1. #1
    bigboydan
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    How Yanks duped Red Sox out of millions

    The Rivalry just heats up even more right before the postseason starts.



    Cashman details faking out Red Sox, boosting Crawford’s price

    Back during December's major league free-agent frenzy, New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman admitted to Jack Curry of the YES Network that he faked having an interest in free agent Carl Crawford(notes), just so the Boston Red Sox would have to pay more money to sign him.

    Which they did, to the tune of $142 million.

    Since then, Crawford has apologized for failing to live up to the expectations of the contract, and the Red Sox are struggling to make the playoffs. The Yankees, who most (not me!) picked to finish behind Boston, are meanwhile working on posting the best record in the American League.

    In reflecting on how his team's own offseason acquisitions affected the Yankees' drive to finishing first in the AL East, Cashman detailed his thoughts to ESPN New York regarding his "pursuit" of Crawford. Yep, it was nothing but monkeyshines with agent Greg Genske.

    They both used Boston's paranoia — along with the media — to their mutual advantage:

    "I actually had dinner with the agent to pretend that we were actually involved and drive the price up," Cashman said. "The outfield wasn't an area of need, but everybody kept writing Crawford, Crawford, Crawford, Crawford. And I was like, 'I feel like we've got Carl Crawford in Brett Gardner, except he costs more than $100 million less, with less experience.' "

    So, one of Santa's elves lied. I'm OK with this. It's slick. It's underhanded. It's genius. It's the way you have to play in the cutthroat world of the AL East sometimes.

    If you're a Yankees fan, or Brian Cashman fan, you realize it takes more than having a blank checkbook to make a baseball team win. The Yankees had a bottomless bank account in the 1980s, too, but were mismanaged and won nothing.

    Curry also speculated that some of Cashman's motivation came out of revenge for Boston making an offer to closer Mariano Rivera(notes), who eventually re-signed with the Yankees. But as far as big, big money players went, Cashman was much more interested in signing left-hander Cliff Lee(notes). He soiled the Yankees offseason by signing with the Phillies shortly after Crawford went with Boston. Cashman said he was even willing to move super catching prospect Jesus Montero(notes) in order to make it easier to land Lee.

    Instead of adding Lee — who Cashman still regrets losing — the Yankees brought in Freddy Garcia(notes) and Bartolo Colon(notes). Things have worked out in that regard, so far.

    On that last part, it's funny how right Cashman was about the relative values of Gardner and Crawford. Crawford has hit for more power, but Gardner's gotten on base more and stolen more bases — and is about $141.5 million cheaper. So, no matter your opinion of Cashman's chicanery, the Yankees have been better off.

    "What I said was accurate: The Red Sox had a great winter, and I had a bad winter," Cashman said. "But as it turned out, I had a better winter than anybody would've expected, including myself."
    Even if he told a lie.





  2. #2
    Naz18
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    Don't know why Cashman would come out with that information now....unless it's a common thing both sides do.

  3. #3
    Tech N9ne
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    part of the business

    It worked

  4. #4
    mh217
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    its common knowledge to insiders

  5. #5
    gryfyn1
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    Quote Originally Posted by mh217 View Post
    its common knowledge to insiders
    not even to insiders everyone knows that anytime either is interested in acquiring a player via FA or trade the other immediately becomes interested to drive up the price.

    Its so common Im not sure why it deserved and article, unless the baseball writers have run out of ideas for the year,

  6. #6
    Blackroc78
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    **** da yankees!!

  7. #7
    HoulihansTX
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    Quote Originally Posted by gryfyn1 View Post
    not even to insiders everyone knows that anytime either is interested in acquiring a player via FA or trade the other immediately becomes interested to drive up the price.

    Its so common Im not sure why it deserved and article, unless the baseball writers have run out of ideas for the year,
    Ego, testosterone driven, flapping of the gums.

  8. #8
    neverstoppers23
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    Yeah, not surprised. Probably goes on a lot, just GM's have a bit more respect then Cashmen does.

  9. #9
    McBa1n
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    ...And any free agent worth their salt used the Yankees and/or Red Sox to get bigger deals from other ball clubs.
    So what? Boston has jacked up prices of Yankee free agents for a long time. Big deal.

  10. #10
    thebestthereis
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    Red Sox did not get duped, the money is meaningless at those prices. The term up until this year was munsoned. The new term for the rest of eternity is Lackeyed. If you ever get Lackeyed I feel really sorry for you and anyone you know.
    Nomination(s):
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  11. #11
    ttwarrior1
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    old and overrated, other teams wanted crawford as well

  12. #12
    KKoz9
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    revisionist history of an egomaniac

  13. #13
    mh217
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    Didn't Arliss expose these tactics way back when??..miss that show!!

  14. #14
    Andy117
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    As the GM of a team that overpays for half of its players he should keep his mouth shut. He bid against himself on ARod, Jeter and paid big time for Sabathia, Teixiera and Burnett. I know that he wasn't necessarily in favor of signing Rafael Soriano but they gave 3 yrs $36 mil to a damn setup guy.

  15. #15
    Naz18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andy117 View Post
    As the GM of a team that overpays for half of its players he should keep his mouth shut. He bid against himself on ARod, Jeter and paid big time for Sabathia, Teixiera and Burnett. I know that he wasn't necessarily in favor of signing Rafael Soriano but they gave 3 yrs $36 mil to a damn setup guy.
    The Red Sox actually wanted Teixeira...

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