans.  With some work at the plate, he should be a fixture on the Yankees for years to come.

Only, before the player could even be fitted for Yankees pinstripes, our brilliant GM was announcing that Gregorius would platoon with Brendan Ryan at shortstop – at least to begin the 2015 campaign.  The poor guy hasn’t even had a chance to make an impression upon Yankees coaches that matter, and Cashman has already pigeon-holed him as a platoon to start the season.   What’s more stupefying is the fact that Ryan hit WORSE than Gregorius did against southpaws. 

Brilliant, simply brilliant.  Funny, I thought the guy with the title “Manager” would be the one determining how he uses his hitters.

But wait kids, there’s more!

Cashman’s most recent acquisition was signing 35-year-old left handed pitcher Chris Capuano to a 1-year, $5 million deal.  Ok, I get it.  Cashman loves lefties – regardless of how successful they are – for Yankee Stadium.  He especially loves players on the downside of their careers, hoping to either reinvigorate them (if they were ever really invigorated), or briefly catch “lightning in a bottle”.   So, one can only imagine the drool our GM had running down his chin at the prospect of bringing Capuano on board his listing ship.

In true Cashman fashion, after completing the deal for Capuano, the GM paraded in front of the media, and in no uncertain terms, named the southpaw to the rotation as the team’s fourth starter.

Again, I thought decisions on the rotation would be made by the MANAGER at the end of Spring Training.  How naïve I’ve been! 

I’m sure Brian already has the lineup card made out for Opening Day and is merely waiting on the most dramatic time to announce it to the largest possible TV and radio audience.

It is one thing for Mr. Cashman to make the moves he’s made with whatever reasons and resources he has at his disposal in making them, but to then go so far as to proclaim positional decisions TWO MONTHS before pitchers and catchers report is not only idiotic, it is counter-productive.

We have a manager that will be working with each of these players on a daily basis.  He’ll know their thought processes, their aches and pains, and their personal issues.  Brian Cashman needs to stop being so damn arrogant (auto-correct actually put the word “ignorant” there – and that works too) and stick to HIS job.   Let our manager do what he does best – putting players in their positions/rotation spots/bullpen which will give the Yankees their greatest opportunity to win.

Cashman should be concentrating on filling out our coaching staff with competent individuals.  God knows this team needs a miracle worker as a hitting coach.  He should be giving Joe Girardi the highest quality tools that he can, so that Joe can maximize his performance as manager.

Lately, Brian Cashman has overstepped his bounds.  Joe Girardi is a good soldier and says nothing about it, but it is time that this arrogant ignorance stopped.

    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1

  

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TANAKA & HIS 35 PITCHES

Today's a big day if you're a Yankee fan.  Masahiro Tanaka will be pitching at some point in today's exhibition game against the Phillies.  It's big because we want to see what this guy has against American hitting.

Reading Dave D'Alessandro of the Star-Ledger about Tanaka today, I got chills:

"He will be given 35 pitches or two innings of daylight today — whichever comes first, nothing more... you get a sense that there is something historic about this day, if you can forgive the sunny optimism. But at the start of the fifth inning of an almost-meaningless preseason game against the Phillies, the Yankees Kingdom will experience perhaps the most anticipated spring moment since Hideki Matsui arrived in Tampa 11 years ago.

'It seems every debut we have is huge and important and widely anticipated,' GM Brian Cashman said.

'Like when CC (Sabathia) pitched the first time — that was big-time crazy.'"

But this is alittle different in my opinion.  This was a big fish the Yankees HAD to get because they learned from Yu Darvish that if they didn't score on Tanaka, they might not have a chance in 2014.  Sure, there have been Japanese duds in the Yankees past, like Kei Igawa, but if the Yankees stood on the sidelines and did nothing, then they may have missed out on something big.

Sure, we don't know what Tanaka has against American hitters... he could be a disaster for all we know, but the Yankees were willing to take that chance and I'm glad they did, because there is always a chance that he'll be spectacular and a huge part of the future of the New York Yankees!

Good luck today Masahiro!

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