McMonigle: 'You're crazy' if you think Yankees can spend like Dodgers have this offseason
Chris McMonigle was critical of Hal Steinbrenner after the Yankees owner told the YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits that he has a chip on his shoulder to finish the job and win a World Series in 2025, as C-Mac doesn’t believe Steinbrenner is acting like it given the gaping hole at third base heading into camp.
As for the comments from Steinbrenner about not being able to spend like the Dodgers, which generated the most headlines, C-Mac took little issue with it, because he believes Steinbrenner is right.
“Any Yankee fan out there killing Hal Steinbrenner for talking about how he can’t be the Dodgers, wake up people,” C-Mac said. “He can’t be the Dodgers, and you shouldn’t expect him to be the Dodgers. I don’t even think Mets fans expect Steve Cohen to be the Dodgers. Right now, the Dodgers are owned by a group that have more money than even the great “King” Steve Cohen.
“If you want to talk about having a $400 million payroll and living $1.8 billion in debt over the next 20-plus years, if you expect the Yankees to do that, you’re crazy.”
McMonigle may take issue with the Yankees using Marcus Stroman’s contract as a reason to stay put and not add an infielder, but as for the overall criticism of not going on a spending spree like LA did this offseason, he says that is way off base.
“Three out of the last six years, the Yankees had a higher payroll than the Dodgers,” C-Mac said. “The second they signed Ohtani to that contract and were able to have him on the books for $40 million and push all that money aside...and they make the revenue off of him, that is the greatest deal in the history of baseball. Ohtani’s contract is the most team-friendly, excellent contract a tram has ever signed. They are making boatloads of money. They own every cent dedicated to Major League Baseball out of the entire country of Japan.
“To expect Hal Steinbrenner, who doesn’t have the money of the Guggenheim family, who has a $600-plus million bill to pay every year for the building, who is in the process of buying back the YES Network...he only owns 63 percent of the team...should they go sign every free agent and have a $400 million payroll? Of course not...it’s crazy.”
