Pat Murphy's apology to Cashman annoys fans more than the insult

Yankees Hot Stove Update: Cody Bellinger switch, Ryan McMahon future, Brian Cashman.

As the saying goes, "When Jack Curry speaks, Yankees fans listen."

That was the case on Wednesday night during an episode of "Yankees Hot Stove" on the YES Network.

Curry had offseason updates for fans as the Bombers navigate these weeks prior to the inevitable lockout.

Where to start?

We can get the general news out of the way.

Curry said he expects the Yankees to be "active on all fronts" leading up to Dec. 1.

That sounds like a "no duh" situation.

But if you remember the month prior to the 2021 lockout, the Yankees did nothing meaningful.

Brian Cashman acquired TJ Rumfield from the Phillies and traded Tyler Wade to the Angels.

Then he stood there while a number of contenders ate the Yankees' lunch.

Curry relaying this news is certainly more encouraging than silence.

But we'll believe it when we see it.

The Yankees famously do not move fast at the start of the offseason.

They do not get aggressive when they're under the gun with time.

CODY BELLINGER COULD MOVE TO CENTER FIELD

Now for the frustrating developments.

Curry said it's believed Gold Glove left fielder Cody Bellinger could move to center field next year.

That suggests a number of things.

The first is that the Yankees do not believe in Spencer Jones as a legitimate center field option.

The second is that they might be serious about pursuing a corner outfielder who can help upgrade the offense.

That could be Randy Arozarena, Seiya Suzuki or Ian Happ.

Here is the rebuttal: Bellinger is the best defensive left fielder in the game.

Keep him there or else you lose tremendous value.

None of Arozarena, Suzuki or Happ would move the needle much for New York.

Arozarena and Suzuki will cost significant money.

They will also cost a draft pick since the qualifying offer is attached to them.

Once again, the Yankees roster remains a mess.

They are constantly moving players around when it feels like there is little need to do so.

RYAN MCMAHON COULD BE ON THE WAY OUT

Perhaps the funniest update of all from Curry involved Ryan McMahon.

The veteran third baseman has been terrible during his 1.5 years in New York.

He has registered a 1.1 WAR across 178 games.

That is accompanied by a .211/.289/.349 line and declining defense.

Curry said the Yankees organization "has a great deal of respect for McMahon, but see third base as an area of need."

This alludes to the reality that the Yankees favor feelings and status over correct decision making.

There is no need to preface this any further.

PAT MURPHY'S APOLOGY AND THE FAN BACKLASH

But the biggest story this week is not a trade rumor.

It is the fallout from Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy's viral comment about the Yankees.

Murphy was caught on a hot mic during the Brewers' World Series celebration.

He was talking to former Yankee Jake Bauers, who is about to become a free agent.

Murphy told Bauers to remember how the Yankees played for themselves.

He said, "You rich so and so, you're going to leave us."

Bauers laughed.

Murphy added, "We're not going to be able to pay you. You're going to leave us and you're going to forget all about how we did things."

The clip went viral immediately.

It tapped into a long-standing narrative that the Yankees prioritize money and individual stats over team chemistry.

Murphy later clarified that this was just a running gag between him and Bauers.

He said he was referring to teams with high-paid long-contract players in general, not the 2026 Yankees specifically.

But the damage was done.

Murphy picked up the phone and called Brian Cashman the moment he learned his comments had leaked.

According to the New York Post, Murphy reached out right away to explain that his words were never meant to attack the current Yankees squad.

Murphy said, "I called Brian Cashman right away when I heard it got out."

He had a good conversation with the Yankees general manager.

Murphy told the New York Post that he regrets saying it, but that it was just humor behind the scenes.

WHY FANS ARE MORE ANNOYED AT THE APOLOGY THAN THE INSULT

Here is where the story gets interesting.

Many Yankees fans are not upset at Murphy.

They are upset that he apologized.

The argument is that Murphy said what millions of frustrated Yankee fans have been screaming for years.

The organization has become obsessed with individual statistics, home runs, contracts and analytics.

It seems to have forgotten that baseball is a team sport.

The fundamentals stink.

The accountability is nonexistent.

The same people keep making the same mistakes while Brian Cashman and company tell everyone everything is going to be fine.

The Yankees have not won a World Series since 2009.

All that money. All that talent.

All those promises. And nothing.

Murphy won a World Series in 2026 with a team that played selfless baseball.

His Brewers sacrificed, executed, competed and played for one another.

Meanwhile, the Yankees were sitting at home again.

From that perspective, Murphy was not the problem.

He was simply saying out loud what the organization desperately needs to hear.

Some fans believe Murphy should have doubled down instead of apologizing.

They argue that instead of accepting an apology, Cashman should be asking himself why opposing managers look at his organization this way.

CASHMAN'S ROLE IN THE DRAMA

Brian Cashman has dealt with criticism for decades.

But a direct call from a World Series-winning manager is rare.

The Yankees organization has often dismissed outside noise.