It sounded like a hint that was littered with dollar signs.
In his season-ending state-of-the-team address with the media on Tuesday, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman strongly suggested the organization will be making free agent-to-be manager Joe Girardi a sizeable contract offer.
“We’re going to give him a real good reason to stay,” Cashman said at Yankee Stadium, “and he’s earned that through his six years with us so far.”
Cashman revealed he met with Girardi over coffee on Monday and is poised to enter more substantive talks on Wednesday when he has lunch with Girardi’s agent, Steve Mandell, in Manhattan.
“I think after [Wednesday] I’ll get a real good feel for where we’re at,” Cashman said.
Girardi’s contract expires Nov. 1, and Cashman said the Yankees unquestionably want him to return.
Girardi is about to complete a three-year $9 million contract, and while the Yankees did not make the playoffs, Girardi is viewed as having done terrific work with his injury-depleted roster, directing an 85-77 team that was not eliminated from playoff contention until the season’s final week.
Cashman gushed about Girardi during Tuesday’s session, and while he doesn’t feel as if 2013 was a better performance than the manager’s other Yankees campaigns, he did offer the following:
“I personally believe that he has been exceptional ever since we’ve had him,” Cashman said.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia is operating on a massive 10-year $50 million contract, but most top managers are believed to be in the $4 million to $5 million-per-season range. Based on Cashman’s hint and the current market, it’s plausible the Yankees could offer Girardi three years for at least $12 million.
“I think he likes it here,” Cashman said. “I’m not speaking for Joe. I think if you’re good at what you do, you’ll have opportunities to stay. He’s definitely going to have that. … But I can’t speak to other opportunities. We can’t control what other options or interests may be out there.”
Indeed, the Cubs fired manager Dale Sveum on Monday, and Girardi is a Peoria, Ill., native who attended Northwestern and played at Wrigley Field for seven seasons. Cashman declined to say whether the
Cubs have requested permission to speak to Girardi or whether he would grant permission if they did. If the Yankees do not, then Girardi cannot speak to other teams until Nov. 1.
Mandell did not answer multiple calls on Wednesday or return a text message.
Girardi, who turns 49 this month, earned the 2006 NL Manager of the Year with the Marlins, led the Yankees to a World Series championship in 2009 and has finished in the top-five of the AL Manager of the Year balloting three times in five seasons, with a chance to make it four in six, depending on this year’s results.
“I think Joe’s been consistent since we had him here,” Cashman said. “The teams have changed. For instance, talent level, health, what he’s had to run out on a daily basis from year to year. The personnel has been different. But his effort and his efforts in pregame, in preparation for each series, how he runs major league spring training as well as getting the 25 that are active competing on a daily basis, I think he’s been consistently tremendous at it.”
Cashman said Girardi’s coaches — who are also free agents-to-be — would be welcome back too, assuming Girardi returns.
— Additional reporting by George A. King III