Brian Cashman: Fan reaction won't deter me from pursuing Carlos Correa

Carlos Correa is one of the top free agents on the market this winter. As is usually the case, the New York Yankees have been linked to him and seem to have legitimate interest in the shortstop.

There’s just one complication: Correa would be leaving the Houston Astros, a team with which the Yankees have developed a rivalry in recent seasons. Much of that stems from two ALCS clashes in 2017 and 2019, exacerbated by the reveal that the Astros employed a sign-stealing scheme on the way to the 2017 World Series. That drew the ire of numerous Yankees players, and Bombers fans let the Astros have it in Houston’s first trip to New York this season.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman responded to that topic on Friday. Cashman was asked whether a potential negative reaction from players or fans would affect whether or not he would pursue a player such as Correa.

“I’m here just to kind of assess all available players in the marketplace and then get as much information as I can for free agents and potential trade people,” Cashman said, via Erik Boland of Newsday. “So things like (potential fan/player anger) is not part of that process. To me, just making sure I understand what’s available, the price point of acquisition and then communicate all of that back to ownership, as well as my baseball ops team, so we can . . . then gravitate to what’s realistic or not.

“The bottom line is, is he a great player? The answer to that is yes,” Cashman added of Correa. “He’s a free agent. So my job is to assess him as well as the others that are available and then act accordingly.”

In other words, Cashman says it isn’t his problem. That may be true of fan reaction. Correa would win New York fans over as long as he performs. Nevertheless, whether or not Correa would disrupt or divide the clubhouse is certainly something Cashman and his staff would have to contemplate.

Correa certainly seems open to joining the Yankees, or at the very least he’s enjoying the rumor mill. Plus, if this old quote from ownership is any indication, the Yankees’ decision-makers are probably over it as well.