tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Now What Mr. Cashman??

Hiroki Kuroda has turned down the Yankees $13 million dollar qualifying offer leaving the Pinstripers without their number two starter. Brian Cashman stated in a couple of newspaper stories that he is confident that the Yanks can sign Kuroda but if they can't he is happy that the Yankees will get a compensatory draft pick. They will also get compensatory draft picks if Rafael Soriano and Nick Swisher sign elsewhere and Cashman sees this as an insurance policy that will help build the farm system. That would be true if Cashman and Company were able to draft players who eventually succeed in Major League Baseball.

Without Kuroda the Yankees are in big trouble, especially if Andy Pettite does not come back. Will Cashman then try to sell us with the signings of Freddy Garcia-types to fill out the roster?? The loss of Soriano and Swisher are not as serious as losing Kuroda. Kuroda was exceptional last year and really stabilized things when CC Sabathia was hurt. Losing Kuroda would force Cashman to make some kind of move however based upon Hal Steinbrenner's edict to have payroll at $189 million dollars by 2014, I am not optimistic.

The winter meetings in December will be very interesting as the future of this franchise will be shaped: will the the Yankees continue to be a factor in the American League or will they begin their descent back to the days of Horace Clarke, Jerry Kenney and a half-empty Yankee Stadium.