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Yankees News: Hal Steinbrenner on the Future of the team, Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi on the Hot Seat?

By Michael Cambria

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If New York Yankees fans have any indication that Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi are on the hot seat as they enter the 2015 season, they should quickly think otherwise.

Hal Steinbrenner told Joel Sherman of the New York Post on Wednesday that general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi aren’t in danger – yet – of losing their jobs after a second consecutive season of missing the playoffs.

“We are at the beginning of the season, no one is on a hot seat right now,” Steinbrenner said in an interview with Sherman. “I am absolutely comfortable with Cashman and Girardi.”

Steinbrenner admitted that injuries, in particular the ones that decimated nearly the entire Yankees pitching staff, were responsible for much of the teams struggles during the 2014 season. Masahiro Tanaka (elbow), CC Sabathia (knee), Michael Pineda (shoulder), and Ivan Nova (Tommy John) all spent significant time on the disabled list, two of which has season ending surgeries.

“I don’t blame anyone for that,” Steinbrenner said.

Steinbrenner backed his general manager for being ‘a smart guy’ who ‘made some great trades’ before the MLB trade deadline last season. Cashman had the wits to acquire Brandon McCarthy, Martin Prado, Stephen Drew and Chase Headley  before July. Both Headley and Drew were re-signed over the winter during the offseason. Martin Prado was dealt to the Marlins with David Phelps in exchange for right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, left-hand hitter Garrett Jones and prospect pitcher Domingo German. Brandon McCarthy signed with the Dodgers as a free-agent.

But, as we all know, this is still a Steinbrenner running the Yankees, and like his old-man, Hal’s patience can only last for so long. Yes, Brian Cashman did sign a three-year extension last October and Joe Girardi is entering the second year of a four-year contract, but should the Yankees slide down hill in a hurry in 2015, I doubt Hall will hesitate in shaking things up.

“It would be horrible not to make the playoffs three years in a row,” Steinbrenner told Sherman. “We’d be embarrassed. So anything [firings/managerial changes] would be on the table, yes.”

There were plenty of other questions in the interview.

When told he was about to get a familiar question, Steinbrenner didn’t even wait for it: “The family is not selling the team. We have no intentions of selling the team. You can quote me on that. I am not sure why everyone continues to ask that. The Steinbrenner family is not selling a majority stake in the New York Yankees. We are not going anywhere.”

Steinbrenner also took some time during the interview to recap what the Yankees said in a statement after Steinbrenner and fellow top executives met with Alex Rodriguez. He said Rodriguez apologized, all concerns were aired and “it is time to focus on baseball.”

“That is really all I am interested in right now, and I told him this, we want to get Alex Rodriguez through spring training healthy so he can contribute,” Steinbrenner said. “It is my same wish for the other 24 players. That’s it. I am not going to dwell on the past. I am not a grudge holder. It is just not my personality. If he can contribute and be healthy, he will be an asset and he will contribute.”

What do you make of all of this Yankee fans? Let us know in the comments below!

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