A-Rod for manager? Cash won’t rule anything out
Could the next manager of the Yankees be … A-Rod?! Brian Cashman didn’t rule it out when asked specifically about the candidacy of Alex Rodriguez. But then again, Cashman didn’t rule anyone out, declining to go through specific names.
While being a notorious drug cheat, A-Rod is as astute as anyone when it comes to baseball, and has worked with several Baby Bombers in the past.
“I will stay silent on who the candidates are until they’re in a position to be presented to you on an individual basis,” Cashman said Monday. “I definitely do not want to go through who may or may not be a candidate. And let’s leave it at that.”
The thing is, A-Rod and Cashman have a wild history. Remember when Cashman said A-Rod needs to “Shut the f--k up?” Good times.
A-Rod served as a $21 million special adviser to owner Hal Steinbrenner last season. His contract with the Bombers is now up.
In 2016, Cashman said of A-Rod coaching to ESPN, “I thought it was f--king crazy. He ain’t taking no coaching job.”
Rodriguez is currently a television star, and has been hanging frequently with girlfriend Jennifer Lopez.
It is hard to envision him leaving his glamorous lifestyle and his two daughters on a regular basis for the long grind that is managing a baseball team.
NO HEAVY LIFTING
The Yankees just wrapped up organizational meetings. Here’s how Cashman summed up where the roster stands: “Is there a lot of heavy lifting that’s necessary? No,” the GM said. “But we’re always trying to get better and improve.”
The most obvious hole the Bombers need to fill, Cashman acknowledged, is another starter to add to the mix of Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, Sonny Gray and Jordan Montgomery. CC Sabathia, a free agent, could make sense on a one-year deal. The Yankees will also pursue SP/DH Shohei Otani if he is eligible to play in the majors.
Todd Frazier is another free agent, but there are youngsters like Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar that should merit consideration on the infield as well. Cashman said the Bombers believe the oft-injured Greg Bird can be their everyday first baseman.
It’s possible the Yankees could like to trade a veteran like Jacoby Ellsbury, Chase Headley or Starlin Castro as Hal Steinbrenner is looking to get under the $197 million luxury-tax threshold for 2018.
COVER ATHLETE
Aaron Judge, a finalist for both AL MVP and Rookie of the Year, will be on the cover of the video game MLB: The Show 2018. The 25-year-old right fielder slugged a rookie-record 52 homers for the Bombers this past season. Luis Severino is a finalist for AL Cy Young . ... The Yankees added outfielder Jake Cave and reliever Nick Rumbelow to the 40-man roster.