MLB

Piniella’s exit could lure Girardi to Chicago

Joe Girardi (Paul J. Bereswill)

Joe Girardi’s free agency be came a little more interesting yesterday when Lou Piniella announced his retirement as Cubs manager, effective at the conclusion of the season.

It had been assumed for a while that this would be Piniella’s final season as Cubs manager, especially because this year has gone so horribly wrong for the team. But now it is definitive that Chicago will be looking for a new manager, and there is little doubt Girardi would be near the top of any dream list. In fact, he might be the front-runner.

However, like the Yankees’ other prominent free agents — Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera — the assumption has been that the Yanks will want Girardi back, and what the Yanks want they almost always get.

But Cliff Lee did slip from their grasp, and it should be remembered that Girardi still has strong ties to both Chicago and the Cubs; the team is now owned by the Ricketts family, and word around baseball is that the new ownership is planning to spend big on the team, including on a manager if necessary; and don’t forget that Girardi described the Yankees as his “dream” job after the 2007 season, but kept negotiating with the Dodgers even after the Yanks made an offer, as a way to gain a better contract.

Translation: The Cubs will at least give Girardi leverage if he wants.

“I don’t think about it,” Girardi said yesterday. “I don’t look ahead. I have a job to do here. I love it here.”

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said: “I am not going to talk about it. We’ll talk with Joe Girardi at the right time. It is not something I want to get wrapped up with, right now.”

The Yankee policy when it comes to free agents is to let their contracts expire before renegotiating. But it has been assumed that Girardi would be retained on a new contract with a strong raise. He became a championship manager last year, and is well-liked by both Cashman and the Steinbrenner family.

In addition, in the aftermath of George Steinbrenner’s death, it became obvious how much Steinbrenner and his family mean to Girardi. Also, Girardi has put down roots in Westchester and has his children in school there.

“The [Steinbrenner] family has treated me great, Brian Cashman treats me great and the coaches work great here,” Girardi said. “This is a great organization.”

However, there will be powerful pulls from the Second City. Girardi was born and raised in Peoria and attended Northwestern. He was drafted by and broke in with the Cubs from 1989-92, and returned to the Cubs from 2000-2002. Girardi’s wife, Kim, is from Illinois, and Girardi still owns a property in the state.