1. Cashman's failure to get Josh Donaldson.
2. The possibility, however remote, of getting the closest thing to Mickey Mantle in more than half a century: Mike Trout.
Mike Trout: would Yankee prospects be enough in a trade? Saturday, May 7, 2016
Do the New York Yankees have the players, imagination and nerve to acquire Mike Trout from the Angels in a trade? Probably not...
Donaldson was traded BEFORE Cashman signed Headley. Cashman could have acquired Donaldson instead. How much more clearly can it be stated? Trading Solarte for Headley was bad enough and signing Headley when he became a free agent was worse still but the worst thing was Cashman entirely missing the boat on Donaldson. Cashman wanted someone to play third and obviously took Headley over Donaldson. It's really obvious. How come Cashman isn't held accountable? ...
Rank (among MBL third basemen) as batters in 2015:
1. Donaldson
13. Solarte
18. Headley
How is this not gross incompetence by Cashman? ...
It's doubtful that Hal, the current leader of the Steinbrenner Kids, would have any of the screwy attributes that enabled his late father George to pull the trigger on acquiring many big name players from Reggie Jackson to Alex Rodriguez...
Might as well trade for Trout ... if the Angels are willing. Plus, ...
Mike Trout: Mickey Mantle 1952? Wednesday, August 8, 2012
_____________________________That post goes on to suggest four young top Yankee prospects: two starting pitchers, an outfielder and a first baseman. I discussed this with friends and the consensus was that it is plausible.
The Yankees should offer the Angels any four players they have. Four for one. That should be enticing. It supports, from the opposite perspective, my long held view formed when the Yankees traded away Rickey Henderson: never trade a somebody for a bunch of nobodies:
- June 21, 1989: Traded by the New York Yankees to the Oakland Athletics for Greg Cadaret, Eric Plunk and Luis Polonia.
What Hal Steinbrenner must make overwhelmingly clear to Cashman is that no other team can get Mike Trout. If Trout is traded, it must be to the Yankees. This is critical, not just for the Yankees, but for the entire league.
Hal Steinbrenner has turned the Yankees into expensive, boring losers. They are not even good enough to hate. That's not good for the league. If the Yankees suddenly traded for Mike Trout, they could take New York back from the Mets after a brief interlude. The Yankees would become relevant, even if they continued to lose until they could get supporting pitching and additional big boppers to protect Trout.
Mike Trout, born in New Jersey, could be the next in that line of Yankee players who were among the greatest of all time: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Alex Rodriguez.
But along with getting Trout must be the commitment to keep Trout. The Yankees must follow up with an expensive long term contract and ensure that Trout finishes his Hall of Fame career as a Yankee, wiping out any vague memory of him as an Angel.
Hal Steinbrenner has got to call Brian Cashman into his office and tell to him to stop whatever else he is doing, contact Angel GM Billy Eppler, who had been an assistant to Cashman before taking the Angels job in October 2015, and make a deal for Trout. The relationship between Cashman and Eppler might help. If it doesn't, make the deal anyway. Make it clear to Eppler that the Yankees will not be outbid.
This is the only chance that Hal Steinbrenner has of moving out of his father George's shadow, even possibly surpassing the old man.
Hal Steinbrenner, are you up to it?
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