Cashman: Season ‘a disaster,’ all to be evaluated

NEW YORK — In what amounted to a concession speech with the New York Yankees having lost nine straight — their worst skid since 1982 — general manager Brian Cashman proclaimed the season “a disaster” and “an embarrassment” that will lead to job assessments of himself and manager Aaron Boone.

On the heels of Cashman’s 22-minute Wednesday news conference, the Yankees — who began the season with baseball’s second-highest payroll at $275 million — beat the Washington Nationals 9-1 to avoid what would have been their longest losing streak in a century.

Still, at 61-65, New York could very well be headed to its first losing season since 1992.

“It’s been a disaster this season. Yes, definitely a shock,” Cashman said. “We’re embarrassed by it.”

New York lost nine straight games for the first time since Sept. 13-21, 1982, hitting .176 during the slide with 21 runs. Another defeat would have given the Yankees their first 10-game skid since May 21 to June 6, 1913, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“We’re really obviously disappointed, frustrated, angered,” Cashman said. “And that’s representative from every aspect of this franchise from top to bottom. And that includes our players too. They care. They’re fighting. I know it doesn’t look like that, but I would say if you try to put yourself in their position, I don’t think anybody wants to go out in front of 40,000 people and lay an egg, whether it’s individually or collectively as a team, because then what comes with that is pretty horrific.”

Cashman, 56, has been general manager since 1998, and he agreed in December to a four-year contract. The 50-year-old Boone took over as manager before the 2018 season, and he has one more guaranteed season in a three-year deal that includes a team option for 2025.

“I think we’re all going to be evaluated, including myself,” Cashman said.

New York is 9½ games back for the American League’s third and final wild card, trailing the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels.

“You have to be a realist with how far we’re back now from the wild card, who we’re chasing,” injured first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “We’re certainly not out of it, but we have a very, very long shot from being in it.”

Cashman and Boone met Friday with team owner Hal Steinbrenner, who wants a wide-ranging evaluation of the organization.

Entering Wednesday, the Yankees were 24-40 since peaking at 36-25 on June 4. During that stretch, they were last in the majors with a .220 batting average and 237 runs — 10 fewer than the lowly Oakland Athletics.

“It’s all-consuming. That said, you always try to have a level of perspective that I certainly do in my life,” Boone said. “School’s getting ready to start, a couple going off to college and trying to be as present as you can be there too. So you do try and separate, and I think I’m decent at it.”

Steinbrenner does not erupt at losing managers in the manner of his tempestuous father, George, who changed managers 21 times from 1973 to 2008.

“He’s certainly frustrated, obviously, as we all are,” Boone said. “But I think we’re all in this together and share that kind of same feeling. So I don’t think he’s necessarily pointedly angry at me in these meetings.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.