Modern general managers have to always be at the ready to not miss out on key deals for their MLB team.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman certainly has a story about that.
In a new feature in The Athletic by Zack Meisel, he reports on a number of funny deals made through the years.
One of these came for Cashman in December 2016, when he was closing a one-year, $13 million contract with veteran hitter Matt Holliday.
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"When Brian Cashman struck a deal with free-agent Matt Holliday in December 2016, the New York Yankees GM was about to rappel down a 22-story building while dressed as one of Santa Claus’ elves," Meisel writes. "Alongside Saint Nick and Rudolph, Cashman attempted tricks and flips for thousands of families at Landmark Square in Stamford, Conn., all while negotiating a one-year, $13 million deal for his new designated hitter."
Was it worth it?
Holliday played in 105 games for the Yankees the following season, batting.231 while hitting 18 doubles and 19 home runs with 64 RBI.
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But if Cashman hadn't gotten the deal done, someone else would've. And maybe Holliday would've had a few big swings against the Yanks instead of for them.
Sometimes, you've just got to rock an elf costume and get your work done anyway. That's just the nature of the beast for MLB general managers.
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