Yankees And Cashman: Why Do Sports Teams Strain To Keep Mediocre Leaders?

Unfortunately, Cashman and the current Yankees brass seemingly fail to realize that their World Series wins have always been won by stable, devoted Yankees in their primes far more than by imported 35-year old free agents. Garbage in, garbage out.

And Cashman's amateur drafts have been mostly garbage in terms of actual results.

His 2002 amateur draft of 48 players had produced one major league ball player, pitcher Brad Halsey.  Their 2003 draft?  Twenty-three at-bats total, no innings pitched.  In contrast, most other teams have produced two-three stable big league players from those years. 

While the Yankees' records kept them out of the stakes for BJ Upton or Prince Fielder, those are absolutely pathetic draft results for the wealthiest franchise in baseball, and the Yankees farm system—and their future—suffers as a result. 

There are signs things might be getting better.  Recently the Yankees' retooled farm system has ranked as high as fifth in Baseball America's rankings, and their June draft in 2008 received favorable reviews.  However, until they somehow produce a stable of big league talent analogous to the golden years of 1996-2000, they will continue to under-perform with their bloated budgets and declining big names.

But don't worry Yankee fans, instead of asking why you couldn't have a GM who understands relative value (like Kenny Williams, Dave Dombrwoski, or Theo Epstein) and why your team pays double for another disappointing season, celebrate Cashman's likely targets in the offseason.

According to ESPN, Cashman plans to use the cash freed up by expired contracts to go after guys like Derek Lowe or Ben Sheets.  I can hear the celebrations in the Bronx from here.

Unless the Yankees can reel in actual in-their-prime players like C.C Sabathia or Mark Teixeira while plugging holes with solid under-33 Major League players, expect more of the same under-performance for the foreseeable future.

It's too bad the in-house loyalty will blind the Yankees from their completely unspectacular management.

So it goes in sports, complacency over potentially finding the next great GM, even with so much at stake.  Instead, fans are forced to see where their ceiling is, knowing they won't exceed that until a management shift takes place.

Hope you like staring at the Red Sox from behind, Yankees' fans, because that's mostly what you're going to see with Brian Cashman at the helm without some fundamental shifts in how he approaches player acquisitions and relative value.

At least Yankee crappiness, unlike that of Syracuse or the Lions, still finishes with a chance at the playoffs.

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