Brian Cashman Responds to Criticism from Yankees Legends

Jeter and A-Rod Take Shots at Yankees

Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, New York's former star-studded duo on the left side of the infield who helped the club win the 2009 World Series together before becoming colleagues once again at FOX as part of their MLB coverage team, both had some harsh words for the Bronx Bombers in the aftermath of their season-ending loss.

During FS1's postgame show after Toronto sealed the deal in Game 4, Rodriguez made the bold claim that the Yankees had "one of the worst constructions of a roster I've ever seen" while Jeter piled on by stating that manager Aaron Boone was not making all of the decisions from the team's dugout.

“I’m pretty sure Aaron’s not the one that’s calling every move that they make throughout the game,” Jeter said, though he also clarified that he wasn't making that statement with any sort of insider information.

Cashman Responds

Cashman, who is plenty familiar with both Jeter and Rodriguez considering he's been the Yankees' GM since 1998, went on WFAN this week and shut down the former's assertion in particular that he was controlling Boone's managerial choices.

"It's not true, clearly,” Cashman said, per MLB.com's Brian Murphy. “… And they don’t know. Clearly, they don't know. I know that [Jeter] said that. I don't know what he meant by it. He did say he doesn't have inside knowledge when he said it, but he did say it, for whatever reason. I think that's the bugaboo that people get to throw out there when they’ve got nothing else to throw.

“There's always the boogeyman of, ‘Other people are making the calls.’ ‘Analytics, analytics, analytics’ -- people like to throw that, too. And none of that's accurate. At the end of the day, you put Joe Torre under a deposition, you put Joe Girardi under a deposition or you put Aaron Boone under a deposition -- I've never picked the lineup. We've never picked a lineup. We don't tell them who to play. We don't tell them who to pitch, whether it's the ‘pen or the rotation.

“It's just a sad, sad throwaway comment for people to make [who] don't really know.”

Where Yankees Go From Here

The Yankees are certainly deserving of some level of criticism after seeing their World Series drought extend to 16 years, though they're still in good shape from a roster perspective moving forward.

Sure, the club's outfield is due for some upheaval this offseason as both Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger reach free agency, but New York could very well re-sign at least one of those players while also having its young duo of Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones waiting in the wings.

Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole are expected to miss some time to begin the 2026 campaign while working their way back from an elbow procedure and Tommy John surgery, respectively, but the Yankees have plenty of arms to compensate for their temporary absences. Plus, they could always go out and acquire another top-end arm if they so choose, whether that be via trade or the open market.

New York is a perennial contender, and though its lack of recent championships is frustrating, the club should remain among the league's top performers next year.

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