On the Yankees beat

In the Gary Sheffield sweepstakes, which has been heating up, the Yankees are open to all types of packages, an official from another American League team told Newsday. General manager Brian Cashman, who was unavailable for comment yesterday, is willing to accept a package of prospects, bullpen help or a starter, the official added.

Oh, and in case you're wondering why the Yankees' 2007 coaching staff hasn't been officially announced, the Yankees are waiting to see what happens with Tony Pena and the Nationals. He has already interviewed for their managerial opening, but they seem to be headed in a different direction.

The Gary Sheffield situation should end this week with the Yankees happily sending him packing elsewhere for a minor-leaguer or two. Also this week, the Yankees will likely officially announce their 2007 coaching staff, and perhaps they will even begin the process of negotiating a new contract for Mike Mussina. But if you're eager to look ahead past all of that, to next season and beyond, why don't you check out Phil Hughes' new Web site, which just hit the Web.

What do you think? The right move? Do you like the thought that Don Mattingly is next in line to be manager, maybe even by 2008? (Of course Joe Girardi could have something to say about that, being that he likely will be a YES broadcaster next season.)

Manager Mattingly. It's got a ring to it. I remember him telling me way back in spring training -- feels like ages ago -- that he has always thought about managing, even as far back as his playing days. He always watched his managers, taking note of how they handled situations. Hopefully he rid his mind of memories of Stump Merrill, or Bucky Dent.

Here's our story from today's paper...

(We just posted this exclusive story on the Web site. More later.)

By Jim Baumbach & Ken Davidoff

Don Mattingly will replace Lee Mazzilli as Yankees bench coach, people with knowledge of the situation told Newsday today.

The promotion brings Mattingly one important step closer to the manager’s seat and solidifies him as the favorite to be Joe Torre’s successor. Torre’s contract expires after next season.

Mazzilli’s run as Yankees bench coach ends after only one season. He was the Yankees first-base coach from 2000-03 before spending a season and a half as the Baltimore Orioles manager.

General manager Brian Cashman, who spent a second consecutive day in meetings with his professional scouts at Yankee Stadium, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Mattingly joined the Yankees coaching staff in 2004 as their hitting coach, a job he’s held for three straight seasons, after spending the previous eight years with his family in Indiana.

So here's the scoop on Sheff:

The Yankees have not yet officially picked up Gary Sheffield’s $13 million 2007 option, although they “probably will” in due time, a person familiar with the situation told Newsday. Multiple reports this morning, stemming from a story on USA Today’s Web site last night, stated the Yankees informed Sheffield that they picked up the option.

Continue reading this story...

Okay, let's hold the phone on Gary Sheffield for a second. He's angry. We understand that. We all knew that was coming. But let's wait just a second before we believe the Yankees have officially told him they are picking up the option. That might have happened, but I don't believe it just yet.

The Yankees have until Nov. 5 or five days after the World Series ends -- whichever date comes first -- to pick up or decline the option. They are expected to pick it up and trade him, even if it's for a bag of baseballs, because that way they can determine where he goes and at least get something in return.

The Yankees don't typically tip their hand on these decisions, especially to the player. And especially to a player like Sheffield who was guaranteed to react negatively. The USA Today story starts out, "New York Yankees slugger Gary Sheffield, informed Wednesday that the Yankees will pick up his $13 million option in 2007, was angry by the decision, hoping instead the Yankees would let him go."

Maybe that sentence means the Yankees told Sheffield. Or maybe that means the reporter told him. I'm going to wait until we hear it from the Yankees, or at least Sheffield's attorney, Rufus Williams. I called Williams yesterday, as I'm sure many reporters did, and he didn't return the call. I'll let you know when I hear...

Forget about Joe Girardi as a Yankee coach. Ken Davidoff reports from St. Louis:

Joe Girardi has decided to stay off the field for a year and spend next season as a broadcaster, a person familiar with the situation told Newsday today. The YES Network is believed to be one of his broadcasting options.

Continue reading...

Good news for Mazz.

Newsday's Ken Davidoff spoke with Joe Girardi last night before Game 3 and this is what the former Yankees catcher said about where he may work next season:

"I've talked to some about managing opportunities. I've talked about some broadcasting opportunities," he said. "But I have not talked to the Yankees about coaching." Asked whether he would consider such a job, Girardi responded, "Until someone approaches me, I don't even think about those kinds of opportunities."

I spoke with Lee Mazzilli last night and he said he had not heard anything and insisted he wasn't worried for his job. As for Girardi, I'm simply reading between the lines in his quotes, but it sure sounds as if he is weighing the merits of television jobs that offer him more family time or more time-consuming coaching gigs. We'll know soon.

Joe Girardi pulled himself out of contention for the Washington Nationals manager's job, bringing him closer to a return to the Yankees bench.

Here's the story, from The Washington Post.

Deep down in the story Girardi said the Yankees didn't factor into his decision. Whether you want to believe Girardi, well, that's your choice.

"That has nothing to do with it," Girardi told the paper. "I have too much respect for Joe Torre to ever think like that. I think Joe should manage as long as he wants. I had no thoughts about the Yankees in making this decision."

BY JIM BAUMBACH
STAFF WRITER

Putting together the Yankees' 2007 coaching staff is on general manager Brian Cashman's agenda for this week, and there is an expectation within the organization that there will be some change.

Each coach has an expiring contract. Hitting coach Don Mattingly, third-base coach Larry Bowa and first-base coach Tony Peña all appear to be secure, but bench coach Lee Mazzilli appears less so.

Continue reading...

I'm not saying Mazz is out, however, all I kept hearing yesterday was that his return is no given and I couldn't get anyone to deny it. Interesting to see how this plays out...

Hope everyone had a good weekend. I did. Now let's get back to business. Near the top of Brian Cashman's agenda this week is putting the 2007 coaching staff together, and I'm wondering what all of you think. Should there be changes? If so, which coach or coaches should go? And do you do everything you can to add Joe Girardi?

Blog regular cs06 brought up this question not too long ago in the comments section: Who would Yankees fans rather see win a WS ring? Jeff Weaver or Kenny Rogers?

So this entry here may rub some regulars here the wrong way, but... Kudos to the Mets for a successful season. I was at the game last night to help out our coverage and was impressed by the energy in the stadium. What a real classic game, too.

Some observations:

-- Jerry Seinfeld is smaller and thinner in person.
I didn't have a seat in the press box so I spent a large portion of the game walking around the stadium, and I passed Seinfeld as he walked swiftly to his box seat behind the Cards dugout. I should mention, I have seen Seinfeld in person once before and he was rather obnoxious. Long story short: I was driving on the Northern State one day several years ago and noticed Seinfeld driving a sporty car to my right. We were in traffic and his window was open, so I rolled down my passenger window and called out to him. He turned left, looked at me, smiled, showed me his index finger and then promptly used that index finger to close his window. Ouch!

-- Carlos Beltran can't end the season by looking at strike three. Can't do it.

-- Mets fans love Willie Randolph. Every time he showed his face, he was cheered. And I thought he managed the game well. Can't blame him for using Aaron "Start me or Trade me" Heilman in the ninth, not with the pitcher's spot coming up that inning.

-- What a catch by Endy Chavez. At that point I was in the leftfield corner of the loge section and off the bat I was sure it was gone. My vision of the wall was blocked, so you could imagine my surprise when I saw the ball being thrown in for the double play. Amazing catch. Of the catches I've seen, it's probably second only to Jeter's catch-and-leap-into-the-stands against Boston. Maybe even as good. ... And just a thought, remember when the Yankees were looking under rocks for a centerfielder to replace Bernie Williams during the 2005 season? They would have loved to have taken Chavez at the time.

-- And David Wright deserves some heat for a rough series.

-- Tough to get up for a Cardinals-Tigers World Series.
I say Tigers in four, a third straight American League sweep.
Your thoughts?

Going to be interesting to see what happens with Washington's manager's job, considering the potential ramifications in Yankeeland.

Joe Girardi has interviewed twice, according to The Washington Post, but the Nationals remain quiet, apparently intent on interviewing others, including Yankees first base coach Tony Pena.

If Pena gets the job, that opens a spot on the Yankees coaching staff and it's definitely very possible Girardi is back in pinstripes working for Joe Torre. And with next season being Torre's last year under contract, having both Girardi and Mattingly on the staff will set the stage for quite the competition to become Torre's successor.

I know we're getting ahead of ourselves a touch, but what's a blog for? So, I ask the question. Who do you prefer as the next Yankees manager? Girardi or Mattingly?

* Jason Giambi will have arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist tomorrow.

* Randy Johnson will have surgery to repair his herniated disc next Thursday.

* Workhorse Scott Proctor had an MRI on his right elbow this week, concerned about a clicking noise, but the test came back fine. Credit MLB.com with that nugget.

* The Yankees won't gather their top team officials for their typical start-of-offseason organizational meetings like they have in past years. It's Brian Cashman show, and he said earlier today that he already has met with his Tampa-based officials, and that he will gather his pro scouts later on to prepare for free agency and trades.

* Went to the Holiday Inn in Bohemia today to listen to Yankee executive Ray Negron speak to a group of Suffolk County educators about his new children's book, The Boy of Steel. Negron has done everything in baseball, from batboy to agent to scout to his current job as a special consultant to George Steinbrenner. And now he has dedicated his life to today's youth, saying he wants to give them hope that they can do whatever they want in life. All proceeds of his book will go to cancer research.

Okay, so with the Cubs hiring Lou Piniella, the chances Alex Rodriguez gets traded this off-season just got a whole lot better. And now it's all most Yankees fans want to talk about, understandably. So let's get in on it and take some predictions. Come Opening Day, will A-Rod be playing for the Yankees, the Cubs or some other team?

I say Yankees.

Here's an email from the Yankees...

"The Yankees announced today that infielders Andy Cannizaro and Nick Green have been outrighted to Triple-A Scranton and that Green has elected free agency. Additionally, catcher Sal Fasano (whose contract extended through 2006) has also elected to become a free agent."
Funny to see Triple-A Scranton, right?

Also funny to see Fasano without his mustache. In any event, the Yankees are now officially in the market for a backup catcher. Bring John Flaherty out of booth? :)

Lou won't be hovering over Torre next season.

Newsday's Ken Davidoff has the scoop:

Lou Piniella will be in Chicago today, Newsday has learned, to wrap up contract negotiations to become the Cubs' new manager. An announcement could be made as soon as today at Wrigley Field, according to a person familiar with the situation.

I was looking at the stat page in my newspaper over my morning coffee today and was surprised to see the NHL regular season has already begun... Caught me by surprise.

Here's my five ways to fix the Yankees this offseason. Read my reasoning here.

1. Keep A-Rod
2. Sign Daisuke Matsuzaka, at all costs.
3. Let Sheffield leave -- but not to Boston.
4. Melky stays, and plays.
5. Give Hughes a chance.

If the Yankees do decide to trade A-Rod against my recommendation, here are the possible trade partners, brought to you by Newsday's Ken Davidoff.

Thought you might enjoy this. Here's part of his most recent journal entry posted three days ago on A-Rod's personal Web site.

"After we were eliminated on Saturday, the media asked me a lot of questions regarding my future in New York -- whether I want to leave, or if I will be traded, etc. I will tell you what I told them: I am 100 percent committed to being a Yankee now and in the future. I don't want to play anywhere else. I never have (and never will) run away from the responsibility I have to this team. I believe I am part of the solution to winning a championship here. I want to finish my career in New York."

Watching Carlos Beltran rip a laser of a two-run homer last night, which drove in the only runs in the Mets' 2-0 Game 1 win over the Cardinals, made me think back to the 2004 offseason when Beltran was a free agent. The assumption by everyone inside and outside baseball was that the Yankees were going to be hot and heavy over Beltran, considering Bernie Williams' decline as a centerfielder. But when it came time for Scott Boras' sweepstakes, the Yankees were basically a bystander. Sure you could argue the Yankees signed Johnny Damon a year later, which has helped everybody forget about Beltran. But in retrospect now, do you wish the Yankees inked Beltran?

I have to admit, I'm feeling a range of emotions today. Covering Cory Lidle's tragic death has been very sad, and troubling, too. I mean, I was there in the group of reporters surrounding him Sunday as he spoke openly with us about the end of the season, and his plans for the future. He had this way of really looking you in the eyes and slightly smiling when he spoke. It was very genuine and real, unlike many of the millionaire ballplayers we cover. He really was a regular guy. And to think, when he spoke with us that day, he had no clue that he had only two more days to live. So scary. So creepy. So sad.

My workday was spent compiling a profile of Cory Lidle, on and off the field.

Here is Newsday's complete coverage.

Just got off the phone with Cory's agent, Jordan Feagan, who had just heard from the Yankees that Cory was in fact on the plane that crashed in Manhattan today. He was breaking up, understandably, having worked with Cory for about a decade. "He just wasn't my client. Probably my closest friend." He then asked to leave the phone call because he had to get in touch with Cory's wife. So sad, so sad.

Here's the stories from Torre's "I'm coming back" news conference:

Torre gets stern warning from Boss

Wallace Matthews: Boss, Torre lacked guts

Shaun Powell: Ta' care, A-Rod

Cashman on A-Rod's status

Notebook on Randy's surgery, Matsuzaka news, and more.

Piniella glad Torre is staying

Neil Best on the tabloid wars

Randy Johnson is likely to have back surgery soon.

More info to come later.

“I spoke to Joe Torre today and I told him, ‘You’re back for the year. I expect a great deal from you and the entire team. I have high expectations and I want to see enthusiasm, a fighting spirit and a team that works together. The responsibility is yours, Joe, and all of the Yankees.’ Yes, I am deeply disappointed about our loss this year, we have to do better. And I deeply want a championship. It’s about time.”

Joe Torre stepped to a microphone at Yankee Stadium at 1:10 p.m. and announced that he had just gotten off the phone with George Steinbrenner and will be the Yankees manager in 2007.

It's a circus here, worse than last year. We're 43 minutes from Torre's news conference and the Stadium is packed with media members. There are maybe 10 television cameras awaiting his arrival outside. The press dining room, where the news conference will be held, is filled with another, oh, maybe 15 cameras. And I'd guesstimate there are 50 journalists here right now. Surely that number will rise.

Joe Torre will address reporters at Yankee Stadium at 1 p.m. "to wrap up the season," according to a Yankees spokesman. No announcement about his status for next season will be made, the spokesman said, but of course Torre will address this cloud that has been hovering over him... I'll send you an update as soon as I can.

While Yankees officials were engaged in private conversations discussing Joe Torre's fate, a bizarre scene took place on the streets of Manhattan.

Reporters who were staking out George Steinbrenner at his uptown hotel noticed Alex Rodriguez enter a restaurant down the street and were faced with a decision: wait out Alex, or continue to wait for George?

As it turns out, Rodriguez wasn't worth the wait. After he was done eating he refused to talk. And not long later Steinbrenner came out and announced he hadn't decided anything yet. He then left to catch a flight to Tampa.

At Yankee Stadium for the second day of locker cleanout. Here's where we stand:

* George Steinbrenner refused to give Joe Torre a vote of confidence yesterday, and did not deny he would like to fire Torre and replace him with Lou Piniella. It seems GM Brian Cashman will have a lot of convincing to do in order to retain Torre -- and that's if Torre still wants to come back under these working conditions.

* Torre's coaches vehemently backed Torre, as expected.

* In an odd twist, Steinbrenner said Gary Sheffield's return hurt the team's chemistry, and Sheffield threw Torre under the bus, all but blaming him for the Game 4 loss.

"I am deeply disappointed at our being eliminated so early in the playoffs. The result is not acceptable to me nor to all our great and loyal fans. I want to congratulate the Detroit Tigers organization and wish them well. Rest assured we will go back to work immediately and try to right this sad failure and provide a championship for the Yankees, as is our goal every year."

Steinbrenner declined to comment on personnel decisions, his publicist said.

Also, pitching coach Ron Guidry and first-base coach Tony Pena both strongly discouraged Steinbrenner from firing Torre. (Guidry also said he wants to return as pitching coach.) More on that, with quotes, later.

... not much is happening. There are about 40 journalists outside Yankee Stadium awaiting Joe Torre's arrival, which I can't see happening today. The only players to show up to clean their locker today so far have been Kyle Farnsworth, Scott Proctor and Andy Phillips. And there have been no Lou Piniella sightings, if you're wondering.

By Jim Baumbach and Ken Davidoff

George Steinbrenner would like to fire Joe Torre in the wake of their latest postseason collapse but no decision has made just yet, according to several people familiar with the situation.

Yankees officials are expected to hold meetings to discuss the fate of Torre as early as later today, with Steinbrenner favorite Lou Piniella representing the hands-down favorite to replace Torre.

Sources expect this situation to be the first real test of how deep general manager Brian Cashman’s increased power runs in the organization, considering he is one of Torre’s fiercest backers.

After the Yankees were eliminated by the Tigers Saturday, Cashman said he believed Torre would return for the final year of his three-year, $19.2-million contract. But Cashman also said he was not the highest-ranking voice in the organization, obviously.

“Obviously I have people above me,” Cashman said. “But the question came to me and I’m answering it as I see it.” Cashman did not immediately respond today to an e-mail seeking comment.

By now you probably know there is a report the Yankees are planning to replace Joe Torre with Lou Piniella. I can't speak to the validity of it just yet, but this much is certain: this is the first real big test of Brian Cashman's power in the organization.

After the Yankees lost yesterday, Cashman acted as if it was a no brainer Torre would return for the final year of his three-year, $19.2-million deal. "Obviously I have people above me," he said. "But the question came to me and I'm answering it as I see it."

I'm in the Detroit airport terminal awaiting my flight home, and clearly a long day is ahead of me. I'll make sure to send along updates as fast as they come.

One other thing. If it's Piniella, no one should be surprised because of his relationship with George Steinbrenner. I met Piniella for the first time at a promotional event last November, and looking back now his words that day are even more interesting...

November 10, 2005 Thursday

HEADLINE: Needs a Boss?
Piniella's enjoying life right now but would talk with Steinbrenner

BY JIM BAUMBACH
STAFF WRITER

Of course Lou Piniella wants to manage again, but he stressed yesterday that's not on his mind right now. He's thinking more about what he has planned for the next month, stuff like golfing, fishing, skiing . . . and lunching with old friend George Steinbrenner.

They don't have a date planned yet, but Piniella told The Boss when they bumped into each other last Friday night at a Tampa restaurant that they have to catch up.

As long as Piniella remains without a manager's job, he will always be viewed as the Yankees' manager-in-waiting because of a long relationship with Steinbrenner. While Piniella said he feels "awkward" about how it looks, he's not going away anytime soon.

"I'm a free agent. I can go see Mr. Steinbrenner," Piniella said, laughing. "But I'm not interested in anything. I can just see him as a friend, talk baseball, or business, or whatever he wants to talk about and enjoy his company. Nothing more, nothing less."

Piniella and Steinbrenner both live in the Tampa area, so they have run into each other countless times. Piniella, however, said he never really felt all that comfortable conversing with Steinbrenner while he was managing another team.

With that no longer an issue, Piniella hopes they'll reconnect.

"George and I go back a long ways," Piniella said, speaking before a promotional engagement for Hyatt Hotels. "Our families, we've stayed in touch. We're friends. When I worked for him, he was tough on me, but he's a friend. He gave me a wonderful opportunity over here that I've always appreciated. He knows that."

But Piniella refused to speculate on his chances to succeed Joe Torre, even when it was mentioned that Torre has said he expects he will be finished managing when his contract expires in two years. "Two years is a long time from now," Piniella said.

What Piniella was clear about is that he wants to manage again because he doesn't want to go out with three consecutive seasons of 90-plus losses with the Devil Rays.

Piniella said he didn't pursue any of the open jobs this year because he feels he needs "a hiatus," and wants to find "the right situation." So what exactly is that? "I'm not interested in any sort of rebuilding situation, just someone interested in winning," he said.

Piniella enjoyed doing color commentary of the ALCS for Fox, and believes he will spend this season doing television work for one of the networks. He hopes a one-year contract will keep his name out of the newspapers as a midseason replacement for Torre.

And Piniella will see Torre at a managers' forum they're doing Tuesday with Willie Randolph and Whitey Herzog at Montclair State, which Yogi Berra set up to raise money for underprivileged kids. If he's asked, he plans to praise the man he may succeed.

"I have a lot of respect for the guy," he said. "That's a tough job he has. They give you a chance to win, but there are expectations . . . A lot of things need to fall right."

If this stays this way, and why should we believe otherwise down 7-0, what should the Yankees do this offseason? Fire Joe Torre? Trade A-Rod? Contract the franchise?