But how do you assess him? Regular season record? Postseason record? Win shares of players acquired?
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All of the above, although I don’t necessarily love win shares, so maybe RSAA and RCAA.

But since it’s New York, I think Cash has to get the team to the WS over the next three years, Joba and/or Hughes has to be a consensus ace (with the other a #2), A-Jack or another position prospect has to be considered a rising ML starter, the non-Joba heir apparent to Mo should be on the ML roster, Romine and/or Montero need to be near ready to replace Posada, and 1B has to be occupied by a better than league average player, even if that player arrives via trade or free agency.

Again, to fully assess Cashman qua Cashman, we need to see how the fruits of the last few drafts and Latin American signings play out, as well as his decision to safeguard some prospects that he didn’t draft or sign per se.
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But how do you assess him? Regular season record? Postseason record? Win shares of players acquired?

Most of us Cashman Kool-Aid drinkers, of which I am one, acknowledge his mistakes: Weaver, Brown, Vazquez, Pavano, but we understand that there was a reasonable base for most of those mistakes, and that a number of smart baseball people supported those moves at the time they were made because they were working under the same set of assumptions.

Again, to fully assess Cashman qua Cashman, we need to see how the fruits of the last few drafts and Latin American signings play out, as well as his decision to safeguard some prospects that he didn’t draft or sign per se.

If Hughes, IPK, Joba, Melancon, Brackman, Cox, A-Jack, Montero, Almonte, Romine, Angellini, etc. don’t join Wang, Cano, and Melky in forming the core of a championship contending team over the next three or so years, then the calls for Cashman to go will be reasonable.

Sorry guys, to me, this looks like another case where, for some Yankees fans, when it comes to Cashman, it’s “heads he wins and tails somebody else loses”.

Probably better to just agree to disagree…which is what I’m doing now.

“Interesting Links” among other things…

Also, thanks Steve for the additional features on the sidebar. Very neat!
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I said back when that Ca$hman erred by not putting A-Freud on the DL when this first happened. That Alex would be away sometime during that 15 day stint to be with his wife and baby for a few days was the perfect opportunity to DL him and let the quad heal.

Also, thanks Steve for the additional features on the sidebar. Very neat!

No one could have saw this coming with Cano. But, the Giambi/Ensberg/Duncan thing did not come straight out of the blue – - as there were signs that counting on these guys could have been a mistake.
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Only Giambi was really “counted on.” Ensberg and Duncan were supposed to be backups/platoon players.

Going into the season, there was nothing wrong with the roster as constructed. Giambi was going into the season as the primary 1bman, with Betemit, Duncan & Ensberg seeing time @ 1b. The Yanks had at least two players for every position.

And, as far as the 2004 draft, before Poterson, also in the 1st round, they picked Philip Hughes. So, if you want to give Cashman all the glory for Hughes in 2004 then you have to assign him the miss for taking Poterson in the 1st round, as well, in 2004. Fair is fair.
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Did I mention Hughes in my post? You have a Freudian obsession with Hughes/Cashman right now, the way you did with A-Rod in 2006. I merely pointed out that you can’t talk about the 2004 draft and use it to argue that the Yanks are ill-prepared in 2008.

If the current roster is inflexible, that is a function of having too many players playing the same position at the major league level (Damon, Matsui, Giambi, Duncan, Betemit, Ensberg). One of THOSE players could have been traded to create greater flexibility.

Geez…imagine trading a Yovani Gallardo, Huston Street, Hunter Pence or Dustin “Eckstein” Pedroia for a replacement-level 1st baseman (the thrust of your argument). You sure you can criticize Cashman if that’s what you’re advocating? We’re only talking about four of the better young players in baseball…