Brian Cashman May Be the Dumbest Man in Baseball

Brian Cashman may be the dumbest man in baseball.

After giving a seven-year contract to CC Sabathia, which may turn out to be a very good decision, Cashman turned around and doled out a reported $82.5 million to A.J. Burnett in a five-year deal.

Burnett is 32 years old, has never won more than 18 games, has been riddled by "injuries," and prior to last season had never won more than 12 games.

It has been widely reported that Burnett has pitched well only in his two walk years, including 2008.

So Cashman has agreed to pay a 30-something injury-riddled pitcher more money than it would have taken to get Derek Lowe, Ben Sheets, or probably Andy Pettitte on a short-term deal.

Obviously Lowe and Pettitte are older than Burnett, but both have been very durable over their careers and both have been more consistent than Burnett. 

Sheets has had a history of injuries as well, but he is younger and certainly has to be considered as having a better upside than Burnett.

Last week, Cashman also resurrected a deal that, if completed, would send Melky Cabrera to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Mike Cameron, a 36-year-old center fielder who hit .249 last year.

Cameron is a career .250 hitter and strikes out much too often to be considered stable in this Yankee lineup.

Some have said that he is being sought because he and CC Sabathia are such good friends.

That reminds me a little of race horse trainers who will get a goat to put in the stall of their prize thoroughbred to keep him calm.

What has happened to all the talk of making the Yankees younger?

Melky Cabrera has shown signs of being a brilliant outfielder. Yankee fan will remember him running into walls and making diving catches to squelch Red Sox rallies.

Admittedly, Cabrera seemed to be a head case at times last year, more concerned with acknowledging the bleacher creatures than fielding a ball that was bounding toward him at the time.

But Cabrera is one of the bright young prospects that Cashman would not part with to get Johan Santana less than one year ago. 

Now the Yankee GM is willing to give him up in a trade for an aging outfielder who hits .250?

The latest news is that Cashman will have to throw in someone else to get Cameron, probably Kei Igawa.

The question that must be asked if Igawa goes in this deal is who is going to be the fifth starter at Scranton in 2009. 

I mean, is $12 million per year too much to pay the Japanese pitcher to play at Triple A?

Also, while the Yankees offense faltered last year, Cashman has failed to offer a contract to Bobby Abreau, has failed to attempt to land Raul Ibanez, apparently gave no thought to trying to get another younger, more productive outfielder such as Milton Bradley.

Also, to date, no real effort has gone into trying to acquire the biggest name among free-agent hitters, Mark Teixeira. 

It is impossible to understand how with $88 million coming off salary with the number of contracts that expired for Yankee players after the '08 season, that Cashman has not gone great guns to sign the free agent first baseman who is a consistent hitter for average and power and plays superb first base.

And absent signing Teixeira at the last minute, New York papers are now reporting that Cashman is serious about going after Manny Ramirez.

If Ramirez drove Terry Francona crazy, think what Joe Girardi's fate in life will be when the dreadlocks come to the Bronx permanently.

Girardi is a drill sergeant, and Ramirez may be set for a remake of No Time For Sergeants reprising the Andy Griffith role from the 1950s.

Only time will tell whether Burnett will be more successful in New York than in Florida and Toronto.

Only time will tell whether Mike Cameron will again hit .250 and strike out in clutch situations.

Only time will tell whether Alex Rodriguez will suffer from the lack of protection behind him.

Only time will tell whether the Yankees really pursue Teixeira.

Only time will tell. But Brian Cashman may be the dumbest man in baseball.