Whatever Yankees GM Brian Cashman may think about oft-injured slugger Giancarlo Stanton, it's important for him to remember that Stanton is under contract with the team for at least four more seasons. If Cashman sees Stanton as part of his plans for those next four years, he should be focused on keeping the 34-year-old motivated, healthy, and productive. If he'd rather move Stanton (and what's left of his 13-year, $325 million contract) to another team, he should be focused on getting the best return possible for a player the team spent a lot of money on. Cashman didn't get closer to either of those goals in giving the following quote:
We try to limit the time [Stanton]'s down. But I'm not going tell you that he's going to play every game next season because he's not. He's going to wind up getting hurt again, more likely than not, because that seems to be a part of his game.
New York Daily News
This bit of grousing was buried under many other bits of grousing, which Cashman delivered at length to a group of reporters in Arizona last week. If his comments about Stanton, who only played in 101 games last season while slashing .191/.275/.420, didn't stand out at the time, it's only because he spent so much time haughtily listing other defenses and excuses for the role he played in the Yankees finishing with an 82-80 record last season. But the Stanton quote is now A Thing because of what Stanton's agent, Joel Wolfe, had to say about it to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal:
I read the context of the entire interview. I think it's a good reminder for all free agents considering signing in New York, both foreign and domestic, that to play for that team you've got to be made of teflon, both mentally and physically, because you can never let your guard down even in the offseason.
Joel Wolfe
As far as blustery agent quotes go, this one is pretty good in that it contains a not-so-veiled threat. Wolfe also represents 25-year-old Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is among the top free agents available this winter and should earn a considerable contract. The Yankees are, of course, rumored to be interested in Yamamoto, and now they have to deal with his agent being mad at them.
How much money the Yankees offer Yamamoto will almost certainly be the deciding factor in whether or not they sign him, which ultimately makes Wolfe's ominous talk as hollow as Cashman's whining. And Stanton will almost certainly be a member of the Yankees' Opening Day roster, so this little skirmish between Wolfe and Cashman will have changed absolutely nothing. This is just two guys publicly complaining about workplace shit because there isn't much to do in mid-November but blow off some steam.
