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| Photo: Brad Penner |
After 10 seasons, the Yankees have decided to end the Joe Girardi
era in favor of finding a new voice in the changing clubhouse. It will be no
easy task finding a good fit for a team that had surprising success in 2017.
However, Yankees GM Brian Cashman has assured that he will do all that he can to nab the
most qualified candidate. With that said, here are 4 potential contenders for
the open slot that Yankees could consider.
Tony Pena
Pena has been with the Yankees
since 2006 and is well liked and respected by nearly everyone on the team.
Having already established a relationship with the roster, it wouldn't be nearly
as hard of a transition for him or the players. If the Yankees want to keep the
consistency in the clubhouse Tony Pena is the right guy for the job.
Rob Thomson
Like Pena, Thomson also has an extended
tenure with the team, having been with them since 2008. His aggressive, button
pushing coaching style might need to be reined in a bit should he be chosen,
but the players have come to enjoy it over the years, and that does speak
volumes in a baseball setting. The one big thing holding him back is his lack
of experience in handling an entire team, which is a big step for a guy who
spent six seasons as a third base coach (Although he did manage the team twice
in 2008 and was the bench coach for the past two seasons)
Brad Ausmus
Don't be surprised if the
Yankees decide to look in the outer market for a manager. With plenty of names
to choose from the one name that comes to mind is Brad Ausmus. He's a former
Yankees prospect that was lost to the Colorado Rockies in the 92-expansion
draft. Ausmus spent three years as the Tigers manager before being let go this
past season and like Girardi and Pena, was a former major league catcher from
1993-2010. Should the Yankees decide to look elsewhere for a skipper, Ausmus
could be a top contender.
Al Pedrique
Pedrique has spent the past 3
seasons in the Yankees organization managing Class A Tampa and AAA Scranton
Wilkes-Barre. He not only helped the RailRiders win the 2016 AAA championship,
he has also named International League manager of the year the last two seasons.
With so many young players coming up to the majors, Pedrique has also had the
task of handling nearly all the Yankees top prospects, which means he has
an already established relationship with players like Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge
and even Clint Frazier, something that certainly shouldn’t be ignored. If Brian
Cashman does look in house for a candidate, his name just may be at the top of
the list.
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