Why Yankees Owner Needs to Answer ‘Tough Questions’

When New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the season has been “a disaster” at his press conference on Wednesday, he was admitting what everyone has been saying about the team this season.

They sit five games below .500 after their loss to the Washington Nationals on Thursday and are firmly in the basement of the AL East. They face their first losing season since 1992 if they don’t improve and will likely finish last in their division for the first time in 33 years.

During a radio interview in late June, owner Hal Steinbrenner said he’d have to ask “tough questions” if the season didn’t get better at that point.

It hasn’t. It’s gotten worse.

The Yankees had their first nine-game losing streak since the 1980s and were facing their first 10-game losing streak in 100 years.

Offensively, the team ranks towards the bottom of the league in multiple categories, including hits, runs, batting average and OPS. The pitching staff has been inconsistent all year except for Garrett Cole and a few names in the bullpen.

So it’s time Steinbrenner answers those tough questions he alluded to in June.

Cashman likely won’t be fired after signing a four-year extension in the offseason despite the recent playoff failures.

But what is the evaluation process for the architect of this team that continues to come up short? Will manager Aaron Boone return to the team for another season? How much financial commitment is he willing to spend despite already having the second highest payroll?

Those are the questions that Steinbrenner needs to answer if he wants to get his franchise back to competing for championships.