The New York Yankees went into the 2023 season with legitimate World Series aspirations. This was a ball club that had won 99 games in 2022, re-signed AL MVP Aaron Judge to a monster deal and boasted MLB’s second-largest payroll. At least that was how the Yankees front office saw it.
Fast forward to now, and we’re nearing August with the Yankees at the bottom of the AL East standings, losers of nine straight and essentially out of the wild-card race. You can’t blame Yankees fans for wanting to see consequences at the top as longtime general manager Brian Cashman put together this roster.
Well, they’re not going to enjoy hearing what Cashman had to say on Wednesday.
"It's been a disaster, this season. It's definitely a shock. Certainly, I don't think anybody on our side of the fence, from our player group, from our coaches, our manager, or even outside the organization, would've predicted this."
Brian Cashman on the Yankees' losing streak: pic.twitter.com/Wgl5noTY4p
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 23, 2023
Cashman spoke to the media ahead of the Yankees’ game against the Nationals, and the overall message was that he’s been shocked to see this season play out as it has, calling it a “disaster.”
That’s where the lack of accountability angered Yankees fans. Cashman essentially described the dreadful season as a fluke that happened at no fault of his own, adding that the roster he constructed looked like a playoff team in spring training.
"I don't think there's anybody in this planet that felt that the New York Yankees as constructed, entering Spring Training or leaving Spring Training, wasn't a playoff-contending team."
– Brian Cashman pic.twitter.com/PsaoJyA8AC
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 23, 2023
Job performances — particularly for front offices — aren’t judged in spring training. He has to know that. No wonder Yankees fans weren’t pleased with Cashman’s comments.
This was how Twitter reacted
Finally acknowledging the disaster that he created https://t.co/b4HCL6vXCs
— Jonny's Lasagna ⚾️ (@JLasagna43) August 23, 2023
Who put the team together? 🤔😂 https://t.co/ZLeh4yMVLy
— Antwan V. Staley (@antwanstaley) August 23, 2023
How can he sit up there and say this is a shock and a disaster when it's his decisions that led to this? He is the one who traded for Donaldson, the one who ran the same offense back out there this year, and the one who refused to make any changes at the deadline. #FireCashman https://t.co/Nszed1uQxy
— Jared R. (@FSUNOLE21) August 23, 2023
Bro, fans were saying last offseason that this team was not good. It wasn’t a shock… https://t.co/7XbV8xz1XW
— Max (@maxwlezien) August 23, 2023
How the hell is it a shock when everyone in the baseball world knew this team had flaws. Everyone said the Yankees needed to improve at multiple positions. You refused to make key additions. All you did was sign Rodón to an atrocious contract. Hal had to step in to get Judge. 😂 https://t.co/6z4R9YvEZx
— TechBaseGaming🇵🇷⚾️ (@TechBaseGaming) August 23, 2023
You've been a disaster. https://t.co/uF6csTaAy6
— Brian Rappaport (@BRappy55) August 23, 2023
Who put the team together? That would be you.
Take accountability https://t.co/qGchBgSY0l
— Mike O'Brien (@kegler3000) August 23, 2023
Every Yankees fans I know thought a season like this was *possible*, if not PROBABLE. https://t.co/z49nRHDYh0
— Shea Was Better (@SheaWasBetter) August 23, 2023
Everyone predicted this 😂 https://t.co/hhZOovg40E
— Altuve 4HoF ⚾ parody/fan, I am not Altuve! (@ErinAstrosFan) August 23, 2023
