After a 94-win season and a Wild Card victory over the Red Sox, the Yankees’ run ended in Game 4 of the ALDS, extending their 16-year title drought. But the biggest fireworks came off the field when Derek Jeter defended manager Aaron Boone on FS1’s postgame show, prompting GM Brian Cashman to finally break his silence.

“I know he takes a lot of heat, but uh, look, I’m not saying it from any inside knowledge, but I’m pretty sure Aaron’s not the one that’s calling every move that they make throughout the game,” Jeter said, hinting Boone was merely a puppet for the front office.

Alex Rodriguez then followed that, saying, “For me personally, it’s one of the worst constructions of a roster I’ve ever seen,” aiming at the roster Cashman built. He pointed to major imbalances, like having three left-handed hitting catchers and five designated hitters, and said Boone was dealt “a very, very difficult hand.” It’s not rocket science to understand where the finger is pointing.

Facing this, Brian Cashman fired back during an interview on WFAN Sports Radio and bluntly denied Jeter’s explosive accusation. “It’s not true clearly,” Cashman said. “They don’t know… I think that’s the bugaboo people throw out there when they have nothing else to throw.”

Cashman then revealed that he called Jeter directly after the broadcast and asked, “Derek, you know I’d never lie to you. I was like, ‘Do you think this? Do you believe this?'” According to Cashman, Jeter backed off, saying, “‘No, no, no, if you watched,’ he said, ‘I have said I have no internal knowledge of this.’ I was like, ‘I know, but you said what you said.’ And that’s how it played.”

The GM also addressed A-Rod’s roster criticism sarcastically. He pointed out the hypocrisy of their sudden change of heart. “They both picked us to win the World Series 48 hours before we got eliminated,”

Cashman noted. “You get picked to win the World Series on FOX and then you get slaughtered, you know, 48 hours later by FOX, by the same people.”

And at the end, Cashman concluded by saying, “A-Rod had a great career. He punched through with one championship, and Derek has a lot more than that, and they’re obviously respected people, but that doesn’t mean their opinions are always correct every time they throw it out.”

Though Cashman’s defense was strong,

His recent track record is what’s truly under the microscope

On the plus side, he made several huge moves for the 2025 season. After losing Juan Soto, he brought star outfielder Cody Bellinger, ace pitcher Max Fried, and veteran slugger Paul Goldschmidt to maintain the balance.

He also has a history of finding some hidden gems like reliever Clay Holmes and pitcher Nestor Cortes in past years. And when the 2025 roster showed its flaws, Cashman fixed a massive hole at third base by acquiring Ryan McMahon.

He also added versatile players like Amed Rosario to balance the lineup. And he also brought in two All-Star closers, David Bednar and Camilo Doval, to steady the ship. But there is a huge flaw that eventually ended their season.

Cashman is too attached to the “three true outcomes” philosophy—homerun, walk, or strikeout. And this often comes at the expense of clutch hitting and smart baserunning, things that win championships in October.

And that resulted in sticking with failed experiments for too long. Contracts given to players like Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson always spark questions. And he’s too analytical that at a point Joe Torre had to remind him that everything can’t be about analytics.

And what’s Next for the Yankees?

The team’s first priority is getting healthy. Aaron Judge is thankfully avoiding surgery on his right arm and should be ready for 2026. But Anthony Volpe had shoulder surgery and will miss the start of the season.

Carlos Rodón had elbow surgery and will likely miss a few weeks to start the 2026 campaign. The team’s ace, Gerrit Cole, is recovering from major Tommy John surgery and can return sometime in May 2026.

And with over $191 million already committed to the 2026 payroll, Cody Bellinger is expected to decline his $25 million option and become a free agent. Re-signing him will be a major challenge.

Plus, the Yankees also desperately need to rebuild their bullpen and find a true leadoff hitter for the upcoming season. And all eyes will be on Cashman about how he balances everything and remains a contender for the season ahead.