Brian Cashman traded Ben Gamel August 31, 2016 for Juan De Paula and Jio Orozco.

Ben Gamel:
Position: Rightfielder
Bats: Left • Throws: Left
5-11, 185 pounds
Born: May 17, 1992 (Age: 25 and 66 days)
Drafted by Yankees, 10th round 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft

August 31, 2016: Traded by the New York Yankees to the Seattle Mariners for Juan De Paula (minors) and Jio Orozco (minors).

So? Yanks are in Seattle playing Gamel's new team, so it's sort of in your face if you're paying attention. Was this a mistake or was Cashman making the best of the 40 player roster?

2017 is Gamel's first full major league season. Yanks traded him right after he had been named 2016 International League MVP, so his value was relatively high. So far in 2017 in 318 plate appearances: OPS+ 123: .319/.372/.448/.820.

Gamel is hitting 23% better than league average.

Juan De Paula:
Positions: Pitcher and Rightfielder
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-3, 165 pounds
Team: New York Yankees (minors)
Born: September 22, 1997 (Age: 19 and 303 days)

Jio Orozco:
Positions: Pitcher, Second Baseman and Designated Hitter
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 210 pounds
Team: New York Yankees (minors)
Born: August 15, 1997 (Age: 19 and 341 days)

Apparently Cashman traded an outfielder who is hitting well enough to be an embarrassment for Cashman because all the Yankees got were a couple of baby pitchers who are not likely to amount to much. Except main stream media people are too dumb and lazy to pay much attention to the many mistakes that Cashman has made in 20 years as general manager of the Yankees. Hey, Cashman has the biggest thing of the season: Aaron Judge. Yeah, but ...

Yankees drafted Eric Jagielo before Aaron Judge in 2013. Oops. Friday, July 14, 2017

Where else have you read that? Or ...

Max Scherzer or (Aroldis Chapman and David Robertson)? Scherzer pitches many more innings for less pay. Friday, July 21, 2017

Brian Cashman signed Chapman but passed on Lester, Scherzer, Greinke, Price. Saturday, July 15, 2017

Jose Quintana twice "Granted Free Agency" by Brian Cashman, Yankee general manager. Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Cashman traded Solarte for Headley, ignoring Donaldson. Friday, May 6, 2016

Cashman has been the general manager of the New York Yankees since February 1998. The team won championships in 1998, 1999, 2000. Most of the credit for 1998 goes to Cashman's predecessors, with Cashman deserving increasing credit for 1999 and 2000.

Since then, however, the Yankees have won one championship in 16 years: 2009. Cashman gets full credit for that, although the Core Four were holdovers from the 1998 team: Jeter, Posada, Pettitte, Rivera. Cashman also gets full blame for the mediocre team he has fielded the last four years. Only the above average performance of Yankee field manager Joe Girardi has shielded Cashman from the criticism he deserves.

But haven't the Yankees been over .500 all those 20 years? Yes, but that's a low criteria for the Yankees and Cashman has spent more money each season than any other GM in his league.

Brian Cashman's contract expires after the 2017 season. Cashman is pretty much mediocre. The Yankees have young talent: Severino, Sanchez and now maybe even Clint Frazier. But are the Yankees dominant? Do the Yankees strike fear and loathing in the hearts of fans of opposing teams?