Cashman Returning for More?

George King (the third in a line of cigar-chomping sports scribes) relays the rumor:

While Brian Cashman remained mum about his future, the buzz smothering the Yankees' universe yesterday focused on the GM telling the Steinbrenner family he wants to return.

  An announcement could come as soon as tomorrow...

With Hank Steinbrenner fading from the picture, Hal has been in touch with Cashman more than his older brother. Cashman and Hal work very well together and Hank hasn't been involved in meetings with Hal and Cashman and his involvement has decreased.

Hank fading from the picture? Sounds like he's fishing on Lake Tahoe.

Let's assume that this is happening and Cashman is returning. What does this mean for the coming off-season? It is my feeling that New York is a good team that has the misfortune of playing in the same division as Boston and Tampa. My guess is that both these teams will be 95 win teams or better next year. Can the Yanks improve to this level by next season if Cashman is aggressive on the free agent front this off-season? Does it make sense to invest in expensive win-now contracts given the highly competitive nature of the AL East at this moment? Or does it make more sense to go the rebuilding route and reload for 2010 and beyond? Is that even possible in New York? And are the these two paths necessarily at odds with each other?

Okay, my thoughts are scattered today and I'm not making sense, which is to say that I think Cashman's off-season will be one of the more fascinating story lines of the winter.

Comments

[Sam-YF]

"My guess is that both these teams will be 95 win teams or better next year. "

I think the yankees can easily be 95 win team next year also. They will come close to 90 in this season in which they were ravaged by injuries. The catch here is that these 3 teams all in the same division cant all win 95. Again health will play a roll in who ends up ahead. Given what the yankees have to work with both in money and currently signed players, I see no reason they shouldnt be making a run for the division next year. I think Cashman is the right guy to be putting the team together this winter. Hopefully, Hank can keep his trap shut and let Brian and Hal try to get it right. (I dont hold out too much hope for his silence, however!)

[Nick-YF]

I agree that injuries ravaged this season, but that doesn't provide much comfort to me for 2009. Can Jorge be counted on in 2009 to play catcher? That's a big Who Knows? And then when you get beyond that question comes the questions about who, in our aging nucleus, will decline next season. The problem is that there are currently zero position players under the age of 30 who can be counted on to contribute positively next season. Cano's awful season made him a big question mark.

[krueg]

I don't think Cano is a question mark...the kid had bad season. I think he'll be fine. Give me C.C. or give me death. Our entire offseason depends on getting him in pinstripes. No way our hitters have such an awful season again next year, the stars simply aligned against us. Cut the old dead weight (Abreu, Moose, Pettitte and Thing Stache) get a first baseman and let's roll in 2009!

Does anyone think Hank really controls anything but his mouth? Screw him. He is an idiot. Hal and Cash are running things.

[dc]

no doubt we need to pick up a front line pitcher, but my concern about cc is that he's a fat f--- that is being run into the ground by his current manager...i think i just heard that he pitched his 3rd straight start with 3 days rest...expect them to ride him hard in the playoffs too since he's not expected to be with the brewers next year...