Cashman: Michael Pineda A ‘Massive Decision Gone Wrong’

Brian Cashman is one hell of an honest, candid general manager, and he’s at it once again in the wake of this week’s disastrous Michael Pineda news. Via Wallace Matthews at ESPN New York:

“This is a massive decision gone wrong right now,” Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com on Friday. “So all scrutiny is fair.”

There’s really not any other way to put it. Trading Jesus Montero (and a guy) for Michael Pineda (and a guy) was a massive decision. For Michael Pineda to develop a tear in his shoulder labrum is for something to go wrong. Ergo, this is a massive decision gone wrong. But not every general manager would put it that way.

Later in the article, Cashman offers further rejections of the suggestion that the Mariners knew they were trading a damaged pitcher. Cashman has repeatedly insisted that the Yankees gave Pineda a thorough work-up at the time of the trade, and could find nothing wrong. If Pineda had a damaged labrum, they would’ve found it. They didn’t find it. But people will continue to believe what they want to believe, despite all the evidence, because people are irrational and frequently horrible when they’re upset. Certain Yankees fans have to believe in sabotage because certain Yankees fans have to believe this wasn’t just bad luck.

Tucked in at the bottom of the article is some very interesting information, at least in my mind:

According to Dr. Chris Ahmad, the Yankees’ team doctor who will assist in the surgery, and other sources who spoke to ESPNNewYork.com, the fact that Pineda’s tear is in the anterior, or front, of the labrum increases his chances for a full recovery. A posterior labral tear often involves the rotator cuff, which Dr. Ahmad said was not affected in Pineda’s case.

One source put Pineda’s chances for a full recovery at 85 percent after a long period of rehabilitation, expected to be 12 months from the date of the surgery.

So, something encouraging. And something maybe discouraging, depending on how much you believe that one source, and what you think of approximate 85-percent odds. Michael Pineda coming back and looking strong is more likely than Michael Pineda not coming back, or Michael Pineda coming back and not looking so strong, but for now, nobody knows much more than that.