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September 21, 2008

Every Given Sunday

Winding Down

by John Perrotto

A few months ago, it appeared that there would be wholesale changes made among major league general managers in the offseason, but now that no longer seems to be such a certainty. One team that will definitely have a new GM in 2009 is the Phillies, as Pat Gillick has already announced that he is retiring at the end of the season. It is conceivable, though unlikely, that the Phillies could be the only team to change GMs.

The most interesting GM scenario is playing out in New York, where Brian Cashman, whose contract expires at the end of the season, is finishing his 11^th season on the job and the first without a playoff appearance. While Yankees co-chairperson Hank Steinbrenner has said that he would like to re-sign Cashman, he also wants to establish an advisory group to run the baseball operation. Cashman has been noncommittal about coming back under such a setup, though Yankees sources indicate he would prefer to stay with the only organization he has ever worked for, beginning as an intern in 1988. However, Cashman agreed to his current three-year agreement with owner George Steinbrenner in 2005 only with the stipulation that he have autonomy in baseball decisions.

"I'm certainly not going to make this about me," Cashman said. "I certainly have an operation set up like other operations, where I do have an advisory board. It's my manager. It's my coaching staff. It's our pro scouting director. It's our farm director. It's our amateur scouting director. Those are the advisers that I utilize. But I fully support what the Steinbrenner family feels the proper structure needs to be, and I think they need to set that up. They need to take care of that for themselves. There's no doubt about that."

Hank Steinbrenner has made it clear he is not happy that the Yankees are on the verge of missing the postseason for the first time since 1993, and have not won a World Series since 2001. "If Brian stays on as GM, that doesn't mean he won't be the number one guy," Steinbrenner said. "But the fact is, the more opinions the better. I think that's probably the best way. It worked in the '90s and it can work again."

There have been season-long rumors linking Cashman with the Phillies' and Mariners' GM jobs, but Cashman has consistently declined to talk about those openings, saying, "I already have a job." While the consensus is that Cashman and the Steinbrenners will make it work again, there is no doubt that he would move to the front of the line for the vacancies with the Phillies and Mariners.