This week, Brian Cashman found the perfect word to describe his club’s season: the 2023 edition of the Yankees is indeed a “disaster”. Certainly, the club plays for just under .500, but we agree that for the standards of the house, it is catastrophic.
We are not talking about a club in reconstruction: we are talking about a team that aspires to win the World Series.
To understand what led the club in this situation, the recipe is quite complex. Injuries have hurt, but building the lineup isn’t working either.
This is explained by significant shortcomings in the repechage, but also by questionable personnel movements.
Of the lot, there is in particular the Josh Donaldson transaction. The third baseman has been abysmal since arriving in the Bronx last year and his towering salary is shackling the Yankees.
And what’s even worse is the process behind his acquisition: According to Jeff Passan, the Yankees knew about Donaldson’s behavioral issues in Minnesota, but they acquired him anyway.
wow.
According to Passan, it was downright one of Brian Cashman’s worst decisions in 15 years. Besides being horrible on the field, Donaldson came with behavioral issues and a hefty salary.
Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela weren’t great players, but at least they didn’t have those issues. The Yankees really shot themselves in the foot with that trade.
Speaking of Donaldson, Aaron Boone does not rule out the possibility of seeing him back in uniform by the end of the season, which can be activated from September 15.
I sincerely hope that he won’t be back and that the Yankees will continue to play young Oswald Peraza in his place, but would it really be surprising to see Donaldson again, even if he won’t be back? in 2024?
Let’s at least hope the Yankees don’t continue to get bogged down in this bad trade by playing him in front of the youngsters by the end of the season.
Anyway, the club will not make the playoffs: why not give young people a chance?
But clearly, the initial transaction was a bad idea from the start that only got worse over time. Nothing against Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who contributes honestly this year, but going for a bad apple like Donaldson at the same time was a horrible decision.
