The future of general manager Brian Cashman

The two most critical non-player positions are open as the 2017 offseason begins, as GM Brian Cashman and Manager Joe Girardi contracts have expired. The GM of the New York Yankees is one of the most coveted positions in all of the sports and probably one of the most stressful as well, but Cashman has done his job incredibly well, and will likely garner a lot of interest. Let’s look at the man himself.

Photo Credit: John Munson | NJ.com

Brian Cashman became general manager in February 1998 when then-GM Bob Watson resigned from the Yankees, making Cashman the second youngest GM in history. He oversaw some of the greatest years of the Yankee Dynasty from 1998-2009, but after that is when the team started it lose the race against the undefeated opponent of time. The core four retired one by one, and it began to look like it was time to rebuild. This is where Cashman has worked his magic and the main reason why he should be the only option for the Yankees GM moving forward.

When you look at the starting lineup for the Bombers in this year magical postseason run, you can Cashman’s genius fingerprints everywhere. Cashman had built a team based on youth, with only one offensive starter over 30, Todd Frazier. The team also is starting to shed its old mega contracts, as it looks for more salary flexibility in the future while holding a top-five farm system in the MLB. His trades in the 2016 season was a big turning point for the organization, as this was the first time the Yankees flew up the white flag on the season and looked to the future, trading veterans Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, Ivan Nova, Carlos Beltran, and Brian McCann for a boatload of prospects. The team ended up surprising in 2016 as a late postseason contender with the success of young players such as Gary Sanchez but came up just short.

Spring training 2017 brought in conversations of growth and optimism, but not even the most ardent of Yankee fans could’ve predicted how the 2017 season would’ve turned out. The Bombers ended up one game away from a World Series berth, and they can thank Brian Cashman for that. Cashman’s moves leading up to this year let this team become a contender now while developing a youthful core for the future. The team has one of the most explosive lineups in the game with possibly the most dominant bullpen in the league as well. On top of that, the team will be able to add whoever they want this offseason and in the anticipated 2018-2019 free agency class with the likes of Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and Clayton Kershaw possibly hitting the market. The New York Yankees are in as good of a spot as any team in the sports.

Brian Cashman has proved himself as one of the if the not the most, talented and successful manager in the MLB. For years the pressure of the Steinbrenner family did not let Cashman reach his full potential as a GM, but now when given room to work, he has built a roster capable of producing another successful decade of Yankee baseball. Not only will Brian Cashman be the Yankees GM in 2018 and beyond, but he will also probably be the highest paid as well, and he deserves every dime of it.

Article by: Maxx Hotton

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