Hal Speaks, Says All Jobs Are Safe

From Wallace Matthews:

Even with the New York Yankees having relinquished a 10-game lead in the AL East, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said neither manager Joe Girardi's job, nor anyone else's, is in danger.

"Jobs are not riding on this," Steinbrenner said, speaking to a small group of reporters in the corridors of Yankee Stadium.

Steinbrenner said the team examines everything in the offseason, but he seemed to be satisfied with Girardi and all of the Yankees' personnel.

....

Steinbrenner reiterated that he plans on cutting the Yankees' payroll by 2014. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the Yankees could save tens of millions of dollars if they lower their payroll -- now around $200 million -- to $189 million.

"I've made it clear that is very important to me, for several reasons," Steinbrenner said. "You are talking about a 10 percent reduction in payroll. I don't see that as an outrageous concept. I never have."

...

Right now, Steinbrenner said he is "tense."

"I'm excited," Steinbrenner said. "I think we would all like a bit more breathing room. Right now, we have zero breathing room. We have had a few good weeks. They have been playing tough. We have (Mark Teixeira) back tonight, which could only help and be a boost."

Hal also told a little story about how he always felt--even when the Yanks were up 10 games--that this would get closer as the season wore on. Which might be true, but really at this point, who cares.

I'm not saying anyone should necessarily be fired for this, although there are valid arguments on that side of the aisle, but it's times like these that I miss George the most. Even if nobody would end up losing their job, at least the newspapers would be interesting to read.

Hal Frustrated As Yankees Fall Into 1st Place Tie

From Ken Davidoff:

When Hal Steinbrenner attends a Yankees game, his presence doesn’t set flares around a 10-mile radius, as was the case with his late father. He flashed a smile Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, even as his ballclub continued the sort of meltdown we haven’t seen in this franchise’s rich history.

But don’t confuse Hal Steinbrenner’s relatively easygoing nature with a lack of competitive spirit, or with a lack of a desire to see a strong return on his family’s massive investment.

...

“We’re all frustrated,” Steinbrenner repeated. “The fans are frustrated. I know that. We all expect great things out of these guys. We’ve had injuries all year long. We’re not the only team, but we’ve had our share. Each time, they push through.

“The fans and my family, we expect them to push through now. I’m sure they will. But it’s a little frustrating, no doubt.”

...

Given that the worst-case scenario — missing the playoffs altogether — becomes a greater reality with each passing day, I asked Steinbrenner whether the jobs of general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi were at stake.

“No, not at all,” he said. “Look, you start to get back into it, and someone else gets hurt. [Aug. 27], when Tex [Mark Teixeira] goes down [with a left calf injury], look, that’s got to be hard. They’re looking forward to Alex [Rodriguez] coming back, and then boom, Teixeira goes down.

“And then a few days ago, [Curtis] Granderson, we were worried [about his right hamstring]. He’s back. They’ve got to keep grinding. They’ve got to keep pushing. They will. They know what’s expected of them.”

So here the Yankees sit, a frustrated owner, a frustrated fan base, and a tie with the freaking Orioles atop the AL East. Not a great time for us Yankees fans.

Still, with plenty of games left on the schedule, a handful against the Orioles and Rays, the Yankees will have every chance they need to put this ugly stretch behind them and win their division. If they can't, than I think we can all agree that they don't deserve to be in the playoffs anyway.

Hal: Yanks Are Not For Sale

So earlier today there was a report in the Daily News that said there have been rumors that the Yankees might be looking to sell after the recent deal made to sell the Dodgers. Here's a little bit more from the article:

Rumors are flying in Major League Baseball and New York banking circles that the family that has owned Major League Baseball's premiere franchise since Cleveland shipbuilder George Steinbrenner purchased the club for $8.8 million in 1973 is exploring the possibility of selling the Yankees.

Multiple baseball and finance sources told the Daily News they are hearing that the team the Steinbrenner family has led to seven World Series titles could be put on the block in the wake of the record sale price of $2.175 billion the Los Angeles Dodgers went for in April.

"There has been chatter all around the banking and financial industries in the city for a couple of weeks now," one high-level baseball source told The News.

Yankee president Randy Levine adamantly denied the rumors: "I can say to you there is absolutely, positively nothing to this. The Steinbrenners are not selling the team." And managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, George's younger son, weighed in with his own denial Thursday morning, saying in a statement: "I just read the Daily News story. It is complete fiction. Me and my family have no intention to sell the Yankees and expect it to be in the family for years to come."

However, according to the sources, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation, the recent sale of the Dodgers to a group that includes NBA legend Magic Johnson is just one reason why the Steinbrenner family may be looking to sell the team, which experts estimate could be worth up to a stunning $3 billion.

Besides Levin's denials in the article, Hal Steinbrenner also responded to the rumors:

Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said on Thursday that his family has no intention of selling the storied franchise, responding to a published report in the New York Daily News.

"I just learned of the Daily News story. It is pure fiction," Steinbrenner said in a statement. "The Yankees are not for sale. I expect that the Yankees will be in my family for many years to come."

Honestly, at this point I don't really care what happens, especially if they are sold to an owner who is ready to spend money.

Sure, it would be nice to have the team remain in the Steinbrenner family, but unless your goal as a Yankees fan is to see higher ticket prices along with lower payroll I'm not sure how beneficial that would be.

When The Boss owned the team we as fans always knew that he'd do whatever it took to win, but now after a few years of Hal you can now longer say that. Instead the Yankees are in cost-cutting mode and just spent this past offseason ignoring the two best pitchers on the market (Darvish and Wilson), and instead decided to go the less expensive route and I don't think that's something we'd see from George.

What do you think? Does it matter if the team stays in the Steinbrenner's hands?

Hal: $189 Million is the Target

From Wallace Matthews:

Hal Steinbrenner got accosted on his way to the elevator by the Yankees' beat crew, and confirmed what GM Brian Cashman has been saying all winter:

The Yankees are in the process of "streamlining'' the payroll, and the magic number is $189 million, which will be the new luxury-tax threshold for the 2014 season as established by the recently ratified CBA.

"I'm looking at is as a goal," Steinbrenner said, "and my goals are normally considered a requirement.''

The only good that can come out of this, besides the Steinbrenner family saving some extra dough, is that fans around the country might slow down a bit with the whole "the Yankees buy their championships" thing. That said, I never cared about those fans or their opinions in the first place.

Marchand: Yanks "Strongly Considering Adding Payroll"

From Andrew Marchand:

After the slumber of their quiet offseason, the Yankees are strongly considering adding payroll in a deal to bring in a starting pitcher via free agency or a trade, a baseball official with knowledge of the team’s thinking told ESPN New York.

The official said that with prices coming down as spring training approaches, the odds were “60-40” that the Yankees will become more aggressive and add to a roster that has been unchanged from last year’s club. A source predicted that things will heat up next week.

Adding payroll is fine, and it's something I thought they'd have to do if they wanted to improve. But I would have rather seen them come to this conclusion earlier in the offseason so they could have at least known this before 95% of the FA market was taken off the board.

Nothing has changed regarding free agent targets, they're still eyeing Jackson & Kuroda:

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner met with agent Scott Boras to discuss starter Edwin Jackson, but he is not the only free agent on the team’s radar. Hiroki Kuroda may turn out to be their top choice over Jackson. Roy Oswalt seems more unlikely, but can’t be completely ruled out.

The key to any contract will be the length. The Yankees are looking to make a one-year deal. A source said that while Boras is no longer looking for five years for Jackson, he is still asking for a multi-year contract. If Boras doesn’t come down further, it seems highly unlikely the Yankees will sign Jackson.

A source termed a two-year offer unlikely, but didn’t completely rule it out. The Yankees will not go three years because they want to get beneath the $189 million luxury tax number by 2014. This would cut their payroll tax more than half, down to 17 percent, if they were able to do so.

Kuroda, who turns 37 next month, has been a pitcher the Yankees have had interest in dealing for, but he has been hesitant to leave Los Angeles. However, with the Dodgers not having room for him, he may be more open-minded about coming to the east coast. Kuroda may also return to Japan.

Marchand also mentioned and earlier Buster Olney report that said the Yanks were "quietly shopping Nick Swisher" and could deal the right fielder to free up some salary.

Heyman: Yanks Met With Boras To Talk About Jackson

I'm not a big fan of the idea of signing Jackson since I'm not too sure he's better than any of the Yankees in-house options for the rotation. Plus, all Boras clients end up getting more than they're worth which is never good.

Igawa Won't Stop Yanks From Going After Darvish

From Mark Feinsand:

After wasting $46 million on Kei Igawa over the past five years, would the Yankees be willing to roll the dice on another Japanese pitcher if Yu Darvish becomes available?

It’s very possible.

Hal Steinbrenner said Wednesday that the Igawa disaster wouldn’t stop the Yankees from signing another Japanese pitcher if that’s the move they believe makes the most sense.

“Every person is different; every player is different,” Steinbrenner said. “We’re going to look at every single one. We’re going to look at every single option, and we’re going to analyze it. It will be a go or no-go, but we look at each person as an individual.”

...

“It’s difficult when you don’t have as much film on a player to watch, and you don’t have as many scouts who have laid eyes on that player before,” Steinbrenner said of the risk associated with signing players from places such as Japan or Cuba. “There’s no doubt it’s difficult, but I had never heard of El Duque until he came here.

“There have certainly been players that came out of those countries that have been great. But there’s less intel and there’s less to go on, so you’ve really got to rely on the guys that have seen him down there, and the scouts that are down there on a full-time basis. But there’s no doubt it’s a more difficult decision.”

Glad to see the Yankees aren't going to let the Igawa mistake stop them from taking a real look at Darvish. From everything I've seen and read, he looks like the best pitcher to come out of Japan, and at least appears to have the biggest upside.

Cash & Hal Meet

From Bryan Hoch:

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman met with managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner on Monday in New York, and a new contract for the GM is expected to be agreed upon before next Monday.

According to the New York Post, Cashman and Steinbrenner discussed the state of the Yankees in their meeting and not Cashman's expiring deal, which the GM has said is not his top concern at the moment.

"It'll get done between now and Oct. 31st, I'm sure," Cashman said last week. "I can't promise, but I think that's what everybody expects. I know it's something that everybody has to follow. But that's not a pressing circumstance, as far as something I'm worried about right now."

Cashman chaired the club's professional scouting meetings in New York last week. He was expected to travel to Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday to meet with other members of the team's hierarchy.

This will be done in no time.

Cashman Expects New Deal By End Of Month

From Bryan Hoch:

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman believes that he will have a new contract in place by the time his current deal expires on Halloween, remaining in the position he has held since 1998.

"It'll get done between now and Oct. 31st, I'm sure," Cashman said. "I can't promise, but I think that's what everybody expects. I know it's something that everybody has to follow. But that's not a pressing circumstance, as far as something I'm worried about right now."

Cashman said that he has no flights booked to meet with managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner at the Yankees' base in Tampa, Fla., but a new contract would not necessarily have to be negotiated face to face.

"I'm sure it could get done over the phone, from my perspective," said Cashman, who is completing a three-year, $6 million agreement with the club. "I don't want to speak for him."

It appears that these negotiations will go as smoothly as everyone pretty much expects.

Hal & Cashman To Meet Next Week

Report: Cashman Talks Going Smoothly

From Buster Olney:

Contract negotiations between the New York Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman are going smoothly, according to sources, and could be concluded with a new deal in the week ahead.

...contract talks with club executives, including Hal Steinbrenner, have started.

I suspect that these negotiations won't last too long.

Hal On DJ3K

Hal Steinbrenner via Yankees.com:

"Derek has always played with a relentless, team-first attitude. And that mind-set has helped sustain this organization's objective of fielding championship-caliber teams year after year. It's only fitting that he reach 3,000 hits during a victory against one of our American League rivals.

"Today we celebrate a remarkable individual achievement by one of the game's greatest ambassadors. On behalf of the entire New York Yankees family, we congratulate Derek on his historic accomplishment."

I'm assuming these reactions are going to keep rolling in so stay tuned.

Hal Shows His Support For Cashman

There's been a ton of talk recently about the rift between ownership and GM Brian Cashman. This morning Hal Steinbrenner spoke to Joel Sherman and had nothing but good things to say about Cash:

"[Cashman] and I have a great working relationship," Steinbrenner said by phone, "There is no problem, right now. I think we have had a bunch of drummed-up drama."

As for the Soriano matter, Steinbrenner said he listened to Cashman, but decided to authorize the signing because he felt the club needed an "impact" move this offseason. However, he blessed Cashman's behavior at the press conference.

"I value his opinion and his advice," Steinbrenner said. "That does not mean I am always going to go with that advice and all of my VPs know that I might go a different way. There are no hard feelings between Cash and I. There never was. Reasonable men can differ in opinions.

"I keep reading about dissension and discord. We are a well-functioning company. The bosses have a decision to make. Sometimes people don't agree with those decisions. So I told him, 'You are always honest with the media, be honest now. Tell them what you have to tell them.' I was already onto the next decision. I told him, 'You and I are fine. Answer in any way you want.' We are not always going to be on the same page. It is my job to think what is best for the family, partners and company."

Steinbrenner also said he had no issues with any of the statements attributed to Cashman from the breakfast get-together with fans, even the remark that the Red Sox are currently better than the Yankees.

"My understanding was he was asked in an objective way about the different areas of the team and said our hitting was on par with the Red Sox, our bullpen is better and their starting pitching, right now, is a little stronger," Steinbrenner said.

"Really, there are no problems at all," Steinbrenner said. "Brian calls me on my cell phone more often than I would even like. He and I talk on a daily basis multiple times. There is not much that he does without consulting me first. This has been a very good relationship."

Obviously this could all be lies and a PR move to make everything look like it's running smoothly, but is it that hard to believe that this is yet another time that the NY media blew something completely out of proportion to sell a few extra papers?

Olney Talks About the Yankees Front Office

We already heard what Tim Kurkjian had to say, now Buster Olney add his 2 cents.

A Little More On That "Rift" Between Ownership and Cashman

Jon Heyman has the info:

Buster Olney twat the same thing as well.

The Daily News also reported this morning that Cash was overruled by both Hank and Hal Steinbrenner. Mainly because they didn't like the idea of going into the season with a starting rotation full of question marks "and little protection for closer Mariano Rivera." They also weren't too fond of Cashman's plan to have Joba Chamberlain open the season as the Yanks main setup guy.

Jeter's Agent Calls Yanks Negotiating Strategy "Baffling"

From Mike Lupica:

This is what Casey Close said Saturday night, after a week of reading what the Yankees have to say about everything:

"There's a reason the Yankees themselves have stated Derek Jeter is their modern-day Babe Ruth. Derek's significance to the team is much more than just stats. And yet, the Yankees' negotiating strategy remains baffling."

Then Close said: "They continue to argue their points in the press and refuse to acknowledge Derek's total contribution to their franchise."

The Yankees should respond to this by telling Close to go out and see if he can get a better deal than the 3-year $45 million deal they offered this week. See what other teams are willing to pay for Jeter and his intangibles. The reality is that no team will come close to that offer.

It's pretty unfair for anyone to blame the Yankees for how they're handling these negotiations. What are they supposed to do, just hand him the 6-year $120 million deal he probably wants because he's DEREK JETER?

I don't think so.

It's not their fault that Jeter--at 36--just happens to be coming off his worst season ever. Maybe if he hit .320 last year the Yankees negotiating wouldn't have to be so baffling.

Hal: Talks with Jeter are "going well"

From Marc Carig:

The Yankees and Derek Jeter's agent Casey Close have spoken a few more times since an initial meeting last week in Tampa, Fla., according to owner Hal Steinbrenner, though he refused to share details of the talks.

"Things are going well," Steinbrenner said, as he arrived at the general manager's meetings.

I guess that's good news.

Jeter's Agent Responds

From Andrew Marchand:

Jeter's agent, Casey Close, made his statements Wednesday in response to the public posturing by the Yankees. Tuesday on 1050 ESPN New York, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said that the team wants Jeter back, but the team is running a business and negotiations could get "messy."

"While it is not our intent to negotiate the terms of Derek's free-agent contract in a public forum," Close told AOL FanHouse, "we do agree with Hal's and Brian [Cashman, the GM]'s recent comments that this contract is about business and winning championships. Clearly, baseball is a business, and Derek's impact on the sport's most valuable franchise cannot be overstated. Moreover, no athlete embodies the spirit of a champion more than Derek Jeter."

I still completely expect Jeter to return, but this story certainly has taken a turn in a direction I don't think many Yankees fans were expecting.

Hal Admits Things "Could Get Messy" With Jeter

From Mark Feinsand:

"He's one of the greatest Yankees in history; no doubt about it," Steinbrenner said on WFAN. "But at the same time, I'm running a business. I have responsibilities.

"Hank and I are responsible to our partners, so we have to remain somewhat objective. I want to get a deal done that he's happy with, but also that I'm happy with."

During his interview on 1050 ESPN Radio, Steinbrenner acknowledged that drawing a line in the sand with a player of iconic stature such as Jeter can be risky.

"There's always the possibility that things could get messy," Steinbrenner said. "Our fans are very emotional, and that's what we love about them, but I've got to try to do my job on behalf of the partnership and everybody involved in the organization. Hank and I need to keep a level head and realize that we're running a business here."

I'm sure many people are going to be upset or worried by this, but the truth is that this is exactly how the Yankees should be handling the Jeter situation. All it means is that if Jeter wants to end his career in Pinstripes he better understand what his true value actually is and not what his ego and agent are telling him it is.

Hal Makes The Rounds

Hal Steinbrenner was all over the radio today, Bryan Hoch and Chad Jennings have a bunch of quotes worth checking out. Here's one of them on what Hal thought of Chuck Greenberg's comments about Yankees fans:

"Completely inappropriate, ridiculous. Our fans are the greatest in the world. We were somewhat shocked, but very angry as all of you were. We got on the phone to the Commissioner's office, we told them that we're absolutely going to respond in an aggressive way. We agreed to wait until after the game so as to not distract from the Series.

But the bottom line is within an hour or two of the news breaking, Chuck was reaching out to us and I had a conversations with him a few hours after the game started. He'll be the first one to admit that his statements were, just as I said, ridiculous if not stupid. He apologized in what I believed was in a sincere way.

I only talked to him over the phone but I definitely believe he was sincere about that. But what we told him was, 'It's great that you're apologizing to us, but you need to apologize to the fans. They're the ones you've wronged. There's no excuse for it.' So, he did. It's going to be up to each individual fan I guess to read his statement and find it sincere or not sincere, but that's kind of where we are."

And on something a lot more important, the 2011 payroll:

"I can safely say we're going to stay within the same level. But I'm obviously not going to get into details. But we know we're expected to field a championship caliber team and we're going to do what it takes to do that. So if we have to get creative in a trade, or if we have to go out for a big free agent, we're going to do it."

...

“I’m not going to get into specifics, but yes we’ve got a good idea of where we’re going to try to end up,” he said. “We have some money coming off the payroll. Obviously re-signing Derek and Mo is going to be a priority to try to do that, but we’re still going to have money leftover. These meetings are pretty initial at this point, but it’s all about prioritizing what we need to do and looking at the free agent market and eventually looking at possible trades to try to improve.”