Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he did not want to sign
Rafael Soriano because he didn't feel paying closer money to the team's setup man made sense. And, in the end, Cashman said he did not participate in negotiations with Soriano's agent, Scott Boras.
"I didn't recommend [the deal]," Cashman said after the team officially introduced Soriano as its eighth-inning man in front of closer
Mariano Rivera.
Cashman's statements were made after the formal introduction and not on the dais directly in front of Soriano.
Cashman said his feelings have nothing to do with Soriano himself. The 31-year-old is a fine reliever, Cashman said, but as he tries to pare down the Yankees' $200 million payroll he would have preferred a more patient approach. The executives above Cashman disagreed.
The Yankees hierarchy -- owners Hal and Hank Steinbrenner, along with team president Randy Levine -- wanted to improve the team this offseason.