Long before Derek Jeter retired after the 2014 MLB season, he was in a heated contract dispute with the New York Yankees. At the time, team GM Brian Cashman was playing hardball, not wanting to pay big money to a declining star with limited defensive range. He spared no emotions during the negotiations and even told the Yankees captain that he would rather have Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop.
“Sometimes honesty hurts. But if you’re paid to do a job, do the job,” Cashman said in the SI story. “You have to honor the job description; if not, you’re a fraud or stealing money. You can’t fake your way doing this.”
When approached by SI about the story, Cashman refused to comment, but would not deny the details of the story.
He apparently was even ready to name other shortstops he would prefer, but “wiser heads stepped in.”
Many people thought it would be foolish for the Yankees to pay huge money to an aging player like Jeter, and Cashman felt the same way. “We’re not paying extra money for popularity. We’re paying for performance,” he said.
Still, the two sides came to agreement on a 3-year, $51 million deal that helped keep Jeter in pinstripes for the remainder of his career. That same year Tulowitzki signed a huge extension with the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies finally parted ways with their star shortstop this season, sending him to the Toronto Blue Jays a few weeks ago.
For years Tulo and the Yankees seemed like a great fit. Not only do we know that Cashman would have preferred the former Rockies MVP candidate, but we also know that Tulo long wanted to be the guy to replace Jeter at short. It’s pretty shocking to think now that another AL East team ended up with him.
Cashman’s honest approach has to be commended. Though the Yankees are criticized for having such a high payroll, Cashman still does a good job of making the most of the money he does spend. Being a straight shooter in negotiations goes a long way towards that goal.
