Game 119: Blue Jays (Berrios) at Yankees (Montas)

Montas has do come thru tonight...

IF NO WS THIS YEAR = MAYBE BYE-BYE CASH???

This could be the last year Brian Cashman has with the New York Yankees and it is these decisions that could cost him his job.

Brian Cashman isn't getting fired by the New York Yankees. But he might not be back. He is in the final year of his contract with the team and with the way the club has been playing, this could be his swan song.

Cashman has been a face of the franchise longer than anyone else. Although the Steinbrenner name has been attached for more years, Cashman is the one individual who has had power for this period of time.

With doubts already creeping in as the Yankees opened this season, a late-season collapse that might hurt their playoff seed and lead to an early ouster from the postseason might secure Cashman's fate. It's already odd that he is a lame duck. These three decisions might make it easier for the Yankees and Cashman to part ways as they may have already cost him his job.

3. Everything the Yankees did at the trade deadline is coming back to bite them

Take your pick of a Yankees trade deadline move and it hasn't worked out so well. From the additions they made to the players they dealt away, it seems the trade deadline is the point when everything became more unraveled for this ball club.

Let's begin with what the Yankees got Andrew Benintendi has not been the same hitter for them as he was earlier this year with the Kansas City Royals. Through two starts, Frankie Montas has given them only 8 innings and is the owner of a 9.00 ERA as a member of the club.

Scott Effross and Lou Trivino have been effective but neither of them were meant to have the same impact as Benintendi and Montas.

Then there's what the Yankees gave up. Jordan Montgomery is saving the St. Louis Cardinals and aiming to help them secure the National League Central title. It took him until his third start to even give up a run. All the Yankees got in return for him was Harrison Bader—an injured player who has yet to see action.

We also have to mention how Joey Gallo has somehow remembered how to hit again with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A far more necessary trade than the Montgomery one, someone deserves the blame.

2. Yankees made some mistakes in the offseason, too

Naming Isiah Kiner-Falefa the starting shortstop this season didn't feel like a Yankees move. It was too light in an offseason featuring many stud shortstops. How it went down was especially troubling. Shortly after acquiring him and Josh Donaldson from the Minnesota Twins in a trade, Carlos Correa found a new home. It was with Minnesota.

There is a case to make that the Yankees never should have been in on Correa because they prefer to keep Anthony Volpe. If so, Correa's short-term deal with an opt-out after one season would have actually made him a perfect candidate for this Yankees team. While he hasn't clobbered his way into the American League MVP race, he would have no doubt been an improvement over what they do have.

For a while, it seemed the Yankees may have struck gold with some of their offseason moves. Jose Trevino remains a solid steal for them and despite a poor batting average, Anthony Rizzo is contributing with the long ball.

Donaldson hasn't been everything the Yankees have needed him to be and Aaron Hicks continues to decline much more sharply than anticipated. Having Hicks in the outfield mix wasn't a decision from the most recent offseason. It was, however, a poorly constructed outfield with him in it.

Reality has caught up with a lot of those early Yankees strengths. Injuries, too, have bitten them badly. It's not all Cashman's fault. But even just one decision with the roster can trickle down.

1. Yankees decision to bring back Aaron Boone might not have been the right one

Maybe the only other person in the Bronx with a hotter seat in his office than Cashman is Aaron Boone. It seemed as if the Yankees might be ready to move on from him early on in the offseason. They came to their senses—whether right or wrong—and decided to hold onto him. Boone got a new contract and things wouldn't be changing from a managerial standpoint.

It might not have been the right decision after all. Although it is the players who ultimately determine the standings and the Yankees have a reputation for a front office that controls many of the actions its manager takes, the skipper still has responsibilities. Boone may have simply gotten onto cruise control early on this season. Everything was going so well for the team. Even with the offense underperforming, the Yankees always found a way to win.

This hasn't been the case of late. They're falling flat on their faces. If there's one duty a manager still has, it's to pull their club out of a tailspin like this.

Boone will probably get at least another shot at managing the team next year simply because he just signed a new deal in the offseason. Cashman might not. Regardless of whether it was his decision or Hal Steinbrenner who made the call to retain Boone, Cashman is going to need a little help from the Yankees manager if he wants to be around next season

I think he is doing OK--not great but OK (better than Hicks, etc.).

New York Yankees shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa isn't in the starting lineup for Thursday's contest against the Toronto Blue Jays. The absence is not injury related. Rather, Kiner-Falefa gets a day off after starting nine consecutive games and producing subpar numbers during that span. Rookie infielder Oswaldo Cabrera, who made his MLB debut at third base on Wednesday, will shift to shortstop and bat seventh on Thursday. Kiner-Falefa is slashing .267/.316/.319 with 36 RBI, 23 walks, 55 strikeouts, and 15 stolen bases with his new club in 2022.