Brian Cashman isn’t losing sleep over the early free-agent signings, and it sounds like the Yankees’ GM took a subtle shot at the players who’ve already signed.
Cashman downplayed the idea that the market’s really moving in any meaningful way – at least from New York’s perspective. The way he frames it, the players the Yankees actually want aren’t the ones signing right now.
“There’s not a lot of inventory that I’m interested in coming off the board yet,” Cashman told The New York Post. “So that means it’s tough to get.
“It feels like there’s still a lot of information gathering and information sharing or preliminary negotiations that are taking place, which is the beginning or middle of things, rather than you’re in the red zone and you’re finishing stuff off. It feels like overall, that’s what this market’s feeling like. It’s moving a little slower.”
Translation: the Yankees don’t think the real free agency has started yet.
This is vintage Cashman. He’s always shown a willingness to let the market breathe – sometimes too much, if you ask most Yankees fans. The patient approach has worked before, but it’s also cost them players they could’ve used.
What makes this different is Cashman’s tone. He’s basically saying the guys signing now aren’t worth getting worked up about. That’s either confidence in his big-fish strategy or setting up excuses for a quiet winter.
The Yankees need help, particularly in the infield and rotation depth. But Cashman seems convinced the players he wants are still available and that the real action hasn’t started.
It’s been a slow start for New York so far. Now we’ll see if Cashman’s patience pays off or if he’s watching the wrong market entirely.
