Former Marlins president David Samson joined Gio and Stugotz on Friday morning, and called out the front offices of both the Yankees and Mets for how they’ve handled business in recent years.
First, he criticized the Yankees for seeking out star names far too often, instead of finding the right “complementary” pieces to complete a roster.
“It’s names that are attractive to them,” Samson said. “A guy like Josh Donaldson. Great guy, great name, pay him too much, and he can’t perform. You sign Carlos Rodon, praying what he was last year is what he will be, when he’s never been that. He’s been an injured player and an inconsistent performer.
“Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner are reticent to realize that sometimes players in their platform year, when they’re gonna become a free agent, they do things they can’t repeat. If you’re counting on Carlos Rodon to be your No. 2 starter, that’s not gonna happen.”
Samson agrees with fan criticism that the Yankees seem to only want to get to the playoffs nowadays, rather than try to put together the clear best roster in baseball, though the complaints that Hal Steinbrenner isn’t willing to spend like his father are unwarranted.
“They feel like building a team that gets you to October is good enough, when really, you need to get through October,” Samson said. “Hal tries so hard to not be George, that he’s gone the other way too far…but Hal does spend money. He’s got the second highest payroll in the game.”
As for the Mets, Samson says they fell into a similar tendency, seeking out star names like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander instead of acknowledging that they were nearing the end of their careers.
“Those names are great, and new owners get seduced by names, but they aren’t who they were. They’re not who they used to be,” Samson said. “You could be upset with Steve for having Billy Eppler around and not having a better president of baseball operations, but he’ll fix that with David Stearns moving forward.”
Follow WFAN's morning team on Twitter: @7BOOMERESIASON, @GioWFAN, @Alsboringtweets, @JerryRecco, and @WFANMornings
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
Listen live to WFAN:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker (just say ‘Play W-F-A-N’)