Hal finds way to build new kind of Yankees contender
TAMPA — I mention I have a dinner bet with another reporter that the Yankees’ Opening Day third baseman is not currently in this camp. This is Tuesday, just shy of 3 p.m. Hal Steinbrenner replies without hesitation, “We’ll see.” Then with a glance of his eyes and a jut of his chin, he directs attention to the windows that overlook George M. Steinbrenner Field from this fourth-floor conference room. “Or it will be the kid who just hit three homers in a row I was watching.” That was Miguel Andujar. Just by coi nci dence, I had been behind home plate on the main field and seen his launching display. I have a pang of doubt — maybe Andujar is going to be the third baseman.
Three hours later, I learn the Yankees have traded for Brandon Drury to play third. Steinbrenner emails to explain that the medicals were not complete, the deal was not off icially done and, therefore, he could not mention that my hunch was correct.
In that moment, I realize I don’t want to play poker against Steinbrenner, who in real time betrayed no tell of what was to come. Which feels right at this moment. For these Yankees reflect a series of gambles by their general managing partner.
He might be within a stadium named for George Steinbrenner, encircled further in this conference room by pictures and mementos of his father. Yet, in the strongest way yet, Hal has stepped out of the shadows of his more famous dad. The 2018 Yankees are Hal Stein
brenner ’s team because of rolls of the dice that he sanctioned that no one would associate with his father — a multi-year commitment to wait for the farm system, a 2016 tradedeadline sell-off and a steady focus to drive the payroll below $200 million and beneath the luxury-tax threshold.
These Yankees are championship contender son Hal Steinbrenner’ s terms. Even the George-i an stuff enacted these days comes with his touch. The Yanks fired a manager (Joe Girardi) after reaching ALCS Game 7 — and replaced him not with a Billy Martin or Lou Piniella, but rather an off-the-beaten-path greater risk in Aaron Boone. The Yanks acquired the most expensive player in
the sport (Giancarlo Stanton) — during an offseason in which they substantially cut payroll.
Brian Cashman orchestrated these moves, but only with Hal blessing the course change. And, at this moment, the gambles look like they are paying off with a title contender that Yankees fans like nestled under the luxury tax. I ask if there is a word that fits his mood about this and Hal offers, “Gratifying.”
Steinbrenner has had what he calls a “recurring dream” for years that the Yankees could honor his twin mandates — “be under $200 million [in payroll] and be a championship-caliber team.” His goal was to do this in 2014, but he felt the club didn’t have a puncher’s chance to contend without an ace, so he approved the signing of Masahiro Tanaka.
He feels the team is there now and that the Yanks “have a lot of money to spend in July [without exceeding the $197 million threshold] should we need to — and I will.” Just as interesting was that Hal did not sound like restraint this year is about budget-busting next year.
The theory has been that the Yankees were fixated on getting under in 2018 — and to reset their tax from 50 percent on any overage to 20 percent should they go over again in 2019, when the threshold will be $206 million — in anticipation of signing a Bryce Harper or a Manny Machado in the starladen free-agent class next offseason.
Hal did not want to deal with next season (“I am very much living in the now”) or hypotheticals, but he came back many times to how much he likes the core Yankees group that should be together for several seasons, and t hat getting unde r $200 million has been a quest for years and going over in any season is not a necessity to contend.
“[Winning at under $200 million] is absolutely my goal,” Hal said. “I believe it is doable, as every other team [that has won a title] has shown it is doable” — since no champ has ever had more than a $200 million payroll.
Or maybe Hal is playing poker here, too — keeping his true intentions contained.
For now, though, Hal hopes that injuries don’t derail the potential of this club. He said he thinks renewed life in The Rivalry with the Red Sox is good for baseball, but doesn’t want to disrespect other AL East teams by making too much of it. His early read on Boone is, “He seems to relate well to players, and I think he is going to be great at solving problems.” Of extending Cashman for five years, Hal offers, “It is hard to imagine someone else sitting in that [GM] seat.”
And as he does annually, Hal vowed “the Steinbrenners are going to continue to own the team for a while,” noting the involvement of a third generation of the family now, especially his nephew Stephen Swindal Jr.
But in the here and now, these are not the Yankees of George Steinbrenner any longer, nor do they yet belong to a next generation. A bunch of gambles paid off. These are Hal Steinbrenner’s Yankees.