December 10, 2024
***
This week we asked our writers the following:
Do you have confidence that Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner will build a World Series level team for 2025?
Here are their responses...
***
Lincoln Mitchell - Not one iota.
***
Paul Semendinger - No. I think the Yankees will do what they have done time and again, put together an incomplete team with players past their primes who just might be good if you hope enough (but aren't) and then sell the fans on the fact that they did something. It won't be good enough.
At most, they saved $47.5 million by not getting Soto. Please tell me the difference makers they'll get to fill all those positions of need for just $47.5 million. This is the same team that told Blake Snell, the day before he went to the Dodgers, that they first had to try to get Soto. In other words, if they had gotten Soto, that was it for spending. As such, we're looking at a ton of holes to fill and only $47.5 million to fill them. It ain't happening.
They'll make moves, of course, but they'll be moves that leave us scratching our heads and saying, "Really?" This is how the Yankees operate now. "Carlos beltan might still have some thing left..." "Josh Donaldson was better than his numbers last year." "You never know what Troy Tulowitzki can do." On and on... That's the Yankees' model.
***
Tim Kabel - Yes. The ideal plan would have been to bring Soto back but, that didn’t happen. Now, the Yankees will have to move to a Plan B. They can use the money they would have spent on Soto to address multiple areas of need.
Remember, the Padres won more games the year after they traded Soto than the year that they had him. The Nationals won the World Series after they lost Bryce Harper. There are a lot of moves that the Yankees can and will make. The Mets still have a lot of holes to fill themselves, and less money with which to do it after signing Soto. Blah blah
***
Cary Greene - With the Yankees having just made the World Series this past season, my confidence is high that anything is possible in 2025. In fact, I think that if the Yankees had outbid the Mets and managed to sign him (that's a mouthful because it sure seems like the Mets can't really be outbid by any team), I think more than likely that that Yankees would have made very few other significant moves. With as many needs as the Yankees have, signing Soto at an absurdly high price does little to fill the team's true needs. What I'm contending is that the Yankees failing to sign Soto may well turn into a blessing in disguise. He's a great hitter. So too is Vlad Guererro and so too will be the next few big name free agents in years to come.
Pitching wins championships (usually). Let Cashman focus on upgrading the rotation and the bullpen and while he's at it, let him press the right buttons to shore up true areas of positional need. Also, here's to hoping some of the Yankees farm hands get a crack at making the roster. I'd love to see Caleb Durbin and possibly others join the Big League roster this coming season. I wish Juan Soto the best and believe it's now time to turn the page. If the stars align, the Yankees could be right back in the thick of things next season.
***
Ed Botti - It is a little early in the offseason process, since all they have really done so far is lose Soto and Holmes (Rizzo, Gleyber and Verdugo in limbo) , but I will say this, I have not had confidence in either of them for years. So, unless they somehow come up with a third baseman, first baseman, left fielder, closer, and their top prospect can actually do the job in centerfield, no, I do not have confidence in them building a championship caliber team in 2025. But, I’d love it if they proved me wrong!!
***
Derek McAdam - I think the presumed offer that Cashman and Steinbrenner gave Soto was more than generous, so they are definitely trying to build something. Since Soto is gone, I do think Cashman will get a little trigger-happy and slightly overpay for a couple of free agents. But, I do think he is going to be active in trying to make up for not signing Soto.
Yes, I do think Cashman and Steinbrenner will be actively trying to piece together a World Series-caliber team. But, until they make the first big transaction, I don’t yet have the faith that they can successfully do so.
***
Ethan Semendinger - I'd trust myself more than Brian Cashman and Co. to fix the Yankees team. If you don't believe me, check out my 6:00 AM post from this morning.
If this were Canada, I'd table a no-confidence motion.
Paul, yes the Yankees saved $47.5 million, but they already had some additional amount in mind for additional players (call it $X), so the question is really what can they do to fill the holes with $47.5 + X. (Of course, some portion of that $47.5 now could be distributed to the limited partners, so the number might be smaller.)
I have absolute ZERO confidence in Brian Cashman. Why? He is so stuck in essentially the same way that he was prior to the 2017 season, you know when the decision was made to let Girardi manage in 2017, then replace him with someone amenable to doing the managing the Analytics way, and telling the public it was his idea, no matter how stupid the idea was. Then there's the bullpen, which no longer is made up of tried and the real MLB relievers. Then there's the 'coaching' that goes on through the organization, from the Bronx down to the DSL team, not much baseball-first coaching being done in my opinion. Then there's his trades. He loves his little trades,…
The current philosophy for Cashman is stay competitive and hope for the best because you never know what will happen... they have an opportunity with Soto leaving.... will Cashman put together a championship team? Past performance says probably not!
I dont trust any team in the American League to put together a team that will contend for a World Series spot.
not at this point.
I do not. Derek McAdam above used the term, "trying to piece together." That has been the trouble with the Yankees for years. Instead of a coherent plan for the organization as a whole, the Yankees have had the appearance of a "collection of parts" which persists to this day.