Everything we learned from the Yankees' end-of-season press conferences: Brian Cashman's extension a
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Two weeks after their playoff elimination in Game 3 of the ALDS, New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman held a postmortem press conference on Wednesday. Steinbrenner called the team's season a "failure" and blamed the offense for the quick postseason exit. The Yankees scored five runs in the three-game sweep against the Tampa Bay Rays .
"I have never suggested that a season like this season is a success," Steinbrenner said. "I am often asked, 'Was the entire season a failure?' Winning 93 games is not a failure. Playing in the Division Series is not a failure. It became a failure because we did not do well. I don't believe I've ever called a season that we didn't win a world championship successful."
New York's offense went in the tank after captain Aaron Judge was placed on the injured list with a rib fracture in early June. Judge's last game before going on the shelf was May 31, which was effectively the end of his season. He returned in September, played seven games, then suffered a calf strain that sidelined him the rest of the year. Judge did not play in the postseason.
"The players didn't live up to their end of the bargain in the playoffs," Steinbrenner added. "... We're going to look at everything (this offseason). I was disappointed with the offense. They were inconsistent for long periods of time."
No decisions regarding the future of the coaching staff, including hitting coach James Rowson, have been made yet, and neither Cashman nor Steinbrenner would get into offseason roster-building strategies. The Yankees have one of the game's best pitching staffs, but the offense was lacking, and Judge's absence was only part of that. As good as he is, he is just one player.
"Do I like sitting here trying to explain why? No, but I am going to analyze, in a very objective way, what we think went wrong," Steinbrenner said about falling short of the World Series again. "... I'm upset sitting here and having to answer these questions. Absolutely, and I know how upset our fans are, but believe me, we're going to be doing everything we can."
The Yankees have not won the World Series since 2009 and their 17-year championship drought is tied with 1979-95 for the longest in franchise history. Here now is what you need to know about Cashman's and Steinbrenner's postmortem press conference.
As expected, Cashman will return for what will be his 30th season as general manager in 2027. Cashman's contract was set to expire this offseason, but he confirmed the two sides have agreed to a new deal, and they just need to finalize details before putting pen to paper. "We're locked and loaded," Cashman said about his contract status.
"Cash is great every season," Steinbrenner said. "I mean, I think the roster he put together, the team that we rolled out of spring training with, was as good as any in baseball, in my opinion."
The Yankees have not had a losing season during Cashman's tenure and they've made the postseason nine times in the last 10 seasons. At the same time, they've won three division titles in the last 14 seasons, and the World Series drought is tied for the longest in franchise history. Cashman's recent teams win a lot during the regular season and not much in October.
"The first step of the process is making sure you can punch a ticket and get there," Cashman said about the team's postseason failures. "Then, everything is reset. You need to have as many talented players as you possibly can on both sides of the ball."
Manager Aaron Boone will return for a tenth season in 2027 and Steinbrenner said there was a "weeklong conversation" about Boone's future and whether he should return. Next year is the final season on Boone's contract and there have not been any talks about a contract extension. He will manage next year as a lame duck.
"The inability to score on a consistent basis throughout the course of the entire season, not on the shoulders of Aaron Boone," Steinbrenner said. "... Talking about this season, I thought Boone managed a good season, especially with the pitching staff. We had a lot of additions and subtractions in the rotation throughout the course of the season. Our bullpen was absolutely exhausted by the end of the season. He got through all that and he got us to the playoffs."
Boone also spoke Wednesday and said he's "very comfortable" managing next season without a contract extension. He also acknowledged that the Yankees have consistently lost to higher-seeded teams in the postseason during his tenure. The Yankees are 7-0 in postseason series against teams with a worse regular-season record, and 1-8 against teams with a better record.
"At the end of the day, we haven't won a championship with me at the helm," Boone said. "That's what has to happen to satisfy myself and to answer those questions [about being the right person for the job] ultimately."
Following the team's ALDS elimination, Judge pushed for the Yankees to go "all-in" this offseason. "We're the Yankees. I feel like they should go all-in and do what they need to do. And if we got holes, it's finding certain players or personnel, whatever we need, we got to go out there and get it," Judge said . Steinbrenner was asked for his reaction to those comments.
"Was I upset about it? No," Steinbrenner said. "If I was a player, I would have expectations that my ownership group would do everything in their power every offseason to win a championship. We did that this year. We had the highest payroll in the history of the organization. I definitely think we went all-in this season. We had a team that was every bit capable of winning a championship. No, it did not work out. I have expectations of my players. I expect them to obey the rules, work hard, listen to their coaches, trainers, strength guys. Expectations are a good thing."
As for Judge's health, he will see a specialist for one more evaluation of his rib, but otherwise is in a good spot. "We feel like we're in a good place. He can take advantage of the rest of the winter and be ready to go when spring training starts," Cashman said.
Steinbrenner is on MLB's labor committee and thus at the forefront of the owners' push for a salary cap. He has said in the past that he supports a salary cap as long as it comes with a salary floor, though he declined to answer labor questions on Wednesday, including questions about why he would support a salary cap that would limit his team's ability to leverage its financial might.
"Listen, guys, we're two days away from the World Series. This, in my mind, is a time to celebrate the game. Now's not the time I'm going to start labor conversations. It just is not," Steinbrenner said. "... I helped craft the proposals that we have given at the bargaining table and I support those proposals in their entirety. That should answer your question."
The collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1 and, barring a surprise agreement between MLB and the MLBPA, the owners are expected to lock out the players at that time.