Stingy Yankees are making life difficult for GM Brian Cashman
Shackled by ownership’s restriction to sign players to one-year contracts, along with a farm system devoid of any blue chip position prospects above A ball, Cashman is going to have a hard time filling his needs.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Saturday, December 22, 2012, 5:23 PM 
Jim McIsaac
Brian Cashman has catcher and outfield holes but frugal Yankees pass on A.J. Pierzynski and Shane Victorino.
In this offseason, by far the most challenging of his general managership, it does not appear as if Brian Cashman is going to find a right-handed power-hitting outfielder or a proven veteran catcher under his Christmas tree come Tuesday morning.
The Yankee general manager continues to put on his best “what me worry?” face while pointing out that spring training is still more than six weeks away. And that last year, it should be remembered, he didn’t get down to his important offseason work until mid-January.
Nevertheless, shackled by ownership’s restriction to sign players to one-year contracts (thus likely putting Scott Hairston the remaining viable free agent outfield candidate now that Cody Ross signed a three-year deal with Arizona), along with a farm system devoid of any blue chip position prospects above A ball, Cashman is going to have a hard time filling his needs.
It’s a little puzzling why Cashman didn’t address his catching void by taking a one-year flyer on A.J. Pierzynski — who agreed with the Rangers on $7.5 million but, with his eye on a TV career, is said to have much preferred New York. A lefty hitter who hit a career-high 27 homers for the White Sox last year (although only three after Aug. 13), Pierzynski would appear to have been a perfect fit for the Yankees, taking full advantage of the short porch in right and serving as a mentor to Austin Romine and/or Francisco Cervelli. Apparently, however, Cashman’s brain trust believe Pierzynski is through and that his outspoken feisty nature would have been a detriment in the Yankee clubhouse.
The fact is, this was one of the worst free agent markets in years — even the two high-end players, Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton, had significant emotional flaws and were ill-suited for New York. And, despite their mutual needs for outfielders, the Yankees and Mets were absolutely right to pass on B.J. Upton, Shane Victorino and Angel Pagan at the ridiculous dollars and years they got. That said, I’m a bit mystified at why the Mets haven’t moved more aggressively to re-sign Hairston, who’s going to get a two-year deal and figures to have more suitors — the Atlanta Braves are now in on him — especially now that Ross is off the board.
’Tis the season for agents to be preying on dumb owners and desperate general managers —which explains what happened last week when the Cubs added perennial No. 4 starter Edwin Jackson for four years, $52 million and the Pirates did a two-year $14 million deal with the greatly diminished Francisco Liriano. catcher
Clearly, Theo Epstein, who earlier lost out to the Tigers in his effort to sign Anibal Sanchez, is feeling the heat over two straight fifth-place finishes with 91 and 101 losses, respectively. But even though Jackson is a proven innings-eater, the Cubs are still a fifth-place team (which means last place now that the Houston Astros have moved to the American League) with him, and all this means is that they overpaid to patch the tire on a broken- down jalopy.
Randy Levine and Cheapskate Hal can Bullshit you all they want. The Yankees are going to have a hard time competing with their old and anemic order. Hal is going to look like the ass that he is, just like I told you. EDB
SD Yankee Report 