As a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, Daniel Lerner has enjoyed many years of great success for a franchise with 27 World Series victories to their name. Still, Yankees fans have endured some painful seasons in recent years and the last championship won by the boys in pinstripes was back in 2009. This would be acceptable for some franchises, but the Yankees have always been held to a higher standard. Today, Daniel Lerner will touch on a few of the things the team must do to return to their form as severe contenders in 2024.
This season has taught Daniel Lerner that the Yankees franchise is content to make a lot of money and be an average baseball team. This needs to change. The current general manager of the team must be held accountable for producing a team that does not have the talent to currently keep up with the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Boston Red Sox in a stacked American League East division. In the glory days of ownership under George Steinbrenner, the team would move heaven and earth to improve their roster before the season and at the trade deadline. With a new television deal in place, the new ownership seems content with collecting their money. The ownership must start to hold themselves and everyone else within the organization accountable for their performance.
To show everyone that the Yankees are once again holding everyone accountable, it would be best to move on from Cashman sooner rather than later. Daniel Lerner understands that the sports business can be harsh, but there's logic behind letting go of a GM or manager before the start of the offseason. It provides a competitive advantage against all of the teams that are also looking to fill a vacant GM job. While the Yankees may not be enjoying the level of success that fans expect, they are still one of the most prestigious organizations in all of sports. A job opening will attract the top talent from around the league. Giving a new general manager more time to reshape the roster to be more competitive in 2024 is imperative.
The Yankees next must sit down Aaron Judge for the rest of the regular season. The Yankees are not making the playoffs in 2023. While it's admirable that the reigning MVP wants to continue playing on a hurt toe, Daniel Lerner would much instead give him the necessary time to heal this nagging injury. If the Yankees are to return to contender status next year, Aaron Judge needs to be in the MVP conversation again. He cannot do this if sitting on the bench due to an injury. Now that the Yankees are out of the race, it's time to let Judge rest and see what some of the younger talent within the Yankees organization can do at the big-league level.
Daniel Lerner believes the Yankees should also inform Nestor Cortes that his services will not be needed for the rest of the 2023 season. A few weeks ago, Cortes returned to the injured list with a rotator cuff strain. The same injury cost him more than two months earlier in the season. Cortes was one of the bright spots of the 2022 campaign as he threw 158 1/3 innings and had a 2.44 ERA, which led to an All-Star game appearance. His struggles to stay on the mound this year are a big reason why the Yankees' playoff aspirations are done to kick off the month of September. Daniel Lerner appreciates that Cortes wants to rehab and get back out there, but it's time to allow the injury to heal and come back more robust in the spring of '24.
Finally, Daniel Lerner suggests that the Yankees utilize the rest of the season to let young talent play. The Yankees have several young arms in the system that should start to get a feel for attacking big-league hitters. There are also plenty of prospects that should be provided with an opportunity to attack major league pitching. When the playoffs are out of the picture, the Yankees need to do everything they can to set themselves up for success the following year. Daniel Lerner believes following a few or all of these steps will help the Yankees return to their status as one of the league's best teams.
