Yankees Triple-A manager Al Pedrique heads to Oakland

Another coach in the Yankees system has jumped ship. This time, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Al Pedrique has agreed to become the first base coach of the Oakland A’s.

In his five years as a manager in the Yankees farm system, first at Low-A Charleston, then High-A Tampa, followed by Double-A Trenton and finally for two seasons at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Al Pedrique proved himself to be a winner.

With a combined record of 394-309, resulting in a .560 winning percentage and four winning seasons, Pedrique worked with some of the organization’s top young talent, including Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino and Greg Bird.

On Pedrique’s list of accomplishments are a 2016 Triple-A National Championship and another International League North title this past year, with a league-best record of 86-55.

Both seasons, Pedrique was named International League Manager of the Year.

So it’s only natural, once it was announced Joe Girardi wouldn’t be returning to the Yankees as manager, that Pedrique and all his connections to the talent of tomorrow, filling out the major league roster today, be granted an interview for the job.

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Nope. It never happened.

Considering general manager Brian Cashman reportedly wanted someone to stick around for the long haul as big league skipper, Pedrique’s age could have played a part in Cashman’s oversight.

Not that 57 is old, but it’s not 44 — the age of the Yanks’ new manager, Aaron Boone.

Instead of waiting around to see if he’d be asked to join the major league staff, perhaps as a bench coach, in part to share some of his wisdom with a rookie coach, Pedrique heads to Oakland.

As the new first base coach of the A’s, Pedrique joins Bob Melvin’s staff, who ironically enough, took over for Pedrique in 2005 as manager of the Diamondbacks after Pedrique’s failed 22-61 interim run the season before.

Pedrique also has a prior relationship with A’s VP of baseball, Billy Beane. The two were teammates from 1982-84, playing for the Double-A Jackson Mets.

Someone to keep an eye on to fill Pedrique’s managerial spot in Scranton is current Double-A manager Bobby Mitchell.

Next: Mock transactions Yankees should make

Over the past two seasons, Mitchell has led the Trenton Thunder to back-to-back league finals appearances, winning 179 games along the way.

Another coach in the Yankees system has jumped ship. This time, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Al Pedrique has agreed to become the first base coach of the Oakland A’s.

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