The New York Yankees haven't won a World Series since 2009, a drought Brian Cashman attributes to an American League rival.

Cashman disputed the notion that the Yankees are in a prolonged title skid and cited the 2017 team that lost in the ALCS to the Houston Astros, who were eventually sanctioned by Major League Baseball for illicitly stealing opposing teams' signs.

"The only thing that stopped [the 2017 Yankees] was something that was so illegal and horrific," Cashman told The Athletic.

"So I get offended when I start hearing we haven't been to the World Series since '09. Because I'm like, 'Well, I think we actually did it the right way.' Pulled it down, brought it back up. Drafted well, traded well, developed well, signed well. The only thing that derailed us was a cheating circumstance that threw us off."