NEW YORK — The New York Yankees are 6-14 in August, drawing the ire of their entire fan base, while manager Aaron Boone is publicly showing his frustration by slamming tables in news conferences.
But Yankees general manager Brian Cashman did not hesitate to stand behind the slumping club on Monday.
“The group has my belief,” Cashman said, speaking before his team’s 4-2 win over the New York Mets. “I believe strongly in them and I think they are still capable of everything we’ve ever hoped and dreamed, but we have to weather the storm first and foremost.”
In recent days, Yankees fans made both Cashman and Boone the subject of their anger after the club’s struggles. On top of the offense struggling to produce, right-hander Frankie Montas has posted a 9.00 ERA, allowing 14 runs in 14 innings pitched since the team traded for him from Oakland. Meanwhile, the team traded Jordan Montgomery, who has posted a 0.54 ERA in three starts, allowing one run in 16⅔ innings pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals. Harrison Bader, who came to New York from St. Louis, has yet to play a game because of injuries.
That said, Cashman stood by Boone’s performance in recent weeks.
“I think he’s done a great job,” Cashman said,. “I think he’s managed his players extremely well. … He’s even-keel. It’s important for our players to see that, because if he can keep his temperament the same, for the most part, they don’t see panic. It doesn’t mean he can’t lose his cool, which he will from time to time when necessary.”
The struggles of Montas early in his Yankees tenure contrasting with the success of Montgomery in St. Louis has brought scrutiny to the Yankees approach at the deadline. Cashman said that Montas coming off a shoulder injury on top of the recent death in his family has affected his play on the field.
“You wouldn’t change the attempt to acquire him, but we were unaware of him being out of pocket,” Cashman said. “So you add in being out for 10 to 12 days before his next start on top of him building back from being down for a period of time, and now transition to another club, he just hasn’t gotten out of the gates as well.”
Cashman also compared the struggles of this Yankees team with the season-long disappointment of the 2021 team, which came in with World Series expectations. Cashman said this team expected adversity but that the group has shown already that it can perform at a top level.
“I believe in this group,” Cashman said. “I know Aaron Boone believes in this group. I know our ownership believes in this group. It’s a good crew that’s dedicated, that’s hungry and that’s really talented, that’s just happened to play poorly for a little longer than maybe we would have expected based on how we got out of the gates the first three months. But I’m not going to just forget that.”