Yankees’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto pursuit won’t be affected by Giancarlo Stanton remarks, Brian Cashman says
NEW YORK — New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman called Giancarlo Stanton and his agent, Joel Wolfe, this week to do some damage control.
While in Arizona for MLB’s general managers’ meetings last week, Cashman caused a firestorm when he passionately defended his team against all of its critics. At one point during his hour-plus media session, Cashman said of Stanton, “I’m not going to tell you he’s gonna play every game next year because he’s not. He’s gonna wind up getting hurt again, more likely than not, because it seems to be part of his game.”
That comment led to Wolfe’s releasing a statement to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal saying all free agents, both foreign and domestic, considering signing in New York need to be made of Teflon. Wolfe’s statement was perceived as a veiled threat because he also represents Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, arguably the best free agent on the market outside of Shohei Ohtani. Yamamoto, 25, is expected to be posted by his Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Orix Buffaloes, any day now. The Yankees are heavily interested in Yamamoto and have intensely scouted him, with Cashman and several other front-office personnel seeing the Japanese ace in person this season.
But Cashman’s comments have led to some angst among Yankees fans about how his remarks might negatively affect the team’s chances of signing Yamamoto in free agency. Cashman doesn’t believe they will.
“I do not,” Cashman said Thursday night in Times Square at the Covenant House’s annual Sleep Out event that raises awareness for youth homelessness.
“I feel like things got spun out of control with the coverage a week later. I obviously had a conversation with Joel Wolfe, who I’ve known a long time, and also our player, Giancarlo Stanton. I feel like everything’s in a good spot. I was surprised how it got twisted and turned and played out. I said what I said. That’s why I certainly had the conversations. I value Giancarlo Stanton as a player, without a doubt. He’s one of the big drivers when we do win. He’s one of the few players you bring to New York that hasn’t backed down. He’s handled himself in a professional manner through thick and thin. He’s one of the few players when the money’s on the line — if you look at his postseason numbers — it’s pretty impressive. He’s a gifted, talented player. He’s a feared hitter, obviously, we would love to deploy him at all times.
“My comments weren’t intended to poke anything at anybody. I was just answering a question. I have a lot of respect for both Joel and our player, Giancarlo Stanton.”
Cashman’s initial remarks about Stanton were in response to a question about the Yankees’ director of health and player performance, Eric Cressey, and how the team has been near the top of the leaderboards of injured list stints since he took over the position. The reporter asked whether Cashman thinks the Yankees’ injuries were more fluke related, like Aaron Judge’s crashing into Dodger Stadium’s wall, or whether there’s a deeper issue.
Cashman defended Cressey and noted how players train outside of the organization during the offseason. He mentioned Nestor Cortes, who hurt his hamstring in the lead-up to spring training last year and had his season delayed. That injury happened outside of Cressey’s watch. Judge’s injury happened on a fluke play. Cressey is considered one of the most well-respected professionals in the sports medicine field, and the Yankees believe there’s no smoking gun related to any of his practices that he uses with the team that’s causing an influx of injuries every season.
“Do I think it’s a (dereliction) of duty because of Eric Cressey’s hiring? The answer is no, I don’t believe that,” Cashman said last week. “But that doesn’t mean that we continue to try to find ways to be better and limit injuries, and clearly in some guys, the best prediction of injuries are what their injury history is. So in some cases, we’ve got some guys that have now shown they have a narrative of histories as part of their DNA, and I’m not sure if we can avoid those guys (and) why they’re with us.”
That quote led directly into his now infamous Stanton comment that has created a weeklong news cycle. Cashman was asked about Stanton’s overall performance and his needing to improve his mobility earlier in his media availability, but the explosive quote came later.
Though Cashman felt it was necessary to clear the air with Wolfe and Stanton, it would be shocking if his comments had an impact on the Yankees’ chances with any free agent on the market. Squabbles among teams, players and agents happen. Jacoby Ellsbury filed a contract grievance against the Yankees as a Scott Boras client. While litigation against the team was still pending, Gerrit Cole, another Boras client, signed the biggest free-agent deal given to any pitcher with the Yankees. Last season, Carlos Rodón, a Boras client, signed a $162 million contract with the Yankees. And who could forget the Alex Rodriguez saga 10 years ago when he sued the Yankees’ team doctor and had beef with Cashman? The Yankees have gone on to sign several big deals since then, including re-signing Judge, who left more money on the table with the San Diego Padres last offseason.
The current thinking is if the Yankees offer Yamamoto the most amount of money in free agency, he’ll almost certainly join Cole and Rodón in the team’s rotation. When Yamamoto is officially posted, MLB teams will have 45 days to negotiate and sign him to a contract. The Yankees are expected to be one of the most aggressive teams in pursuit.
Yankees not expected to continue rostering six catchers
MLB’s non-tender deadline is Friday night, and the Yankees have a few players they could move on from, such as Lou Trivino, Jake Bauers, Albert Abreu and Kyle Higashioka. As the 40-man roster stands, the Yankees have six catchers. They almost certainly will not have six catchers rostered when the regular season begins.
Do not be surprised if Higashioka is not a Yankee next season. Regardless of whether the Yankees tender him a contract and try trading him this offseason or if they non-tender him, it would be surprising if he returns. The Yankees appear committed to Jose Trevino and Austin Wells on the Opening Day roster, with Ben Rortvedt as the team’s third catcher and a likely candidate to start in Triple A because he still has a minor-league option.
Cashman noted teams around the league have inquired about the team’s catching situation.
“It’s not a strong position in the game,” Cashman said. “It’s not a deep position in the game. A lot of teams are knocking on our door about our catching depth. It’s an area of strength for us.”
