Brian Cashman's Lies Insult Fans' Intelligence

The Yankees have tried to spin the team's dreadful offseason by emphasizing that they still have a high payroll. For example, here are the words of Brian Cashman:

   "We have more committed than anybody on a yearly basis, and have for quite some time, and that hasn’t changed. We’re still running a significant payroll that is or will be maybe second to the Dodgers this year."

This is merely an attempt to distract Yankee fans. The question is not how much the Yankees are spending in a given year; no one cares which team spends the most. What Yankee fans - and fans of any team - care about is that the team is trying to put the best team that it can on the field. The Yankees just cannot make that claim.

Cashman's own words reveal what a lie he is telling. In the very same article, he made the following claim:

   "We get aggressive when there’s a vacancy. We’re not aggressive when there’s not a vacancy. That’s the true story. Not the daily, 'What The Boss would have done, or 'The Boss would have done that.' "

The Yankees clearly have vacancies at catcher and right field, but of course have just sat on their ever-fattening wallets. This would never have happened when the Yankees had good ownership. George would never have let the New York Yankees be outbid by the Pittsburgh Pirates for Russell Martin, and would not have let Nick Swisher leave while also ignoring Josh Hamilton - unless George had handled the outfield last offseason by signing Yoenis Cespedes.

To put this into perspective, let's look at some revenue stats. According to data published by Forbes Magazine, the 2011 Yankees brought in $439 million in stadium revenue - $129 million more than the Red Sox, who were next-highest with $310 million. (I could not find 2012 data on Forbes; but  the numbers should be similar.)

This is in addition to TV revenue. Forbes does not specify the 2011 numbers; but in 2010 Forbes documented that YES led MLB in local television revenue, bringing in over $400 million.

Earlier this year, No Maas explored Yankee finances using the 2010 numbers in great depth, and here is the takeaway:

     "Under the 2013 luxury tax regime, the Yankees could comfortably afford to spend about $350 million on players and still net a profit margin that is the same as the Tigers in terms of rate, and much bigger in absolute terms"

So, whenever Brian Cashman or any other minion tries to tell you that the Yankees are not being cheap and greedy, or that they "need" to cut payroll by 2014, they merely are lying in a way that disrespects your intelligence.