Brian Cashman let Joe Girardi go over inability to connect with players
After a surprisingly strong season, the New York Yankees should be heading into the winter with nothing but positive vibes. But by parting ways with Joe Girardi, there’s now some drama as the team prepares to build on their 2017 American League Championship Series appearance.
General manager Brian Cashman addressed some of the issues surrounding the team letting go of Girardi on Monday. He said the decision was mostly about Girardi having trouble communicating with his players.
Brian Cashman said that his issues were with Joe Girardi's ability to "engage, communicate and connect with playing personnel."
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) November 6, 2017
That’s not really a shock, as that had been reported in the hours after Girardi was let go. But Cashman finally talking about it confirmed all those reports were correct.
That came as news to Girardi, who said he didn’t think his relationship with his players was an issue.
Girardi on relationship with players: “I thought it was really good.” Mentioned texts and tweets from players after news broke. #yankees
— David Lennon (@DPLennon) November 6, 2017
As a result, Cashman said communication will be stressed as part of the Yankees’ managerial search. Hey, we’ve heard Dusty Baker is pretty good in the clubhouse.
That doesn’t seem likely, though it’s worth noting Cashman wouldn’t rule out any specific names. Even when asked about Alex Rodriguez, Cashman wouldn’t straight up say “no.”
Cashman asked if he’d consider A-Rod. Said he wouldn’t comment on who may or may not be a candidate.
— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) November 6, 2017
Keep in mind, this is the same guy who once told A-Rod to “shut the [expletive] up” and called the idea of A-Rod as a coach “[expletive] crazy.” We don’t actually think A-Rod will get consideration, but it’s a little strange Cashman is being so secretive about the process.
Then again, the team will make sure every single candidate meets with the media following their interviews, so maybe Cashman will consider A-Rod just so the media can grill him with questions. It would make for an entertaining reality show, at least.
As for Girardi, he believes he’ll likely wind up in a broadcast booth in 2018. While his resume speaks loudly, the move makes sense. The Yankees are the only team with a current opening. Unless a team fires its manager in hopes that Girardi will come aboard, he’ll end up as a commentator.
Considering every situation in the league, it could take Girardi the entire year to hook on with a new club. The main reason teams fire managers early in the year is because the club is awful. Girardi should be highly coveted by a number of organizations, so will he really want to manage the Cincinnati Reds in May when he can wait for a more promising team to open a spot next November?
Given the back-and-forth nature of the situation, it’s tough to know whether Girardi’s communication was a legitimate issue or whether those concerns were overblown. If it’s any consolation to Girardi, he’ll get a chance to prove Cashman wrong when he gets his second chance … and that should come soon.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
