Finding players like Gio Urshela is what the Yankees do best

Brian Cashman is a good general manager. Some would even say he’s a fantastic general manager. Others would say he’s “the worst GM EVER” without a hint of sarcasm. You can ignore them. Cashman is certainly not without his flaws, but it’s easy to see his strengths. Unless you haven’t been paying attention this season, you can put a check mark in the positive Gio Urshela spreadsheet column. I know you have spreadsheets.

Urshela is getting his shot because Miguel Andujar is lost for the season. Baseball can be cruel for some and fortunate for others. Urshela has taken every advantage of his opportunity to show what he can do. For the record, the Yankees got Urshela from the Toronto Blue Jays for our old friend cash considerations.

Even before Andujar elected to get the season-ending surgery, Aaron Boone was already stating that Urshela would not be relinquishing the third base role. It’s probably due to him being the superior defender, but that’s just a theory. The glove was always his bread and butter. Cashman thought his bat would come around. Now that it has, and Urshela has transformed his bread and butter into an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese.

Even Cashman is surprised by what Urshela has done for his bruised and battered Bronx Bombers. However, this is what he does best. The best analogy I can think of is that Cashman is constantly looking for a “diamond in the rough” to go into the Cave of Wonders and retrieve the lamp. Yes, Brian Cashman is Jafar and the lamp is a metaphor for a World Series Ring. Well, he could actually be searching for a real Genie’s lamp. I wouldn’t put it past him.

The way the 2019 regular season has started is certainly not a whole new world for the Yankees GM. Whether or not you think he did his best during the offseason, Cashman does everything in his power to prepare for the worst. As I love reminding everyone, the Yankees have not had a below .500 season since 1992. The 2013-2014 Yankees had no business finishing above .500 and they were in the hunt for a postseason spot up until mid-September. The 2015 Yankees would have won the division if the Toronto Blue Jays would have actually lost a game in the second half. Jerks.

The 2019 Yankees, despite losing their A, B, and part of the C team, are battling for first place with the Tampa Bay Rays, which is incredible. Urshela helped put them in the AL East division lead on Friday night with a walk-off hit. Former Yankees third base legend Alex Rodriguez said that he’s hitting in the clutch, but he’s really just hitting. It’s still only May, but if Urshela keeps this up, the 2020 Yankees are going to have some interesting decisions to make.

I’m not really concerned though. The 2020 Yankees will be fine. Despite everything that’s happened with their plagued start to the season, the 2019 Yankees will be fine. Urshela is proof enough of that. I also say that the Yankees will be fine because they have been fine for the past two decades. Cashman prepares. Cashman makes sure he has depth and knows he has the resources to acquire it for nothing more that the aptly named cash considerations. They may not spend the offseason trying to be an exceptional juggernaut anymore, but they’ll be fine.

Just, you know, try and avoid the Stephen Drew and Troy Tulowitzki players of the world, Cash. Thanks, and go Gio!