By KYLE ADAMS
Staff Writer
Ten years is a long time to be a manager of the same MLB team. In fact, only five others in history managed the Yankees longer that Joe Girardi did.
Most recently was his predecessor, Joe Torre. Girardi did not have as much success as Torre did in his years at the helm, but Girardi was tasked with managing the end of the careers of the Core 4 and ushering in a new group.
We have seen a similar situation before as Yankees fans. At the end of 1995, Buck Showalter was ousted for Torre. Showalter had helped bring in a new group of talent; names like Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte and Posada.
But as a new group of players emerged, so did the need for a new leader. Although Showalter had helped find these players, Joe Torre was given the reigns to a team that would win 4 titles in 5 years, so perhaps it was the right decision.
We could compare the current Yankee team to play the late 90’s as players that Girardi has helped find and bring along. Judge, Sanchez, Betances, Gregorius, Bird, Hicks, Green, and several other still in the minors. However, Brian Cashman also deserves a lot of the credit for these players.
The question remains though, who’s next? The Yankees are likely to choose someone who places a lot of value on advanced statistics while also being a bit younger and laid back, to have a better relationship with players. These are my top three candidates to replace Girardi:
3. Jose Molina
Molina is 42 years old and played with the Yankees for three seasons from 2007 – 2009. He is not a name that has been thrown out at all, but I think he would be a good choice for several reasons.
He knows how the Yankees system works and he is familiar with those in the organization.
He hasn’t played or coached with the new generation of players, but that comes with the territory of getting a new manager. Catchers are always viewed as favorable managerial candidates as they understand every aspect of the game.
Torre and Girardi were both catchers during their playing days. While Molina hasn’t coached in the big leagues, he has coached during the World Baseball Classic for Puerto Rico.
Having a manager who was known as one of the best defensive catchers in the league may be very beneficial towards getting Gary Sanchez better behind the plate.
Even if they don’t bring him as manager, I still like the idea of having him as a coach or instructor during spring training and throughout the season.
2. Tony Pena
Pena is another former catcher who has been with the Yankees forever, currently serving as the third base coach.
Pena had previously managed the Kansas City Royals and the Dominican Republic, World Baseball Classic team. Unlike an outsider, he will know all of the players and there will be a certain comfort in not having to get used to a new face.
Pena will bring new ideas the Girardi may not have used and will definitely be a plus for being an insider of the organization.
He will be someone who has a close relationship with Cashman and other front office officials.
A con to Pena is that he is on the older side, but his experience within makes up for that.
1. Alex Rodriguez
So the cons to having A-Rod as a manager are numerous and obvious.
There will be a ton of unwanted publicity, simply because it’s A-Rod. The job of the manager is to manage the players, not solely be the show.
However, I’m sure the Yankees will plan for those obstacles if they choose to go this route.
A-Rod is a 42 year-old former superstar. He is currently a special adviser to Brian Cashman, where he assists at spring training and throughout the year in the minor leagues. So, he is familiar with the new group of Yankees.
There is nobody who understands the game as well as him. He understands traditional baseball methods and the new analytics; the best of both worlds.
He can relate to younger players and create a laid back clubhouse.
Most importantly he can teach. He played with some of the best players of the previous generation, on top of actually being one of them.
There is no doubt that he will come with controversy, but his knowledge of the game is unmatched and I think the best route to go.
