According to multiple sources, Kevin Long and the Yankees have agreed to a three-year deal that runs concurrent with the pact manager Joe Girardi recently signed.
Long, the hitting coach whose three-year deal worth about $1.2 million expired yesterday, will receive a raise. Next season will be Long’s sixth handling Yankees hitters.
General manager Brian Cashman said earlier this week that getting Girardi’s deal done — he signed a three-year deal worth $9 million — was the first priority, then he wanted to get the coaches’ contracts taken care of. It is believed third-base coach Rob Thomson, first-base coach Mick Kelleher and bench coach Tony Pena will return. All of their contracts expired yesterday.
Bullpen coach Mike Harkey is a strong candidate to take over for pitching coach Dave Eiland; Single-A Staten Island manager Josh Paul would become the bullpen coach.
Meanwhile, the Yankees will hold the first round of organizational meetings today in Tampa, where preliminary plans for the offseason will be drawn up. Cashman will meet with Hal and Hank Steinbrenner for two days.
After the personnel needs are presented to ownership, the baseball operations staff will wait until after the World Series ends for the Steinbrenners to give Cashman an idea of how much money will be available to re-sign Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera and chase superstar free agent Cliff Lee.
Unlike in the past, Jeter, Rivera and Lee will automatically become free agents five days after the final World Series out is made. It used to be 15 days and the player had to file for free agency.
It will take plenty of money — even if Jeter takes a pay cut from the 10-year, $189 million contract that recently expired. Jeter has not said what he is looking for in a new deal, but the number of years could be more of an issue than the money for the 36-year-old shortstop who hit a career-low .270 this past season.
Rivera, who will turn 41 later this month, is likely to seek a two-year deal after making $15 million this past season.
Lee will shoot high in free agency, and some believe the 32-year-old lefty will look for CC Sabathia (seven years for $161 million) money.