New York Yankees to cut their payroll – MLB News
New York Yankees are financially in an unstable situation these days. In an interview on Thursday, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner stated that the Yankees will be cutting their payroll by nearly $20 million over the next two years. The Yankees have not been able to achieve their desired goals in the last few seasons.
To power Yankees hitting and pitching lineup, General Manager Brian Cashman made some key moves this offseason. The pitching attack was depending heavily on Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia prior to this season. Cashman signed on the likes of Michael Pineda, Ivan Nova, Hiroki Kuroda and Phil Hughes to assist Sabathia in pitching department. However, after spending considerable amount of money on their desired players, the Yankees are feeling the heat now. The move to cut down the payroll will allow the club to get under baseball’s $189 million tax threshold, saving valuable amount of money to groom youngsters.
However, the plan will also have its drawback. Talking to the media, Cashman explained the challenges the Yankees will have to face with a lower payroll. The GM will not be able to spend lavishly anymore to buy best hitters and pitchers in Major League Baseball.
“It was very difficult when it was just open-ended,” Cashman said. “It would change on a daily basis. ‘Don’t lose the player, at all costs.’ That’s not a good negotiating position to be in, and if it’s very vocal at the same time?”
“We’re still the Yankees,” Cashman said. “We’re still going to outspend everybody else. That’s not going to change. We’re still going to be there for our fan base, and try to make sure that every year is a year that they have legitimate hope that this could be a special season. That’s never going to change.”
Some of the Yankees’ fans are convinced that the team will not be able to compete with the likes of Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals with such a low payroll. Cashman, however, promised that the Yankees will still have significant resources despite the guidelines established in MLB new bargaining agreement. It will be interesting to see if the Yankees can live up to the expectations in the 2013 and 2014.
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