Hour 4: Cashman Speaks

Summary

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Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – “Hour 4: Cashman Speaks”

ESPN New York | August 3, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the New York Yankees’ actions—or lack thereof—at the MLB trade deadline, with particular attention to General Manager Brian Cashman’s recent comments. The hosts, Peter Rosenberg, Alan Hahn, and Don La Greca, dissect the Yankees’ reluctance to make a major move, specifically their failure to acquire a right-handed hitting catcher, and explore what this signals about the team’s confidence in Aaron Judge’s recovery, as well as their broader strategy given looming uncertainty around the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Callers weigh in with frustration and skepticism as the crew debates how this Yankees era differs from the bold, win-now moves of the past.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Yankees’ Trade Deadline: Big Needs, Small Moves

[00:39-01:49; 08:53-09:59]

• The Yankees’ most glaring need was a right-handed hitting catcher, as stated by Cashman himself. Despite this, the team only acquired outfielder Helio Ramos and infielder Luis Garcia Jr.—both young, under contract for several years, but not direct answers to the catching problem.
• The Red Sox, meanwhile, traded for star catcher Adley Rutschman, giving up three of their top five prospects, a price the Yankees balked at.

Quote:
"But on the Yankee side of things, the need was catcher. Brian Cashman himself said the obvious need was a right hand hitting catcher and yet they could not get one."
—Peter Rosenberg [00:41]

Quote:
"The Yankees were not going to. They weren't willing to give that up. It's as simple as that. They couldn't agree on a price tells you they were not willing to give up what Boston was willing to give up."
—Peter Rosenberg [08:56]

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2. Roster Context: Hopeful but Health-Dependent

[01:51-05:45]

• The hosts note that if the Yankees are fully healthy—including Judge and key pitchers—they could, on paper, contend for a championship. But Judge’s uncertain recovery from a mysterious injury looms large and is likely influencing all decisions.
• The prospects acquired are clearly intended for the long term, suggesting Cashman is hedging for future seasons, possibly due to impending payroll restrictions and CBA changes.

Quote:
"If we have everybody in the lineup and are healthy...by October they could be Bellinger, Stanton, Judge, everybody could be in the lineup by then."
—Peter Rosenberg [03:25]

Quote:
"But what he's not going to tell you is, but we aren't sure that we're going to be healthy. And most importantly, we don't know what Aaron Judge is going to be after sitting out what's going to feel like three, what's going to be about three months."
—Peter Rosenberg [04:15]

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3. Cautious Yankees vs. Aggressive Red Sox

[09:59-13:29]

• The Red Sox’s willingness to pay a premium for Rutschman is contrasted with the Yankees’ caution. Guest analyst Kylie McDaniel highlights that Boston’s move is a “wild overpay” but recognizes the urgency given uncertainty about future seasons.

Quote:
"This is a wild overpay on the face of it...Boston really pushed some chips in to the point where some people in the industry are wondering how they ended up with this being the package."
—Kylie McDaniel [11:23]

• Rosenberg and Hahn reflect on past moves (e.g., Juan Soto, Gerrit Cole), pointing out the halting, sometimes inconsistent approach the Yankees have shown in recent years.

Quote:
"If the Yankees were the team that was 28 and three maybe they would have had a different attitude as well. But they didn't."
—Peter Rosenberg [12:10]

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4. The Judge Variable

[10:10-10:23; 22:25-22:58]

• Judge’s absence is recognized as the single biggest risk to the Yankees’ chances. The discussion turns on whether the team can win without him. The answer is definitive: No.

Quote:
"Do you think this is the Yankees being too precious with prospects or would you have rather just stood pat?"
—Co-host/Analyst [09:59]

Quote:
"But can't they win without Judge?—No."
—Peter Rosenberg [10:17]

• The lack of updates on Judge’s recovery is considered deeply troubling.

Quote:
"This injury is definitely a mysterious injury...when he comes back, what is he going to be by the time the playoffs begin? He's not going to have a long runway."
—Peter Rosenberg [19:53]

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5. Cashman Speaks: Rationale and Messaging

[17:13-18:54]

• Cashman justifies the moves (or lack thereof), emphasizing "slug" and stating that the catchers available simply didn’t make sense for the Yankees at the prices set.
• He confirms conversations with the Orioles about Rutschman but says, “We were unable to obviously meet the price...there was no opportunity that existed, you know, for us that, that we felt good enough about.”

Quote:
"We grinded through the market of catching first...but obviously the offensive side, which has been a struggle for our team overall, not just at the catching position, you know, made us certainly shop in that aisle, but it was a very thin market of opportunity...We had many conversations with Baltimore as well, but we were unable to obviously meet the price."
—Brian Cashman [18:04]

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6. Fan Reactions: Frustration and Skepticism

[19:13-22:42]

• Callers are upset, with one expressing that the team “should have gone all in for him" (Judge) out of respect and urgency.
• Another calls last year’s trade deadline a disappointment and says it’s “indefensible” to have missed on both obvious needs and potential fallback options.
• Most agree: their reading-between-the-lines is that Judge’s injury is either more serious than letting on or that the Yankees simply don’t view this year as a “now or never” opportunity.

Quote:
"I just. I feel upset for Judge. I think out of respect for him and how many more years is he going to be Judge and when are we going to see another Judge? That they should have gone all in for him for nothing else."
—Anthony (Caller) [19:13]

Quote:
"It's indefensible to me that we're going to be rolling out Austin Wells the rest of the way...that's a mistake. And that's a miss."
—Nick (Caller) [22:11]

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7. Summing Up: The Old School vs. The New School

[22:58-24:31]

• Rosenberg closes by underscoring the difference between Yankees philosophy then and now: the all-in Yankees approach is simply not what this regime does anymore. Now, measured caution rules the day, even if Judge’s status means championship chances disappear when he’s not available.
• The core message: it’s not what Yankees fans want to hear, “but we will be tomorrow.”

Quote:
"I've got to be the Yankees. You got to play like the Yankees, you've got to act like the Yankees. That's who you are. But they don't do that anymore. I've got to get over it."
—Peter Rosenberg [22:58]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On homegrown hope:
  "We've got some guys that could be ready to play in 27 and 28, and if there's cost certainty, we might need that."
  —Peter Rosenberg [04:50]
• Concise on Judge:
  "Judge is such a variable this year and not a constant. He's such a variable. It's not, it was not worth the risk to give up high end prospects."
  —Peter Rosenberg [10:10]
• Fan exasperation:
  "It's just. It's always just so. Yeah, just not enough. I don't know."
  —Anthony (Caller) [19:13]
• The call for real Yankees action:
  "You've got to be the Yankees. You got to play like the Yankees, you've got to act like the Yankees. That's who you are. But they don't do that anymore. I've got to get over it."
  —Peter Rosenberg [22:58]

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Yankees deadline recap & team strategy: [00:39-05:45]
• Adley Rutschman trade analysis: [08:56-13:29]
• Cashman’s press conference/comments: [17:13-18:54]
• Passionate fan reactions: [19:13-22:42]
• Closing reflections on Yankees identity: [22:58-24:31]

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Tone and Takeaways

The tone of the hour is a mix of weary realism, nostalgia for the Yankees’ more aggressive years, and fan frustration over the current front office’s measured risk tolerance. The hosts’ analysis is candid and accessible, making clear the connection between front office decisions and fan sentiment, while pulling no punches when it comes to assessing this Yankees regime’s conservatism and hedging amid uncertainty.

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Transcript

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[Don Hahn]

this is the don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Don Hahn]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, 800-919-3776. We'll get calls here to finish up the show. And reaction to the Yankees trade deadline. The Mets did what they were supposed to do, I think just you're moving out pieces, you're gathering up prospects and you're just hoarding as many assets that you can for a future rebuild that apparently David Sterns is going to be in charge of. I don't know how you feel about that, but that's what it looks like. But on the Yankee side of things, the need was catcher. Brian Cashman himself said the obvious need was a right hand hitting catcher and yet they could not get one. And Adley Rushman was somebody that was going to cost a lot. This Red Sox were willing to pay that price and they did and they get him. And so the Yankees instead get a right handed hitting outfielder in Helio Ramos who can play left and right field hits for power. But you know what else he does? Strikes out a lot. And isn't that really what the Yankees look for? Right power hitters who strike out a lot.

[Co-host/Analyst]

That is the vibe of the Yankees in general.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Sure feels like it. At least Garcia is somebody also. That is at least he's good against right hand pitchers. He has been really a red hot bat in the National League for the Nationals and now he will be in the Yankee lineup. Actually tonight The Yankees play St. Louis Cardinals in the Bronx in just a few minutes. But it's just like this is, this is all they did, not more, not less. Didn't fill a need. Now Ramos is signed for throughout for the next at least four years. So you're also getting a guy, young guy just like Garcia, two guys that are young and controlled contracts. And that tells me that this is about future, not immediate future. Which also tells you that Brian Cashman will say whatever he does when he does talk to the media. And we know he will. But Brian Cashman is basically going to let you know, without saying it bluntly, we don't know what Judge is going to bring us. And so if we're healthy and Judge is fine, this lineup should be good enough with our pitching to contend. And he's not wrong. No, because the pitching, they have three quality starting, but three aces and Radon will be back and it gives you a fourth guy and Warren and obviously Weathers. Weathers can go in the bullpen like you. You'll be fine. When it comes to pitching, the lineup has been an issue, especially because they're so lefty heavy. But if they have everybody in the lineup and are healthy that you can, you can dare to say by October they could be Bellinger, Stanton, Judge, everybody could be in the lineup by then. And with those options that you have and the different ways you can play them, I mean, you can put Garcia at second. He might not be great defensively, but you could do it and you can move Jazz to third. That's your better lineup without McMahon. But if you have health, you can say, and that's what I think Cashman's going to say. He's going to tell you that this lineup with our pitching is good enough to contend. But what he's not going to tell you is, but we aren't sure that we're going to be healthy. And most importantly, we don't know what Aaron Judge is going to be after sitting out what's going to feel like three, what's going to be about three months. And if he plays even a little bit in September to get ready for the postseason, we don't know what he's going to be then. And so you are not going all in giving up future prospects for a year that you really don't know what you're getting out of your best player. So that's why I think, while it looks like Cashman was conservative, I think he was telling you, I don't know if this year's team is going to get that kind of investment from us when, after the, after this season's over and after the work stoppage, if there is one, and a new cba, we don't know what's going to be on the other side. But we need to keep our prospects where they are because we've got some guys that could be ready to play in 27 and 28, and if there's cost certainty, we might need that. We might need to have some young guys that are ready to step into the lineup and play for us because there's going to be restrictions on how much teams can spend. That's what I think the business plan was and the judge injury was. I think the motivating factor in all of this, the fact that he hasn't even there's been no update and we might not have one for another two weeks until the middle of the month.

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[Co-host/Analyst]

2025 that's the weirdest part to be, by the way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Continues to be.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Yeah, I don't understand why we haven't at least checked again. It was, it was at the All Star break.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We checked. Yeah, there's, there's no more.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Not nothing to check. But that's not very promising.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I guess. Cashman is talking.

[Co-host/Analyst]

He said he was feeling good. Cashman is talking now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, it sounds like it. So it's as we said. The Yankees had conversations with the Orioles about Adley Rushman. Cashman did confirm that, but they could not come to an agreement on price. And let me remind everybody, the Red Sox gave up their number two, number three. No, number two, number four and number five prospects. Of the four prospects they gave up, three of them were in the top five in their organization. So that's some of their most important players when it comes to assets. And the Yankees were not going to. They weren't willing to give that up. It's as simple as that. They couldn't agree on a price tells you they were not willing to give up what Boston was willing to give up. And if you're the Orioles, you take the best deal. And that's what they did.

[Caller 1]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean and there were no other catchers to get. Did any other catchers that could have helped the Yankees get moved? Did anybody else?

[Co-host/Analyst]

I guess the question is do you think this is the Yankees being too precious with prospects or would you have rather just stood pat?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because again, I don't know enough about judges situation. But Cashman might.

[Co-host/Analyst]

But can't they win without Judge?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No.

[Co-host/Analyst]

You don't think they can?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No.

[Co-host/Analyst]

In this al you don't think they can at least get there?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I don't think. I think for them to win what would be three series just to get to the World Series, you would need Judge as the linchpin to an offense that around him again, Rice, Bellinger, Stanton at Times like you have pieces around him that could make that lineup formidable, but I don't think without them they're as formidable. And now you're putting so much on your starting pitching, it just makes it very difficult. I just, I just, I would not have invested either. That's why I gotta believe that's what Cashman was thinking. That Judge is such a variable this year and not a constant. He's such a variable. It's not, it was not worth the risk to give up high end prospects. Kylie McDaniel on Baseball Tonight on what the Red Sox gave up for Rushman.

[Guest Analyst]

And I can't tell you what I said when I heard about this trade. We have to get another seven, maybe 14 seconds of delay. This is a wild overpay on the face of it. Now you can do all the caveats of, well, these teams know these players better than anybody else. Who knows how this is going to work out. Maybe they know some stuff we don't know. Maybe they're being aggressive. But this seems like Baltimore had a high price on Rudman. The Red Sox really needed to add a power hitter after losing Mead. They traded. If we're, we're talking rough rankings on a top 100 list. Anthony Ionson, roughly 50th on the list. Azakar roughly 100th on the list. And then Witherspoon, roughly 150th, just off the list with a chance he was preseason on the top 100. They got three real guys plus a big league catcher. For a guy in Richmond whose value was down last year has come back this year. This seems like Boston really pushed some chips in to the point where some people in the industry are wondering how they ended up with this being the package.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So they went all in, clearly. And wouldn't you, if you're Boston, because there's uncertainty after this year, you don't know what's coming. The American League does have uncertainty in it right now. Look at the Yankees. You don't know what Judge is going to be. They think they can catch the Yankees, I'm telling you right now, on their tails right now. And don't they play each other in a couple of weeks, Believe they see each other pretty soon. Right. So there's that part of it. And they, they probably feel like we got to go for it this year because there is. We don't know what tomorrow's going to bring. They had a different attitude because of the way their team was playing. If the Yankees were the team that was 28 and three maybe they would have had a different attitude as well. But they didn't. And so where they are right now is where it always seems, Peter. They are.

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Yep.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hovering around how many years now has it been that every time it's like the Yankees are all in. Like, I guess Juan Soto was a very interesting move that they made.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, Michael King being a key piece to that. But that was that, wow, the Yankees are really swinging for it, thinking they can get them in and then convince them to stay.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Immediately won the World Series and they

[Peter Rosenberg]

went to the World Series. Went to the World Series. But that, that was treated like a huge success, remember, because they went.

[Co-host/Analyst]

It didn't age that way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Did not. No, it did not. And where they lost and, and, and also how many other, you know, Garrett Cole went all in. You know, there were moments where it felt like, okay, you're acting like the Yankees again, then there isn't. So I understand the frustration. If you're a Yankees fan, this is your place to express that frustration. But I do understand that Brian Cashman might be telling you that Aaron Judge is a variable and we can't bet on that variable.

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[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Co-host/Analyst]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Co-host/Analyst]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

No, there's two boards they both certified. It's both said official that says official Brian Cashman. So what do the additions of Helio Ramos and Luis Garcia Jr. Give this offense?

[Brian Cashman (Yankees GM)]

So ultimately I think we've got some of the best slug on both of these guys against opposite hands in the game as addition to the to our line to our offensive lineup. So I think Aaron Boone has a chance to match up better than he did as of yesterday when we get both of these guys here on property. So I know Garcia is there against the righty tonight and obviously Ramos is going to be playing extensively during August against righties and lefties regardless. But given the injuries that we have but obviously his strength is against the Left handed side. You know, when we face those, Boonie will have a choice to deploy it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So slugs love that when he says can really slug. This is about the Adley Rushman and how they were in conversations then the Red Sox came in and paid the tax willingly to bring in the three time all star catcher.

[Brian Cashman (Yankees GM)]

You know, we grinded through the market of catching first. You know, we do believe that we have quality catching, but obviously the offensive side, which has been a struggle for our team overall, not just at the catching position, you know, made us certainly shop in that aisle, but it was a very thin market of opportunity. We had many conversations with Baltimore as well, but we were unable to obviously meet the price. So they did their business elsewhere and we kept grinding through it. But ultimately in the end of the day there was no opportunity that existed, you know, for us that, that we felt good enough about to be able to push through on. And there was very limited opportunities that were available in the marketplace regardless. So I think that's probably why, you know, Baltimore is going to do well regardless if they made the decision to move Adle because he's a high end player and they did well. But yeah, we had conversations with him but. But to no avail.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Clearly he's saying I was not paying that price. They just weren't willing to give up what the Red Sox gave up, which is out of the four prospects they gave, three of them are their top five prospects. The Yankees didn't want to do that. Anthony in New Jersey is not happy with Cashmere. I am not surprised. Anthony.

[Caller 1]

Hey, what's up guys? I'm just. I don't know. This was the year that I think the Yankees needed to be. The Yankees just. I feel upset for Judge. I think out of respect for him and how many more years is he going to be Judge and when are we going to see another Judge? That they should have gone all in for him for nothing else. And it's been forever. I mean, I don't know. It's just. It's always just so. Yeah, just not enough. I don't know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's frustrating.

[Caller 1]

I don't know. It's frustrating.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But. But I'm telling you, I think they're saying something about Judge and what he's going to be and they don't know. This injury is definitely a mysterious injury. They didn't know what it was to begin with. Then when they found out what it was, there was this. How do you deal with it? Well, rest can't do anything. So you do Nothing for three months. And now that we don't know like the updates are, we got to still wait a couple more weeks and a couple more weeks, let it heal. They got to keep letting it heal. Okay, great. But when he comes back, what is he going to be by the time the playoffs begin? He's not going to have a long Runway to get ready for the postseason. So I think that's how they looked at it. And then all the uncertainty going into this off season about what's coming on the other side of collective bargaining and what kind of system are they going to be operating under. It just. I think it just put them in a freeze and made them feel like we are not a team that is like Boston, which is on a. On an absolute heater. And they feel like, you know what, we should strike while it's hot. That's why I think they did what they did. Right.

[Sponsor Announcer 1]

Would you say.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I can feel it all the way

[Co-host/Analyst]

down in my plums if you've been playing this way for now, a month straight.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Longer than that.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Six weeks already.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Why would you not? This is when you go for it. And by the way, we're not sure if there's a season next year.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Co-host/Analyst]

And everything's clicking for us. Oh, and by the way, the Yankees are trending the wrong way. Yeah. So they're not going for it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And we don't take the race seriously. And the rest of the American League, I mean, come on, who are you afraid of? So I think that's how they look at it. So they are at a different place because of it. Nick and Woodbridge. Nick, not happy.

[Caller 1]

Hey, guys, thanks for taking the call. So, yeah, I mean, the initial reaction is to not, not be happy, but I'm trying to be more optimistic. And I was. As I'm sitting in traffic and I'm on hold and I started thinking about what they did in 2025 at the deadline, and it actually made me feel a little bit better because they had a massive deadline last year.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Caller 1]

And of the guys they brought in, I mean, maybe one of them, David Bednar, ended up being something. I mean, nobody seems to be happy. Got traded. Jake Bird got traded. So. So, like, listen, I. I still. It's indefensible to me that we're going to be rolling out Austin Wells the rest of the way.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Caller 1]

That's a mistake. And that's a miss. I agree. They shouldn't have paid the price that they. That the Orioles wanted for Rushman. But I was hearing Ryan Jeffers Passing said that was pretty much a sure thing. Yeah. And then that. That disappeared overnight.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Caller 1]

So I'm. Listen, I think it says more about the judge injury than anything else. I think Cashman's telling you. What. He's not going to say it, but I think you're reading between the lines that this may be more serious and. Or they truly believe the Ales is this bad. They can still make a run. So we'll see you guys, but thanks for taking the call.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks, Nick. Yeah, I mean, starting to not believe.

[Co-host/Analyst]

Believe that though.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What do you mean not believe?

[Co-host/Analyst]

The Red Sox are starting to play too well. That they could make a move like Rushman and the Yankees believe we don't do anything. We'll still beat the Red Sox. That. That starts to feel like, really think that again.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, like just to put a bow on the day. Like, I just feel like there's two ways that you have to see it. And trust me, I'm. I'm of the old school of I. You've got to be the Yankees. You got to play like the Yankees, you've got to act like the Yankees. That's who you are. But they don't do that anymore. I've got to get over it. So when I'm trying to be reasonable, it's the two things you're looking at. The first thing you're looking at is the variable of Judge. And so if we don't have him, it doesn't matter what we are. He's the linchpin to everything. Offensively, we have starting pitching that can make us competitive. And if we are fully healthy, between our starting pitching and our lineup, when it's healthy, we don't need to make major additions. We can still be really competitive. That's what they feel like. But because Judge is the variable, you can't guarantee that they're going to be that full, fully operational death star. I think that's part of the problem. It's nothing that a Yankee fan wants to hear. It's not anything that you want to even think about. You want to know that your team did everything it could and went all in. The fact that Cashman said catching the cat right handed catcher is an obvious area of need and they were going to target it and then they came in with no one. That kind of shows you that they weren't prepared. But we will be tomorrow.

[Co-host/Analyst]

That was hard.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Co-host/Analyst]

I don't want to know how the

[Peter Rosenberg]

sausage is made, but I just want to know it's good.

[Don Hahn]

Hear more of Don Allen and Peter Weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN News York app, and your smart speakers.

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