Things have not gone well for the New York Yankees once again this season. Could this be the end for general manager Brian Cashman?
After a less-than-exciting trade deadline and the revelation that Anthony Rizzo is finally heading to the injured list for concussion symptoms from a mid-May collision, things that have not gone well for Cashman and the Yankees in recent days. Add to that the fact that the Yankees entered the weekend with just a 25.2 percent chance to make the postseason and 1.5 percent chance to win the World Series (per FanGraphs) and you can see why there is plenty of grumbling about another lost season in the Bronx.
If the Yanks decide enough is enough and relieve Cashman of his duties, who could replace him as GM? We came up with some ideas, including a former Yankees player, a current Yankees employee and someone that might be the best person for the job … and dash the plans of a rival (or two) as well.
Yankees replacement for Brian Cashman — Damon Oppenheimer
When you think Oppenheimer, you may think of a summer movie blockbuster. However, for this article, we want you to think about the longtime scouting director for New York. Damon Oppenheimer became the director of player personnel for the organization in 2001, and was then promoted to scouting director in 2005. He was on the short list of candidates for the Arizona Diamondbacks GM job in 2010, but Arizona went with Kevin Towers instead.
This move would make sense as Oppenheimer is familiar not only with the Yanks culture, but also many of the players who he scouted as amateurs. But would the Yankees want to promote someone who might be seen as part of Cashman's inner circle if the current way of doing things isn't working so well? Yankees fans might simply see this as more of the same in the Bronx.
Yankees replacement for Brian Cashman — Derek Jeter
Come on, admit it. The thought of The Captain becoming the GM in the Bronx is an alluring one, even if his time overseeing the Miami Marlins as CEO ended rather abruptly.
Jeter has all of the pedigree to become the general manager, and would likely surround himself with the right people to get the job done. As much work as Jeter might have put into his role with the Marlins in an attempt to turn around that franchise, it would be little surprise to see that passion even increased trying to get the Yankees back to the World Series, something that was so common for Jeter when he was a player.
Certainly there is the chance that Jeter ascending to GM would likely be met with interesting reactions from the New York fan base … and anything less than returning to the Fall Classic might be seen as a failure by Jeter, potentially tarnishing his reputation with the franchise. That's certainly one of the potential negatives. But are there more positives to the potential than negatives? After all, this is someone who bleeds Pinstripes and already has experience in the front office.
Don't forget that Jeter suggested on national television at the All-Star Game that New York go hard after San Diego's Juan Soto at the trade deadline. He's already thinking of what moves could help New York be winners again … just like a GM would.
Yankees replacement for Brian Cashman — David Stearns
If the Yankees want to once again show New York which team runs the Big Apple, they could get bold and go after David Stearns, a man who many believe is destined to join the New York Mets as team president in the offseason.
Stearns stepped down as president of baseball operations from the Milwaukee Brewers last October, but his contract with the team still ran through the 2023 campaign. That obligation keeps him on the sidelines until the offseason, when it's expected the Mets will push hard for him to join Billy Eppler and try to rebuild the Mets after a disastrous season.
What if the Yankees decided to poach Stearns away from the Mets? Better yet, there have been rumors that the Boston Red Sox may make an effort to lure Stearns into their franchise. If the Yanks could land someone who guided Milwaukee to the postseason four times in his seven-year run and posted the third-most wins (481) in the National League in a six-year span and keep two arch-rivals from signing him as well? That sounds like the best of all worlds, doesn't it?
Sure, on the surface, Stearns seems like a long shot to take over in the Bronx, but his signing would certainly signal a new day for the Yankees empire.
