Yankees GM Brian Cashman saw the article this winter where Gary Sanchez intimated he didn’t know why he was benched – and wasn’t shy about diving into the situation when he joined Moose & Maggie on WFAN on Friday.
“I think the whole world knows why he was benched, and whether he was told directly or not – I’m not saying he was or wasn’t, but the manager’s lineup card is an announcement in itself each day,” Cashman said. “You have to earn your keep to stay on that card.”
And that led Cashman to as scathing an indictment on the situation as he is wont to give.
“Whether he was told directly or not, I don’t care – it’s self-awareness at that point. You had a horrible year, and lost your job at the most important time of the season. I’m not sure if an explanation is necessary – it is what it is, and your play speaks for itself; you play well enough to keep playing or you don’t.”
That said, though, the Yankees did indeed tender Sanchez a contract for this season, and reached an agreement before going to salary arbitration, so all is good as far as the GM is concerned.
“I won’t judge him on the last year, or that interview. I know Gary’s talent, and I know he cares and works hard, and I’m confident that if he stays healthy, you’ll see a different player this year,” Cashman said. “A lot of players didn’t live up to their typical years in 2020, and it’s our job to determine whether that was a mirage or a symptom of things to come. With Gary, we had conversations that ultimately led to a tender and a settlement; we’re all in a good place now, and we’re looking for him to prove that we made a safe bet. We believe he’s going to, and if he does, he’ll be an impact player.”
Listen to Cashman’s entire conversation with Moose & Maggie below!
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