As New York Yankees Cope With Injuries, GM Brian Cashman Evaluates The Situation

Nearly two years ago, GM Brian Cashman described the Yankees as being “unwatchable” as he referred to a fourth-place team that spent most of the first two months hanging around .500.

That was on the final Tuesday of June, a day before the Yankees sustained what at that time in their recent history was among their worst losses in recent memory, blowing a six-run lead and a four-run lead at about 1:15 in the morning after a lengthy rain delay against the Los Angeles.

That week Cashman said the team stunk, describing the team as “bad as you can be” and that was with his team holding a 40-38 record and a 7 1/2 game deficit behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

Fast forward a little over 22 months later, unwatchable and stink were not among the words used by Cashman when he met with reporters inside the Yankee dugout for nearly 30 minutes Tuesday afternoon.

He was describing the condition of a team that began by winning 12 of its first 19 games while splitting or winning its first six series of the season. The team he was describing entered Tuesday with four wins in its past 12 games and spent the last few days sitting in last place after facing their largest deficit through April since 1984 when nobody was catching the Detroit Tigers.

Cashman was speaking as the head of a team whose injured list contained 12 players, totaling over $150 million in payroll and luxury tax responsibilities. Among them are Giancarlo Stanton, on the injured list for the fifth straight season with a hamstring injury and Carlos Rodon, the $162 million left-hander considered the prize of free agent pitching with a back injury that occurred while rehabbing a forearm injury.

Basically his message was as if he spent the past few days reading social media comments about his team and listening to talk radio. It is a unknown if he actually does both but Cashman is likely aware of those things which is why he offered the following:

“Don’t give up on us,” Cashman told reporters. “That’s all I can tell you. We’ve got a good group of people, player-wise, staff-wise, support-staff wise. It’s a championship caliber operation from that perspective but we’re not currently flying at the level that we would have expected because we’re missing some really important pieces which I think anybody would acknowledge.”

The missing pieces are certainly a valid defense and the expanded playoff field makes things easier for reaching the postseason without winning the division. It also is certainly possible the Yankees are among four AL East teams to reach the postseason.

The easier path to the postseason than two years ago when the possibility existed of a playoff run lasting one game is among the reasons for Cashman or any GM in his spot being willing to defend matters, while acknowledging his recent trade deadline moves are disappointing to injuries and ineffectiveness.

Of the at the past two deadlines, only Anthony Rizzo has worked, hitting with enough power, an improved average (thanks to the shift being outlawed and stabilizing a defensive position that had been handled by below average defenders before his arrival.

“Clearly, you always want to thrive at all times, but it’s not the nature of the beast,” Cashman told reporters. “I know one thing. Our manager and our coaching staff, they’ve been through this stuff before. They’re staying positive. No one’s putting their heads down. They’re approaching today the same way they approach every day, even though maybe the roster looks a little different. So be it. Gives a chance for people to try to make a name for themselves contribute.”

In 2019, various figures made a name for themselves when the Yankees won 103 games despite setting the dubious record for injured list stints.

It remains to be seen if history repeats itself, just like it remains to be seen if the Yankees come close to dominating like last year when they reached the All-Star break with a 64-28 record.

Perhaps the Yankees will find out something over the next two weekends when they play the Tampa Bay Rays seven times, hoping to halt the roll of a team currently on an absurd 131-win pace.

Or perhaps it will take longer when various injured players return from their hiatuses and produce at the level anticipated.

Until then, low-scoring games will likely be the norm along with hoping the fill-ins can contribute along with the healthy regulars.