Speculating on whether the Mets will make a run at Aaron Judge has become a pastime of sorts in New York. We still do not have a definitive answer either way, but the hot stove winds seem to indicate the Yankees slugger will not be moving across town.
But what about the Bombers’ embattled general manager? This nugget was nestled inside a column by The Post’s Joel Sherman on why moving on from Brian Cashman may not be the magic bullet many Yankees fans believe it to be.
Of course, the reality is that Cashman’s contract is up. And while I am not sure that Mets owner Steve Cohen is going to bid on the Yankees’ headline free agent, Aaron Judge, I think if Cashman is not re-signed by (Yankees owner Hal) Steinbrenner in the next few weeks, Cohen would be very interested in making Cashman Billy Eppler’s boss again. As another executive told me this week, “If Brian were out on the market, he’d have offers in five minutes.” This executive added that the industry holds Cashman in much higher esteem than the media who cover and the fans who cheer for the Yankees.
If the Yankees move on from Cashman — possible, but still unlikely — it would not be a firing. They would simply allow his contract to expire. And that conceivably could still happen, even if Steinbrenner wants him back. You never know what may happen on the open market. Especially if Cohen gets involved.
Eppler, a former Cashman lieutenant in the Bronx, just finished his first season as the Mets’ GM. Cohen is currently looking for a new team president to replace Sandy Alderson and slot in above Eppler. And remember: The front office doesn’t count toward the MLB luxury tax. If Cohen really wants Cashman, it is truly a blank check situation.
James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com
