Brian Cashman Brutally Honest About New York Yankees Trading Montero for Pineda

Since the news broke that the New York Yankees traded Jesus Montero to the Seattle Mariners for Michael Pineda, I have made the case that trading a player with the potential of Montero for an uncertainty like Pineda was a risk.

Brian Cashman agrees with me.

According to a tweet by Jim Bowden of ESPN, Cashman admitted that there is a possibility the trade could end up being a mistake if Pineda doesn't develop into a No. 1 starter.

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Brian Cashman told me last night that Michael Pineda better improve the change-up & develop into a #1 starter or he will have made a mistake.

"

I'm not entirely surprised at Cashman's up front opinion of this deal, considering he has a history of doing just that. Of course, there is always a risk when you trade a young prospect who is as highly touted as Montero.

If this trade doesn't work out—and Montero ends up being what many think he will—this trade could end up being one of the biggest mistakes in Yankees' history. It will be as bad, if not worse, than the Yanks trading Jay Buhner to the Seattle Mariners for Ken Phelps.

It's an eerie parallel considering that deal involved the same two teams as this one. For the sake of Yankees fans, let's hope it turns out the other way around this time.

I have to say that Cashman's comments are questionable considering the added pressure he has now placed on his new, young starter. In his eyes, not only does Pineda have to pan out for New York in order to justify trading Montero, he must be as good as a No. 1 starter.

Oh, and he also needs to work on that changeup.

That might be an added expectation that the 23-year-old doesn't need at this point. Granted, Pineda will have time to develop and fulfill such expectations, but it'll certainly be a shorter grace period than he would get in a smaller market—say, Seattle.

No matter how you slice it, that's a pretty bold statement coming from the Yanks' general manager. It's the kind of hesitation to promote his own deal that makes me wonder if it was in fact Hal Steinbrenner who pulled the trigger and not Cashman himself.

My fellow colleague, Rick Weiner, had a great piece about a week back about Prince Hal playing GM for the Bombers after it turned out he was negotiating with Scott Boras for Edwin Jackson. He even points out how Hal put himself in the middle of trade talks with the Houston Astros for Wandy Rodriguez last season.

Of course, Cash wouldn't admit it right away that he wasn't apart of these trade negotiations, but he's been no stranger to being brutally honest about when he wants to. Just ask Rafael Soriano and in a different case, Jorge Posada.

If Montero lights the world on fire and Pineda struggles, you'll be able to hear the collective complaints of Yankees' fans who disagreed with this trade for years to come.

And Cashman might be one of them.