On the one hand, you wouldn't want to be Brian Cashman right now.
You've just replaced Joe Torre. You've lost Alex Rodriguez. Andy Pettitte has just told you he needs time to decide whether he's playing next season or retiring. You have to re-sign Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. Mike Mussina is looking older and older. You have a new ballpark to move into in 2009. Your biggest competition has just won its second World Series in four years.
But one thing you have to respect about the Yankees general manager is this: He does things his way, at least over the past few years. He has stuck to his guns about not trading his young players, and those decisions have worked out pretty well for him. They at least have him in a position where he can do something to improve his team.
Which is why, on the other hand, it's great being Brian Cashman.
He's the GM of the most recognizable and storied baseball franchise in history and has the chance to bring it back to prominence.
So it was no surprise over the past few days at the GM meetings that Cashman drew the biggest crowds. He had a long line of media following him, as if he were a rock star. He had GMs wanting to talk to him about those youngsters: Joba Chamberlain, Philip Hughes, Ian Kennedy.
Cashman has remained steadfast to his original statement that he would not re-sign A-Rod if he opted out of his contract, which he did. If Rodriguez came back for less money, that would be the only circumstance in which Cashman would change his mind. Fat chance.
Cashman is a man of integrity and has a complete understanding of what it means to be the top dog in New York. He has worked successfully for George Steinbrenner as well as sons Hal and Hank, putting up with everything that entails.
He's been threatened with the loss of his job a time or two. He knows his future is linked to what the Yankees will look like in 2008. Will they be young and hungry or will Cashman bite the bullet and trade away youth for Johan Santana or Miguel Cabrera?
"I have said this for a long time - and I have to be careful when I say this, because there's a presumption that young pitching is knocking on the door, and we're hoping that's the case - but we're talking about potential," said Cashman. "The potential is there to be very good for us.
"It's taken us a long time to cultivate and develop, and we know that pitching is the key to the kingdom. We're just hoping that what we've collected and what we developed can stay healthy and prove over time that we made the right decisions."
For the first time in a while, however, Cashman appears to be taking the safety gate down around the kids. He realizes he has to make a big deal - at least one of them - and one of his young stars like Melky Cabrera or Robinson Cano might have to go.
"We'll be tested individually on each one of these guys," Cashman said. "I'd say some of those guys are more touchable than others. Depending on the compensation, I wouldn't say anything's off the table.
"We're thankful that we have a lot of good, young arms coming. Power arms. That certainly bodes well if they can stay healthy. It bodes well for the future and it also gives me the opportunity to try and line up a trade discussion.
"It takes two, and there are things you have to match up. We have a number of conversations going on . . . so we shall see."
The Yankees reportedly are in the Santana hunt. They could pursue Miguel Tejada with the Orioles and move him to third. They could move Melky Cabrera in a blockbuster deal for Santana or Miguel Cabrera and move Johnny Damon back to center.
"We have a lot more choices now than we did before," Cashman said.
And more money. Off the books is Roger Clemens's enormous pro-rated $28 million deal. Gone is the big-time A-Rod deal (though the $9 million per year subsidy from the Rangers has also disappeared). But what seems to keep Cashman up at night is Pettitte. He's the workhorse, the backbone of the Yankee staff.
"Pettitte is certainly a consideration," said Cashman, "and there's an argument to be made that I can't afford to move some of our young starters even if I wanted to because I'm looking to replace some innings right now and Andy if I don't have him.
"I'm saying no one's untouchable, but some guys less likely than others."
Explaining tricks of the trade
A few questions for Major League Baseball senior vice president of baseball operations Joe Garagiola Jr.:
Most of the deals that are made in baseball go through you to make sure they're done properly. What are some of the issues you deal with?
JG: "There are restrictions when cash is involved in a trade over a certain amount [$1 million], and that requires the commissioner's approval. Our department is the contact point for the clubs. When a club receives $400,000 or more within the last six months in a deal, a second cash deal requires the commissioner's approval. Clubs are very creative in what they want to do. We also monitor the whole area of employee permissions when one team wants to talk to another team's employee. That's all governed by Major League Rule 3, which is the tampering rule."
Every time you want someone else's employee, you must ask permission?
JG: "Yes. And we've developed a protocol over the years with a form that the clubs fill out. It's not to create more paperwork, but it's really to keep the misunderstandings to a minimum. An example: One club could say you have permission to interview my employee for the position of assistant general manager. The interview goes well and then they say we also have the opening of farm director and he might be a better fit for that. That's where a team could say, 'Wait a minute, we allowed him to go interview for assistant GM because that was a promotion, but now you're wanting him to take the farm director's job? That's a lateral move.' "
Are those trade-deadline deals pretty frantic?
JG: "Oh yeah. But they can't ask for an extension. In the area of approvals, if you have a deal requiring commissioner's approval, don't wait until two minutes before the deadline to call it in and assume we can reach out. We'll act as heroically as we can, but if time's up, time's up."
The Great Debate
Should helmets be mandatory for base coaches?
General managers passed a rule that base coaches must wear protective headgear starting next season, after the tragic death of Mike Coolbaugh, who was struck in the neck by a line drive during a minor league game last July 22. Should this be mandatory or voluntary? We asked Baltimore bench coach Dave Jauss and Red Sox player development consultant and former coach Dick Berardino.
JAUSS: "In more than 100 years of major league baseball, there hasn't been a guy who that has happened to. We all feel so badly for that family and what a sad situation and tragedy, but I don't think there'd be a guy who is on the field who would feel that the danger of being struck in the head with a ball was a glaring issue. I've been out there a lot and you're always subject to getting hit in the legs and in your body. I believe in the case of the minor league coach, he was hit in the neck, so a helmet wouldn't have done anything for him. I don't think it's restrictive for the coach at all and they're certainly being as cautious as possible. But I'd rather see a course or training for fans to learn to protect themselves from line drives in the stands. They get hit a lot more than coaches do."
BERARDINO: "For me personally, that would be very uncomfortable. If it's a helmet, the brim is bigger than a hat and it would feel awkward. It's certainly going to take some getting used to. In the many years I coached third while I was a minor league manager and in the time I coached in Boston, the only time I ever got hit was with a line drive by Ellis Burks in the back of the leg. For me, if you're considering putting a helmet on someone, it probably should be the pitcher. They're the most vulnerable and subject themselves to line drives off the head. I'm guessing - and this is just my opinion - that if you polled all of the coaches in major league baseball, it would be 90 percent against. I know there are a few who wear one now after the tragedy, but I think most of the coaches know how to position themselves depending on who's up at the plate for the possibility a foul ball might come in their direction."
Etc.
Touching the bases
Apropos of nothing: 1. Man, oh, man! John Middleton, a Phillies general partner, sold a family cigar company for $2.9 billion last week; 2. As much as the posting system came under fire last year when the Red Sox signed Daisuke Matsuzaka, general managers could not offer any recommendations on how to improve it; 3. John Russell was fired as Pirates third base coach along with manager Lloyd McClendon after the 2005 season; last week, new management hired him as manager; 4. For years, teams have given their scouts little job security and low pay, but the Marlins stepped up big-time recently and signed their top scouts through 2015, which is unheard of; 5. Don't know if I buy that Roger Clemens is retiring.
Vive la difference
It's amazing that the DH issue never comes up anymore. With a trend toward uniformity in baseball, you'd think it would become a front-burner issue again. But one major league official said, "It never comes up in any of our meetings. It seems that everyone is resigned to the fact that each league will have their own rules." It's also apparent that commissioner Bud Selig likes things the way they are. Because the players' union would balk at high-priced players losing jobs if the DH were abolished, the way to make it uniform is to have the NL adopt it. But owners resist that because it would add one high-priced hitter to every NL team.
Who will deliver?
There's great anticipation in Japan for a Red Sox-A's series there next March, billed as the return of Matsuzaka. His wife is expecting a child around that time, so it'll be interesting to see what issues arise and whether they could jeopardize Matsuzaka's participation.
Latest Japanese import
Best we can gather from talk around the GM meetings, the Mariners, Dodgers, and Phillies will be big players for righthander Hiroki Kuroda, 32, of the Hiroshima Carp. He has already filed for free agency and doesn't have to be posted, and given the scarcity of starting pitchers in the free agent market, Kuroda is going to have a few teams bidding. Because of his age, some officials estimate that he could get a four-year deal, with final figures possibly getting up to $10 million-$12 million per year. Teams will try to stay in the $8 million-per-year range, but that might not get it done. It appears he'd like to stay on the West Coast; the scouting word is that he doesn't like to pitch in cold weather. A top baseball man familiar with Japanese baseball said, "You have to find the right fit for him." Kuroda is a sinkerball pitcher who has pitched well in small ballparks.
These Cardinals aren't lovebirds
One of the first issues for new Cardinals GM John Mozeliak to address is the ongoing feud between third baseman Scott Rolen and manager Tony La Russa. With Rolen on the books for another three years at $36 million, one would think the two would have to come to an understanding. If they don't, Rolen may waive his no-trade clause and be on the move. If he is, good luck to St. Louis finding a third baseman.
Switching sides
There are lots of examples of agents who became baseball executives - Jeremy Kapstein, Jeff Moorad, and Dennis Gilbert, to name three - but Dan Evans, the former Dodgers GM and special assistant to Seattle GM Bill Bavasi, has left the Mariners to become president and CEO of West Coast Sports Management group in Pasadena, Calif. Evans was one of baseball's tireless workers and attempted to get a GM job this past year. But when that failed, he decided to go to the other side.
Polished leather
One thing that really stands out about the Red Sox' 2007 season is their improved infield defense. Infield coach Luis Alicea deserves much of the credit. Under his watch, Kevin Youkilis became a Gold Glove first baseman. Rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia worked all season with Alicea on his footwork and technique. Pedroia is a natural shortstop and had to learn an entirely new position. "I just don't want to be a good second baseman," said Pedroia, "I want to be a great one." Pedroia will get stronger this offseason after having undergone a minor hand procedure. Julio Lugo made 19 errors, the fewest he's had in a full season at shortstop. Alicea changed Lugo's mechanics and made his movements much more fluid. Of course, there wasn't much work needed with Mike Lowell.
Lounge wizards
A couple of GMs found the union's "collusion" suspicions ridiculous. Part of it stems from the fact that Theo Epstein devised a lounge for GMs, a place where they could discuss trades informally. One GM went so far as to say that he'd welcome a union rep sitting in on their next meetings. "They were about making trades," he said. "Who was available on which team and what everyone's needs were. The meetings had nothing to do with free agents."
Extra bases
A few quick things: Ed Kenney Jr., who was Red Sox farm director when they drafted Curt Schilling and now works for Mike Pagliarulo's Baseline Report, said he remembers the first day Schilling stepped onto the field in Elmira, N.Y. "He just looked around and said, 'Look at all the green trees!' " said Kenney . . . Sounds like San Diego and Kansas City are very interested in signing the classy Matt Clement . . . Happy 78th birthday, Ike Delock.
Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com
