2012 MLB Free Agency: 10 Moves Brian Cashman Must Make to Earn New Contract

Some people think Brian Cashman is fairly inept at his job, believing that anyone could be the General Manager of the New York Yankees.

I mean how hard could it be, spending hundreds of millions of dollars that belong to someone else, right?

Being the General Manager of any professional sports team is difficult, more so in New York than anywhere else.

I can speak from experience—while I was never a GM of any team, I worked in the basketball operations department of the New York Knicks for three years and among other things, gained a greater appreciation for what a GM's job actually entails on a daily basis.

To say the vast majority of the job is not glamorous would be an understatement.

But I digress, we're here to talk about Brian Cashman and his shiny, new three-year contract with the Yankees, one that will pay him millions and allow him to continue in the only job he wants to have.

Success for the Yankees is gauged by how many championships you win, nothing else.

After the jump, 10 moves that Cashman must make to start his new three-year stint off on the right foot.

Do Not Sign C.J. Wilson

Sometimes the more we learn about a subject or a person only strengthens our initial thoughts and opinions.

Other times, it changes the way we look at something.

In the case of C.J. Wilson, nothing will change my thought process, one that comes with a big neon sign that says 'avoid at all costs.'

On Halloween we looked at 10 pitchers the Yankees should sign instead of Wilson.

What I wrote then remains true today:

"

Halloween is a great holiday—from the costumes to the candy to the marathons of really bad horror movies in the days leading up to it.

I mean you really haven't lived until you've watched Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood, the sixth film in the series.

Warwick Davis, the actor who starred in Willow, plays the part of the killer leprechaun.

C.J. Wilson has played the part of "ace" on the Texas Rangers for the past two seasons.

Just as Warwick Davis isn't really a killer leprechaun, C.J. Wilson isn't really an ace pitcher.

But he is going to sign for ace money, and that's a trick that the Yankees need to avoid at all costs.

"

Sign Mark Buehrle

By now, I feel like a broken record.

Honestly, how many times can I write that the Yankees need to sign Mark Buehrle, the 33-year-old left-handed starter who has spent his entire career with the Chicago White Sox?

If we are counting this story, then the count is up to three.

Buehrle is a hot commodity, and rightfully so.

He has averaged over 200 innings a 15 wins a year for the past 11 seasons.

At least seven teams—the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers have been rumored to have interest in the veteran.

It has been thought for some time that Buehrle was only interested in playing for the White Sox or his hometown Cardinals, but according to Jeff Beery, his long-time agent, Buehrle is open to pitching for a number of teams.

Buehrle would immediately become the Yankees No. 2 starter and give the team two legitimate workhorses at the front-end of the rotation.

Adding Mark Buehrle to the Yankees rotation should be a top priority for Brian Cashman.

Trade Francisco Cervelli

In no way is this a "sexy" move, but it is a necessary one.

Francisco Cervelli, who has performed respectably as the Yankees backup catcher, needs to be moved to make room for Austin Romine and/or Jesus Montero, whichever player Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi deem to be the better option.

For months, the Yankees and Pirates have been linked in discussions regarding Cervelli, but with the Pirates signing of Rod Barajas, chances are that they are no longer in the market.

Cervelli is a capable backup and Cashman likely will not have much trouble finding a taker for him. Of course, the return would be minimal, but this is more about the progression of the Yankees prospects than maximizing whatever Cervelli's perceived value is.

Sign Yoennis Cespedes

While 26-year-old right fielder Yoennis Cespedes was on the radar of teams before, after his 20-minute infomercial debuted on YouTube, scouts and GM's around the league went insane.

If you have 20 minutes to spare, check the video out here. The amount of actual baseball you'll see is minimal, and at times you may think you are watching The T.Ocho Show that featured NFL loudmouths Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, but it is still worth watching.

According to George King III of the New York Post, a scout who has seen Cespedes in person said:

“It’s hard to find anybody who doesn’t like him...He looks like Bo Jackson and ran a 6.3 60 [yard dash]. He has big power. During the workout at Santiago, he hit balls out of the stadium."

The bidding on Cespedes will likely reach ridiculous levels, and a long-term deal in excess of $60 million is not out of the question.

Of course, signing Cespedes creates a bit of a log-jam in right field for the Yankees, which leads us to Cashman's next move.

Trade Nick Swisher

Earlier this week, I speculated that a package including Nick Swisher might be enough to pry Jair Jurrjens loose from the Atlanta Braves.

Some of you liked the idea, others not so much.

But in order to make room for Cespedes, Brian Cashman will need to unload the affable Swisher.

His ability to play all three OF positions as well as 1B could make him attractive to a number of teams.

I would speculate that besides the Braves, the San Francisco Giants, Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles, among others, could all use Swisher either in the OF or at 1B.

There is a market for Swisher, and depending on what Cashman asked for in return, he'd likely be a fairly easy piece to move.

Re-Sign Freddy Garcia

Freddy Garcia was a pleasant surprise for the Yankees in 2011 and for the most part, his health held up all season.

Brian Cashman and the Yankees front office like Garcia, and Garcia is interested in coming back to the Yankees.

Garcia, who turned 35 last month, is not going to break the bank with a big contract at this point in his career.

If the right-hander is willing to come back on a one-year contract that pays him somewhere in the $5-to-$6 million range, there is really no reason a deal could not be completed rather quickly.

Trade AJ Burnett to the Chicago Cubs for Carlos Zambrano

When I proposed this trade in August, people were appalled. They got angry.

Yes, Carlos Zambrano has gotten into fistfights with his teammates. He's thrown balls onto the field during a game.

Does anyone remember that mysterious black eye that AJ Burnett suddenly had back in 2009?

Aside from acknowledging that it was not "baseball related", Burnett and the Yankees remained mum on the whole thing.

Of course, there were a myriad of rumors floating around, and I tend to think that the one linking Dave Eiland's pitching hand to Burnett's eye is likely true.

The point of it all is that AJ Burnett is no "angel" either.

Burnett, 34, has two-years and $33 million remaining on his contract.

Zambrano, 31, is owed $18.5 million next season. He has a $19.25 million vesting option for 2013, but it only kicks in if he finishes 2012 healthy and is in either the top two for the 2011 Cy Young award, or top four for the 2012 Cy Young.

Obviously he did not receive any votes for the 2011 Cy Young award, and it's unlikely that he would garner much in the way of support in 2012.

To make the deal work, the Yankees would probably have to pick up some of the difference on the contracts which is roughly $15 million.

He has had success with current Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild, and Rothschild still has great admiration for him.

Zambrano knows that this would be his last chance and would likely be on his best behavior.

In a clubhouse run by Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia and Mariano Rivera, Zambrano would likely have no choice but to sit down, shut up and do his job.

One year of Zambrano is better than two more years of Burnett and sets the Yankees up nicely for the free agent bonanza after the 2012 season.

Sign Jorge Soler

Who?

Jorge Soler, another outfielder from Cuba, is only 19 years old.

Standing 6'4" and weighing 220 pounds, Soler is a freakish athlete.

According to a scouting report that Baseball America compiled last year:

"

The best running time scouts got for Balaguer was 4.4 seconds to first base; Soler, also a right-handed hitter, checked in at 4.26. Soler has bat speed and what one scout called "explosive power" to go with above-average arm strength.

"

Along with Yoennis Cespedes, who we looked at earlier, Soler was among a handful of Cuban players who worked out for teams at the Yankees facilities in the Dominican Republic.

He may not be ready for the majors yet, but with the Yankees top outfield prospects Mason Williams and Slade Heathcott still years away from making an impact in the Bronx, adding Soler to the mix would only strengthen the next wave of players to join the Bombers in the coming years.

Do Not Overpay for Yu Darvish

I like Yu Darvish and think he will be a solid major league pitcher.

The struggles of those who came before him—Hideki Irabu, Kei Igawa and Daisuke Matsuzaka do not bother me, as Darvish is a better pitcher then any of them.

The Yankees like Darvish more than C.J. Wilson, and so do I.

We have looked at Darvish on multiple occasions, and I have always been a proponent of bringing the talented right-hander to the Bronx.

But—(isn't there always a but?) —I do not like Yu Darvish with a $100 million price tag attached to him.

Heading into free agency, I did not believe that the total compensation required to acquire Darvish would come anywhere near the $100 million the Boston Red Sox spent to get "Dice-K".

But now I am convinced that between the posting fee and his contract, not only could the numbers reach Matsuzaka-levels, but they could surpass them.

If Darvish can be had in the $50-to-60 million range, then by all means Cashman should go hard after him.

But if not, he should turn his attention elsewhere.

Do Not Stunt the Youth Movement

Historically, the Yankees have generally filled their bench with veteran players who, while far removed from their days as everyday players, still have some gas left in the tank.

Last year it was Eric Chavez and Andruw Jones.

During the dynasty years it was names like Cecil Fielder, Chili Davis and Darryl Strawberry.

There is nothing wrong with bringing veterans into the fold as reserves.

But the Yankees have a number of position players—namely Austin Romine, Jesus Montero and Brandon Laird who are ready-for-prime-time.

While Montero likely already has his spot on the 25-man roster secure, Brian Cashman needs to make sure that Romine and Laird have a fair shot at making the team as well.

By signing an elder statesman to a major league contract or trading for one, Cashman would essentially be assuring that the youngsters will spend the 2012 season in Triple-A.

To tweak the words of the immortal John Lennon: "All we are saying, is give youth a chance."