Cashman once memorably said that as general manager of the Yankees, he doesn't have the luxury of rebuilding the way teams like the Phillies, Cubs and Astros have chosen to. A rough eyeballing of the finances shows why: Last year, when the Yankees won 84 games, they drew 1.15 million more fans than the 71-91 Phillies. Multiply that by some average revenue figure per head and you can at least get an idea of the amount the Yankees earned back by remaining competitive (one unscientific survey in 2016 pegged the average cost of attendance league-wide at around $40 per ticket sold, though the Yankees remain one of the sport's pricier admissions). But spending that kind of money at the margins comes with a significant level of risk. If your team doesn't end up playing well enough to keep people coming through the gates, you better have the cash in reserve or in other revenue streams to make up the difference. The Yankees' market share gives them that ability. The Phillies, whatever their advantages over most of the rest of the major leagues, do not occupy nearly as strong a position as that.