After the Yankees lost their playoff berth, Aaron Judge was unusually blunt in his reaction. He claimed that there were numerous issues within the organization that must be fixed to ensure success in 2024. Evan and Tiki, two radio analysts, interpreted Aaron Judge’s comments as a subtle message to general manager Brian Cashman.

The deduction is that Aaron Judge desires a more influential role within the organization, seeking to have a say in decision-making alongside Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner. This ambition stems from his status as the team’s captain and as one of the top-performing position players on the roster.

Tiki suggested that it seemed as though Aaron Judge had an issue with someone within the Yankees organization, specifically Brian Cashman, indicating that the slugger might be trying to exert pressure on him.

“It’s like he doesn’t like somebody there…it’s clearly Brian Cashman, who he’s trying to put pressure on,” the radio host said.

Evan conveyed that there was no necessity for Aaron Judge to publicly exert pressure on Brian Cashman, as there was already significant public pressure on the general manager due to the Yankees’ disappointing season. He also mentioned that this season might be viewed as a significant failure from the perspective of the Yankees.

According to Evan, Aaron Judge’s comments were not only aimed at Brian Cashman but also at the overall Yankees organization. It appears that the captain desires to contribute to various aspects of the organization, not just when he’s playing on the field as a batter or right fielder.

Evan reiterated his earlier statement, suggesting that Aaron Judge’s comments might indicate some dissatisfaction with Brian Cashman. He noted that Judge’s concerns appear to cover a wide range of areas, including the development of young players in the major leagues and the team’s ability to acquire the right and talented players, which is a matter of significant importance.

Aaron Judge unhappy at Yankees free fall under Cashman

The Yankees’ last losing season was back in 1992, which, interestingly, is the same year Aaron Judge, the 31-year-old right superstar, was born. Their record this year is 80-77, and their hopes of making the playoffs faded away around mid-August. On Sunday, they were officially ruled out of playoff contention. Currently, they are in a tough fight with the Red Sox to avoid finishing in last place in the American League East. In summary, the Yankees have had a disappointing season.

As they entered spring training, the Yankees were full of hope. They secured the return of Aaron Judge after a busy free agency period and signed him to a substantial nine-year, $360-million contract. Owner Hal Steinbrenner also made significant investments in starting pitcher Carlos Rodón ($162 million for six years) and first baseman Anthony Rizzo ($40 million for two years). Additionally, they had high expectations for their top prospects, Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza, both shortstops, to inject some much-needed youth and athleticism into the team.

Seven months later, players, coaches, and staff members still couldn’t believe how the season turned into a disaster. Before the start of the season, FanGraphs gave the Yankees an 81.2 percent chance of making the playoffs and placed their odds of winning the World Series at 10.2 percent, the highest in the American League. However, after July 9, they never managed to secure a wild-card spot again.

Steinbrenner mentioned that the team was thinking about bringing in an external company to assess the entire organization, with a particular focus on the analytics department. By September 1, they had already begun planning for the 2024 season by promoting 20-year-old prospect Jasson Domínguez.

This marked the end of a major downfall for the Yankees. They had too many injuries, their roster was aging, lacked athleticism, struggled with hitting, and couldn’t make necessary changes to their lineup. They were banking on veteran players to improve, as they didn’t have the depth or young talents to replace them. The team even made the unusual decision to fire hitting coach Dillon Lawson during the season, but it didn’t lead to an improvement in their offensive performance.

During their season, Aaron Judge, their top player, made an incredible defensive play but also suffered a severe injury. Domingo Germán pitched a perfect game, the first in 24 years for the team, but a month later, he arrived at the clubhouse under the influence of alcohol, causing a disruptive incident that led to him seeking treatment for alcohol abuse and being placed on the restricted list. Despite an outstanding season from ace pitcher Gerrit Cole, who was a strong candidate for the Cy Young Award, the team struggled. By late June, they were nearly 10 games behind the first-place team, and when owner Steinbrenner expressed confusion about fan frustration, it only intensified the fans’ dissatisfaction.

Infielder DJ LeMahieu declared that he wanted a reset of the entire season, while ace pitcher Gerrit Cole chose not to comment on what went wrong with the Yankees this year when asked by The Athletic. However, Aaron Judge had his own thoughts on the matter.

According to  Aaron Judge, he could only speak from his perspective as a player and didn’t want to delve into organizational matters because it wasn’t his responsibility.  He stated that the key issue was facing critical injuries at inopportune moments and lacking the necessary depth to address those gaps. 

The Yankees faced numerous injuries and disappointing performances from their star players. Their roster wasn’t well prepared to handle these setbacks. They had to rely on last-minute acquisitions like Jake Bauers, Franchy Cordero, Billy McKinney, and Willie Calhoun, who weren’t able to fill the gaps left by the injured players. These replacements lacked the track record to suggest they could make a significant impact when adversity hits repeatedly.

Yankees’ signs of slumping go back to 2022

Concerning signs had already emerged the previous season. In 2022, the Yankees had led the AL in runs scored for the season, but their performance dipped significantly from August 1 until the end of the regular season, where they had a record of 29 wins and 29 losses. They lacked a consistent left fielder, and players like Donaldson, Stanton, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and LeMahieu didn’t meet expectations. Their offense heavily depended on Judge, who had a historic season with 62 home runs, setting an AL single-season record.

In the AL Division Series, the Yankees struggled to defeat the Cleveland Guardians, narrowly advancing. However, in the Championship Series, they suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Houston Astros, losing all four games and being outscored 18-9.

But Hal Steinbrenner appeared to believe that the roster still required additional improvements. The billionaire conveyed to reporters on December 21 that they were not finished with their plans. However, following the acquisition of Rodon, the Yankees only brought in Cordero, an outfielder with limited success at the big-league level. An anonymous Yankees instructor expressed surprise that the team did not add any offensive players during the last offseason. Additionally, the instructor raised questions about the team’s confidence in Donaldson and Hicks following their disappointing performances in the previous season.

In 2023, the same problems persisted, and they had a negative impact on the Yankees. Aaron Hicks, Josh Donaldson, and underperforming Harrison Bader were released by the Yankees. Stanton missed six weeks and had a disappointing season, describing it as “terrible” for himself. LeMahieu struggled with a batting average of .220 in the first half of the season. Kiner-Falefa had shifted to a utility role, where his defense was decent, but his batting performance was below league average with a 78 OPS+.

Yet by mid-May, the Yankees held onto the hope that if they could regain their health, their luck might turn around, despite slipping to fourth place in the division. But they lost Aaron Judge to injury soon.

Without Aaron Judge, the Yankees struggled, managing only a 19-23 record.

Aaron Judge looked back at the time when the team faced a difficult situation, battling for the division title. He noted that Tampa Bay was leading the division, but his team encountered various setbacks. These included his own injury, Giancarlo Stanton’s absence, Josh Donaldson’s extended time off, Carlos Rodón’s injury, and Anthony Rizzo’s collision.

The Yankees need an overhaul

Yankees fans have mixed opinions about Boone. Some admire his passionate ejections and his memorable walk-off homer in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, which secured his place in Yankees history. However, others criticize his unyielding optimism and his tendency to go to great lengths to support his players. Despite this, the players themselves have a strong affinity for him. Both Aaron Judge and LeMahieu have publicly defended Boone during interviews this season. With one year left on his contract and considering the challenges the team faced, not all fans believe Boone should shoulder the blame for the Yankees’ disappointing season. If the Yankees were to part ways with the 50-year-old manager without making other significant changes, it might be seen as placing the blame solely on him, potentially directing more fan frustration toward Cashman.

The Yankees’ General Manager (GM), Cashman, recently signed a four-year contract extension, and many believe he’s secure in his position. This confidence stems from his impressive history of 21 playoff appearances in 25 seasons and his close relationship with Steinbrenner, the team’s owner. However, the team may consider changes in other areas. For instance, they might decide to replace Eric Cressey, who is responsible for player health and performance, especially after another season marked by injuries.

Cashman stated that an evaluation would be conducted for everyone, himself included. They must address both the offensive and defensive aspects. As of Monday, the offense ranked 24th in runs scored, 24th in runs per game, and second-to-last in batting average. Despite Cole’s outstanding performance (14-4, 2.75 ERA), the starting pitching staff ranks 19th in fWAR and holds a 4.41 ERA.

The team might also need to review their medical practices. Despite revamping their strength and conditioning department in 2020, with Eric Cressey at the helm, the Yankees have consistently ranked in the top 10 in terms of players landing on the injured list every year since 2017, according to Spotrac.

Cashman can’t afford to repeat the same issues the Yankees faced in 2023, which had its origins in 2022 and earlier. He has acknowledged that the roster he put together wasn’t strong enough to withstand the wave of injuries that plagued the Yankees.

That was the primary lesson Aaron Judge gathered from contemplating the Yankees’ dismal baseball season, which stands as one of the worst witnessed by Yankees fans in over 30 years. As a leader, he is eager to change that and taste championship success.

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