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Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was ripped by a former player for what he called “self preservation.”

The New York Yankees are doomed to fall short of winning the World Series again, at least according to former outfielder Clint Frazier.

The former major leaguer blasted his former manager Aaron Boone and the team’s longtime GM Brian Cashman for what he called “self preservation” amid the team’s second-half struggles.

Frazier, who the Yankees acquired from the Cleveland Guardians as part of the package that sent relief pitcher Andrew Miller to Northeast Ohio in 2016 spent parts of five seasons with the Yankees.

Despite slashing .239/.327/.434 with 100 runs scored in 228 games in New York, Frazier finished with a 0.0 bWAR before he was outright released after the 2021 season.

Frazier, who played for both the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox after leaving New York, retired from baseball after the 2023 season.

What Did Clint Frazier Say About Brian Cashman’s Support Of Aaron Boone?

Frazier may come off as a jilted former player, but he does have first-hand experience of dealing with Cashman and Boone, and he’s one of the loud few willing to share his opinion based on those encounters.

“When Cashman comes out and gives support to Boone, lowkey, I kind of feel like that’s self-preservation,” Frazier said on his “Life After The Show” podcast this week. “Cashman is the guy that’s controlling all of [the Yankees’ moves], and I know his resume is insane, but when he gives the confidence boost to Boone, I was saying ‘he’s got to, because Booney is the frontline of defense for him.’

“I brought this guy in, and I have to support him, because he’s my guy. Boone is Cashman’s shadow a little bit.”

At the time the video posted, the Yankees were the No. 3 wild card in the AL, but they have won four straight games and hopped both the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox to take over the No. 1 wild card position.

So even though he was critical Boone, Frazier backed Cashman for his efforts in helping the team improve, especially at the trade deadline.

“Cashman’s my guy,” Frazier said. “We had many times we hung out. … We did, on a personal level, we got along, but I’m not being overly critical of him. I’m just saying, given the circumstances, of him supporting Boone, he is the guy you put there.”

What Did Clint Frazier Say About Aaron Boone?

Though he called Boone “really good,” Frazier threw some extra shade at the now-seventh-year Yankees manager.

“You kind of get to the point where some of the moves that he’s making in the middle of the game are like statement moves, where it’s like ‘we’re trying to show you we’re right,’” Frazier said. “It becomes a blatant thing to talk about.”

Boone is one of the few managers in Yankees history to survive despite midseason malaises, since New York are 32-35 since June 1 and have fallen out of first place in the AL East. Frazier feels that lull is caused by Boone’s ability to make good managerial decisions, which could also become an issue in October.

“You need to make sure that you aren’t walking into it with bad decisions, because these are  the decisions they’ll be doing in the playoffs,” Frazier said. “They’re going to be way more under the microscope in the playoffs.

“You’ve got to make sure that you’re buttoned up and ready to go. If you start firing from the hip, it becomes a mockery of what every guy is trying to do.”

Pat Pickens is an experienced sports writer and media personality who has written for outlets like NHL.com, the Associated Press, the New York Times and USA Today. He covers the NFL, NBA, NHL and NBA as a breaking news contributor at Heavy. More about Pat Pickens