Yankees Spending Lavishly Contradicts Prior Comments From Cashman

The Yankees came into the 2008 season with a more youthful approach, and it seemed as if the usually cash burning Yankees would be taking a more fiscally responsible approach. 

Then the team suffered a, by their standards, disastrous campaign, failing to make the playoffs.  A large reason for their failure to make the playoffs was in large part due to the youth movement in the starting rotation.

The decision to allow Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy a shot to be in the starting rotation backfired miserably. Both pitchers were ineffective and eventually went down with injuries. Youngster Melky Cabrera suffered a very sub par season compared to the season prior, and the same could be said about Robinson Cano.

Brian Cashman had this plan in motion for youth to be served.  For one season only now, it seems.  One season of failure, one setback, and Cashman has moved off his strategy.  Perhaps possibly fearing for his job now that he has failed to deliver a playoff berth the season prior, Cashman has now gone and signed both CC Sabathia and A.J Burnett.  These contracts were exorbitant even for what these two players were really worth.

CC Sabathia was a player the Yankees overpaid for, but I can understand the rationale of signing a player with the credentials of Sabathia: An ace who is a workhorse that rarely misses time. 

However when speaking about Burnett, he often has had stints on the disabled list, coincidentally in seasons in which he was not to be a free agent the season before.  His most consistent and non injury plagued seasons are when he either was going to be a free agent or when he had the ability to opt out at the end of the season.  So he's a guy you want to be giving five years?

I'm not saying A.J Burnett is as brittle or will be a disaster like Carl Pavano, but for a General Manager who signed Pavano, you would think you'd be a little more wary of injury prone guys who have their best seasons when they are about to hit the free agent market for a big payday.

To me it really just speaks to the hypocrisy of Cashman's remarks the season prior.  For example, this comment last off-season:

"I'm definitely fully invested in a lot of the young talent. You get attached to it."

-Cashman after not dealing for Johan Santana, Dec. 4, 2007.

So attached to it, that he has abandoned the plan to give these guys a chance after one failed attempt.  There is now one spot in the rotation currently, which will either go to Andy Pettitte, Ben Sheets, Derek Lowe, or a young starter.  That's one starting rotation spot for Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Alfredo Aceves.  In the future with these long term deals that's still only one rotation spot for Dellin Betances and Andrew Brackman.

Some will say, "We'll worry about that when the time comes."

Welcome to the Yankees of 2002 to the present day.

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