For as unforgiving and critical Yankees fans are, most understand the complexities of Brian Cashman's job. Even if he was nicest guy of all time, there isn't another team or GM out there that wants to make the New York Yankees better. There isn't an agent that doesn't want to milk them for every last dollar they have.
So that's where the games come in. The slow plays. The "waiting for the market to develop" nonsense. The strategic leaking of contrary information to the media. The declaration of certain stances that may or may not be true.