From the inside, this Yankees’ quarter-season has been all about validation. So it should not surprise you the man running things wants to keep moving forward on all fronts.
Robinson Cano, having risen to the challenge of being the Yankees’ main guy, is moving forward with the hopes of spending his entire career in The Bronx.
The $189 million payroll for 2014 is more in play than ever.
And manager Joe Girardi? Well, he’ll have to wait a while longer for his new contract. Yet there couldn’t be less doubt about his future in a Yankees uniform.
Hal Steinbrenner dispersed only good cheer during a chat yesterday following the quarterly owners’ meetings at Major League Baseball’s Manhattan headquarters. He professed hope the Yankees’ stunningly successful start is real and will lead to many other good things.
“There are a lot of great stories on this team,” the Yankees’ managing general partner said. “It’s fun to watch, it really is. They’re scrappy.
“Coming back from behind, it seems like at certain times in the past, it’s just not something you had confidence in.’’
Now, [Tuesday night] against Felix [Hernandez], against [Seattle’s] bullpen, which is good, [they came back].”
Cano might be the Yankees’ MVP so far, which is what the team hoped to see when so many other star players went down with injuries. Steinbrenner revealed the club has held “several” conversations with Cano’s new agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, whom Cano joined (along with Jay-Z, who is not yet certified by the Players Association) after leaving Scott Boras. Steinbrenner shared his hope the Yankees could keep Cano from exploring free agency this offseason.
“I still have the faith that the player has a big say in it, and I know that Robbie wants to be here,” Steinbrenner said. “And Robbie knows we want him to be here. We want him to end his career here. I think to me, whether I’m right or not, that plays a big part in it, regardless of who the agent is. But we’re going to continue trying to push ahead and try to get something done. We want him to be a Yankee.”
The Yankees know should they land Cano, his very large salary would increase the difficulty of getting the team payroll under $189 million next season, which would enable the Yankees to bypass the luxury tax and set them up for a possible rebate. Steinbrenner said the Yankees’ success in the first quarter of this season has strengthened his resolve that general manager Brian Cashman and Girardi could succeed with a reduced payroll.
“I always believed it could work if the young players, as I’ve been saying all along, pan out and do their job,” Steinbrenner said of the payroll cut. “We still have [Michael] Pineda coming back, so we’ll see how he does. I think he’s going to do great. But the key is going to be the young players stepping up and really making contributions like they’re doing right now.”
Girardi is working in the last year of his contract, and Steinbrenner said that, as has been his general policy (with an exception now being made for Cano), he wouldn’t address his manager’s job status until the conclusion of the season. Yet Steinbrenner is clearly satisfied with the performances of Girardi and Cashman.
“We all have to concentrate and focus on our job right now,” Steinbrenner said. “We all have to concentrate on what’s important. There’s a long road ahead. And that’s not going to surprise Joe to hear me say that. He knows that.
“But Joe has done a great job. There’s no doubt about it. We all like Joe. We’ll all sit down and figure out what to do after the season ends, hopefully in early November.”
Steinbrenner even expressed optimism the Yankees’ attendance, down considerably from last year (3,552 per game entering last night, according to Baseball-Reference.com), would improve with the weather. Oh, andAnd in terms of staying the course, he said he isn’t selling the Yankees.
“Absolutely not selling the team,” he said. “Have not been talking to anybody about selling the team. Have no intention of selling the team. What would I do?”
Well, there are plenty of things he could do. Right now, though, Steinbrenner doesn’t want to start from scratch when his plan is going so well.