Cashman discusses Damon, Jeter, Rivera, and more

Yesterday, Brian Cashman, spoke to a group of students at the University of New Haven (in CT), and offered a dizzying array of interesting comments regarding a number of topics, ranging from Johnny Damon to Derek Jeter.

Getting right to it, here’s Cashman, via Joe Morelli, on Damon’s free agency:

Cashman confirmed he made a two-year, $14 million offer that Damon’s agent, Scott Boras, turned down. The Yankees went back to the 36-year-old one more time after having signed Nick Johnson to be the designated hitter. The offer would have been $6 million for one year, half of it deferred.

“I told (Damon and Boras), ‘I don’t know if Hal (Steinbrenner, the team’s part owner) would approve it, but I’m not going to fight for it unless we know you will do it,’” Cashman said. “Scott Boras said, ‘Bobby Abreu’s (new) contract is $9 million a year right now on the table so why would we do that? So I expect to see a Bobby Abreu contract.’ … I hope he does not sign for something less than our offer. That means he should have been a Yankee and that’s not our fault.”

Talk about bad bargaining by Boras. Either way, Damon seems poised to receive at least $7 million from Detroit.

Here’s Cashman on retaining Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera after the season is over:

“The industry the last two free agent markets seems to be going downward and the player’s ages are going upward,” Cashman said. “It makes more sense to be patient. My attitude is if this is the place you want to be, you will make it happen. Johnny Damon professed his love for the Yankees, wanted to be here and was given every chance to be here. He’s not here anymore and I don’t feel that is the Yankees’ fault. They have to reconcile why they are not here, not me.

“If people want to be here and be a part of something, then find a way to work it out. Of course we want (Jeter, Rivera and Girardi) back, but we choose to delay that until the end of the year.”

Cashman is being rather honest here, saying that if Jeter and Rivera really want to be in pinstripes beyond 2010, then they will be. He also seems to insinuate that an agreement will require a level of compromise from both sides.

Be sure to check out the rest of Morelli’s article for more on Cashman’s New Haven appearance. It’s good stuff.

Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images