They’ll manage
Lack of skipper should not hurt Yanks’ Ohtani quest
Nowhere on Shohei Ohtani’s list of questions to all 30 MLB clubs distributed by commissioner Rob Manfred’s office Friday was an inquiry about the status of a manager.
That’s understandable because 29 of the 30 teams have managers in place, with the Yankees the lone club without one as the search for Joe Girardi’s replacement continues.
Ohtani’s representatives want to know what the teams think of the 23-year-old, two-way superstar’s talent as a pitcher and hitter. Ohtani’s people are curious about player development programs, medical training, and facilities, how Ohtani will assimilate into a team’s city and to relay to him why a particular team is a desirable to play for.
Since it’s possible Ohtani doesn’t have to decide who he is going to play for possibly until Dec. 23, the Yankees currently not having a manager isn’t a crisis.
Yet, the Nippon-Ham Fighters are expected to post Ohtani on Friday or Saturday after MLB owners are expected to approve the new posting agreement with Nippon Professional Baseball on Friday. After Ohtani is posted, clubs can pay the $20 million posting fee. Ohtani will then pick a team from that field and begin negotiating. That team’s $20 million, which doesn’t count against MLB’s luxury-tax threshold, goes to the Ham Fighters and the other MLB clubs get their $20 million back.
As Ohtani tracks the process, it’s likely he would want to know the Yankees’ managerial plans. Will the new manager support or oppose Ohtani’s wishes to be a starting pitcher and every-day hitter? Or can Ohtani count on general manager Brian Cashman’s assessment of the situation to jive with whoever replaces Girardi?
The Yankees, Dodgers, Rangers and Mariners are believed to have the best chance to sign Ohtani, who was limited to five starts and 65 games in the field this past season because of thigh and ankle injuries. With $3.535 million in international pool money, the Rangers have the most to offer Ohtani in a signing bonus. The Yankees are second with $3.5 million and some believe Ohtani can make up the difference with endorsements in the New York market.
As for the managerial search, the Yankees have interviewed Rob Thomson, Eric Wedge, Hensley Meulens, Aaron Boone and Chris Woodward. It’s a possibility that group could be reduced to two this week with the finalists traveling to Tampa to meet with Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees’ managing general partner, and other family members.
While it was believed Cashman had a preferred candidate in mind when he let Girardi go Oct. 24, he has seemingly moved through the process with an open mind.
Only Wedge, who managed the Indians and Mariners, has big league managerial experience. Thomson, Meulens and Woodward have been big league coaches. Boone hasn’t coached and currently works as a broadcaster for ESPN.