With players due to begin reporting for spring training in one week, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has no trouble identifying the primary concern for his team.
“Our starting rotation’s health is really the keys to the kingdom for us,” Cashman said. “It normally is for anybody, but I believe when we’re able to run out our healthy starting rotation that we have on paper, we can match up with anybody.”
In 2015 the Yankees reached the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, but it was a brief and unpleasant stay when they were shut out at home by the Houston Astros’ Dallas Keuchel in the wild-card game.
Although the Yankees were the only team in baseball not to sign a free agent, Cashman believes the offseason deals that landed second baseman Starlin Castro, outfielder Aaron Hicks and reliever Aroldis Chapman have strengthened the bench — providing manager Joe Girardi more incentive to rest many aging regulars — and bolstered an already outstanding bullpen.
“I believe as we enter 2016 we have a stronger roster than we finished 2015, but that’s on paper,” Cashman said. “You’ve got to play it out. It’s going to be a very competitive AL East.”
Cashman was speaking Thursday night before he and his Boston Red Sox counterpart, Dave Dombrowski, headlined a New York charity event that benefited both teams’ foundations. Previously, Cashman had participated in similar forums with former Red Sox executive Theo Epstein.
While Cashman and Dombrowski were happy to trade stories, they reiterated that they were unlikely to trade players — something they did frequently when Dombrowski served as general manager of the Detroit Tigers and the then-Florida Marlins, including three three-way deals. (One last winter landed shortstop Didi Gregorius for the Yankees.)
Given the rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees, Dombrowski said it was likely that he and Cashman had made more deals in the past than they would in the future.
Though he said he and Cashman could still negotiate trades with each other, he added: “Will we? Probably not very often.”
Two starting pitchers the Yankees will be counting on this season are Masahiro Tanaka, who had a bone spur removed from his elbow, which also has a partially torn ligament, and C.C. Sabathia, who left the team at the end of the regular season to enter an alcohol rehabilitation clinic.
Tanaka will be held back at the start of spring training — pitchers and catchers report Thursday, while position players are due Feb. 24 — but he is healthy, Cashman said.
“There’s no issues,” Cashman said. “There’s been no hiccups. There’s been no complaints or concerns.”
Sabathia, who is due $25 million this season, was 6-10 with a 4.73 ERA last season and is motivated to pitch better this season, Cashman said.
“I know we can use him,” Cashman said.
For all the versatility the Yankees can now trumpet, one player who will be staying put is designated hitter Alex Rodriguez, who will not play in the field — an idea that Girardi had toyed with late in the season. Now, after losing Greg Bird to season-ending shoulder surgery, the Yankees have little depth at first base behind Mark Teixeira.
But further help will not come from Rodriguez.
“You’ve got to stop asking Alex questions,” Cashman said in mock exasperation. “He’s not playing any position — anymore. He’s a DH. He’s a very productive DH. For us to get maximum value out of Alex Rodriguez, he’s going to only DH. If we have to put him in the field somewhere, we’re in trouble.”
About the Author
