As I flipped channels late last night, between the Mets' post-game show on SNY and the Yankees' extra-inning contest on YES, I was trying to come up with an analogy to illustrate the difference between our local clubs' general managers.
Is Brian Cashman a point guard, and Omar Minaya a shooting guard? Is Cashman a scrappy, middle infielder and Minaya a swing-for-the-fences slugger?
In short time, I gave up and decided to play it straight. My point is this: Cashman, in my humble opinion, has more of a long-term vision for what he wants to do with the Yankees than Minaya does with the Mets, and Cashman possesses more patience, too. But Minaya makes far more trades that make you say "Wow!" in admiration.
Where would the Mets be without Ryan Church so far? Would they even have a winning record?
As you know, Church, who excelled again last night _ here he is congratulating Carlos Delgado at game's end _ became a Met last November 30, when Minaya acquired Church and Brian Schneider from Washington in return for prodigal outfielder Lastings Milledge.
Like most of my media brethren, I panned the trade, and trust me: It was hard to find Mets support in the baseball industry. It's too early to rip the Nats _ Milledge has obvious talent, as he showed in running down that Delgado blast last night _ but it's not too early to already praise Minaya. I just don't think Milledge could've had the impact on the Mets that Church has so far, this season. And Schneider has proven the perfect replacement for Paul Lo Duca, both in his strength as a defensive catcher and in his more laid-back personality.
A "Wow" trade, in my mind, is one that is surprisingly high-impact. The Mets' current active roster features the products of three such trades: Church and Schneider, John Maine and Oliver Perez. Maine was a virtual nobody when the Mets acquired him and Jorge Julio from Baltimore in return for Kris Benson on January 21, 2006. And Perez appeared a has-been when he and Roberto Hernandez joined the Mets from Pittsburgh on July 31, 2006, in return for Xavier Nady.
Three "Wow" trades, in roughly three and a half years on the job, is pretty good. I can't think of a Cashman move that blows me away similarly, and Cashman has been on the job far longer.
Now, to reiterate, I think Cashman has put the Yankees in better condition, long-term, than has Minaya with the Mets. And Omar has to be accountable for his share of bombs, most notably Brian Bannister to Kansas City for Ambiorix Burgos on December 6, 2006 and Heath Bell and Royce Ring to San Diego for Jon Adkins and Ben Johnson on November 15, 2006. Moreover, the decision to not protect Jesus Flores in the 2006 Rule 5 draft (Washington selected him) was an awful one.
But Minaya admits that he'll employ his instincts in some deals, and while those instincts are far from perfect, they have produced some real beauties in the trade department.
In Friday's Newsday, I'm going to compare our two local organizations, from players to on-field staff to front offices to management. Whom do you think is the better GM, Minaya or Cashman?
And how about those Rays? Just a remarkable turnaround. I wonder if Lou Piniella regrets not sticking around (probaly not - he didn't have the patience to sit through two more last-place seasons) or whether Joe Girardi regrets taking the Marlins' offer over the Rays' offer back in October 2005. I wonder, if Girardi had taken the Tampa Bay job and kept it, who would've replaced Joe Torre last offseason.
Comments (13)
Ken, when the season is over if the Yankees don't make the playoffs, Brain Cashman will be out as GM regardless. The more Hank talks, the more I think Cashman wants out. Omar Minaya will be with the Mets longer than Cashman will with the Yankees. Minaya meanwhile better hope the Mets play better because right now the Mets can't put a winning streak going. And to me the Mets are a SOFT team period! Meanwhile Hank should use his mouth to get A-Rod and Posada back in the lineup beacuse no one is hitting. If Girardi had taken the Rays job, perhaps Joe Torre will still be the Yankees manager. Who knows.
Yeah, 4 hits last night other than Giambi's 2? Weak. They really missed A-Rod and Jorge.
I see on the schedule a mid-September, weekend home series with the Rays. Girardi will be in the spotlight, squirming, perhaps.
Hey Ken.
I was one of the few of my friends who thought the Milledge for Church & Schneider trade was great. Having Mr. Church on my fantasy team last year, I watched him put up very respectful numbers in cavernous RFK. In New York, he has excelled and the fans have embraced him. I predict a monster season from our new right fielder.
I know it's early but do you see the Mets acquiring any players from teams getting ready to 'rebuild' for 2009?
~Howard
Agreed with all.
After last season's debacle, the Mets have to win this year - or Omar and/or Willie may pay the price. Perhaps Kim Ng can have Omar's job in 2009? Expect a deal of size (Griffey, etc.) at some point, and perhaps two if Pedro cannot make it back by July 1st.
The Yankees have pretty much toned down expectations for 2008 as they prepare for the new stadium year. Cashman will survive unless he chooses to get away from Hank. Girardi is OK until next May (if the Yanks are .500, he's probably gone).
Fortunately for both teams the majority of teams are mediocre/have huge holes to fill and one good month will put them in the hunt.
I`m getting the idea that Omar will finally look to build a farm system now that he has these two first round picks. He has also indicated a willingness to go over the commish office's 'recommended' price.
Cashman has bombed on a few moves. Igawa and Pavano come to mind. Sure he has some decent prospects but will he be able to recover if they crash and burn?
I love Jorge Posada...he's one of my most favorite Yankees...but to call him one of the two best offensive players on the team is really stretching it.
Yankees don't really deal for the unknown types so it's really hard to come up with Wows! with them. So I look at their Wows! in other ways Joba, Duncan, Cano and Melky are all Wows! to me.
Fair critisicm, Nancy. I have reworded the sentence.
I think Minaya is the "flashier" GM, although it was Cashman that pulled off the A-Rod deal and various others. Going back to the Expos, Minaya certainly was well on his way toward building a wheeler-dealer rep. I don't think that completely applies to his time in NY, but you will always get more "wow" with him that Cashman.
I think you are right, Ken, that Cashman has more of a long-term vision. He seems more of the planner, plotter, the bureacrat (in a good way). He seems to have learned some lessons when it comes to huge contracts, leaps of faith and giving in to instant gratification.
If he is right on building up the farm system and winning with home grown talent, it could make for an interesting decade. If he is wrong, he will obviously be working somewhere else.
It's difficult to truly evaluate Cashman because it's tough to tell who is actually pulling the strings in Yankeeland.
If you are evaluating them, how far back do you go? Cashman took over in early 1998 and won three straight championships (the team had won on championhip and two wild card/ALDS losses in the previous three). How much credit does he get for those? How much blame does Miinaya get for while Expo GM he pulls off one of the most misguided trades ever: three top prospects in Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore for 1 1/2 years of Bartolo Colon because "Bud Selig told me the Expos would be contracted and I wanted to win". Did he seriously think Don Fehr would allow jobs on the Expos and at least one other team to be eliminated? I don't knock trades if one guy gets injured, it happens (Brock for Broglio). But there has to be a sound reason for it.
But Cashman has pulled off his share of ill conceived trades too. He has also gotten lucky that the D-Backs/Dodgers didn't take Wang and Cano in the Randy Johnson deal. Both of them are good GMs but they work for the two richest teams. There are lots of people out there who can do a good job with a high payroll. Maybe it's team for someone to revive the old Chicago Cub practice of hiring sports writers as GMs. Worked pretty well in the 1920s with William Veeck, dismally in the 1940s with Bill Carroll. Ken, are you interested in a career change with new owners coming in?
Ken, I understand what Cashman is trying to do. but the question is will Cashman be still be with the Yankees to see it happen? That depends on what happens this year. Hank talks a lot to the media, which drives Cashman crazy. If Cashman leaves, Hank is going to hired the GM and make him his puppet.
Thanks for the offer, Jim C., but I'm gonna stick on this side of the aisle.
JoeC., Cashman has pulled all of the strings since he got his contract extension in October 2005. Every single decision has been his.
Jim C., you ask a fair question: How much credit does Cashman deserve for the three straight championships in '98-'00? I'd say not much for the first two, and a great deal for 2000. He made a series of trades that worked out tremendously well. Actually, now that I think about it, I think I'd qualify the Glenallen Hill trade as a "Wow!" trade. Of course, I'd also qualify as it a steroids trade.