Yankees Manager Joe Girardi Is In Control Of His Own Destiny

Yankees manager Joe Girardi is on the bubble this season with a contract that expires and the prospects for renewal uncertain. But in all likelihood, it’s not going to matter much as Girardi has a plan of his own.

The Yankees have two key management personnel on the bubble this year with contracts that expire at the end of the season. Brian Cashman would seem to be a shoo-in to receive an extension given the body of work he has produced over the last eight months in transforming the Yankees to a team of the future.

But Joe Girardi has been banged around a little bit and a good portion of the media, this writer included, has questioned his value to the team from this point forward.

But more and more, it’s beginning to look like the Yankees will never pull the plug on Girardi, even if they wanted to, because he’s had enough and is ready to move on.

At 51, Girardi is just getting started with his career away from the playing field. Time flies, and he is now entering his eleventh season as manager of the Yankees. He can claim only one World Championship during his tenure as manager but, overall, he has done a credible job. His predecessor, Jor Torre, set the bar pretty high and Girardi has been unable, as if anyone could,  to match it.

While it once may have been thought that he was hanging on for dear life in hopes of the Yankees extending him, it now appears more likely that the show is on the other foot.

He can be justifiably criticized for his overuse of his bullpen, his reliance, and even preference, for aging veterans as opposed to giving his younger players more playing time. Rob Refsnyder comes to mind as an example of a player who has been with the Yankees entirely under Girardi’s watch but has never been given an extended period of playing time to prove himself.

But that, as they say, is all water under the bridge. Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner could have pulled an” Alex Rodriguez” on Girardi by “promoting” him upstairs for the 2017 season, but he wisely chose to not, as they say, upset the applecart in the middle of a transition year.

Much like the team itself, Joe Girardi would like to see the Yankees surprise everyone this year by blossoming as a team earlier than expected. The definition of what that means remains an open question, and how high the bar is set will become known when the Yankees have thirty or forty games under their belt in May.

Beyond that, though, Girardi appears to be ready to steal the decision about his future away from the Yankees.

Recently, Girardi spoke with Ken Rosenthal about his future, and NJ.com reported on that conversation:

"He knows that he will have other possibilities, including broadcasting, if the Yankees do not bring him back. And he said he is at peace with whatever happens next, citing his strong faith.“God is going to put me where he wants me, bottom line,” Girardi said. “What I dreamed about (as a player), it was nothing like I thought it was going to be. And it turned out to be great. What I thought I would do as a manager turned out different. I went to Florida on a three-year deal and was there one year. I never thought I would be here as quickly as I was. That’s why I don’t worry about it.”"

While it’s hard to imagine Girardi jumping into the Fox booth with the likes of flamboyant Pete Rose and Alex Rodriguez, he would fit well doing local broadcasts, possibly for YES.

Girardi and his family currently reside in Westchester County, but he has closer ties to Illinois where he was born and played as a Chicago Cub. Which could open up the possibility of a broadcasting position with either the White Sox or the Cubs.

The salient point, though, is that Girardi has options. And while it once may have been thought that he was hanging on for dear life in hopes of the Yankees extending him, it now appears more likely that the show is on the other foot.

What this means is that if the team has any intention of retaining Girardi, they might need to break with tradition and give him an extension at some point during the season.

Yankees Tony Pena: Base Coach or World Champion Manager?

Tons of prognosticators are calling for Alex Rodriguez to take over if Yankees part ways with Joe Girardi, but Pena should be first in line.

Because unlike the Yankees, Joe Girardi appears to be looking further down the road than just this season.