October 11, 2005
By TYLER KEPNER
The New York Times
ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 10 - Some day the Yankees will win the World Series again, and when they do, they will surely be lauded for their grit and character. Actually, the failed 2005 version showed plenty of those attributes, clawing back from an 11-19 start to win the American League East on the final Saturday of the regular season in Boston.
But their flaws destroyed them in the postseason, the only time of year that really matters to George Steinbrenner, their principal owner. After being eliminated by the Angels on Monday night, it will be another uncomfortable winter for the Yankees, who lately have known no other kind.
They have contractual control of seven starting pitchers, closer Mariano Rivera and six starting position players, which is a good place to start for a team that won 95 games in the regular season. But it is anybody's guess who will engineer the off-season blueprint.
The contract of General Manager Brian Cashman expires on Oct. 31, and he has surely dreamed of that day many times. It is his get-out-of-jail-free card, his chance to escape the pervasive negativity and culture of blame that Steinbrenner creates around the team.
It is also a chance for Cashman to remove himself from a dysfunctional hierarchy in which some moves originate in New York but many come from Tampa, Fla., where Steinbrenner lives. Neither side trusts the other, but Cashman - not Steinbrenner's Tampa advisers - is the public front man for all moves, a position that is often humiliating.
Steinbrenner is said to want Cashman back, but he could always decide not to offer him a contract. If Steinbrenner lets Cashman make the call, leaving the Yankees would be a calculated risk.
One intriguing general manager's job became available Monday, when the Philadelphia Phillies fired Ed Wade. The Phillies have the payroll to fund a winner, geographic appeal to Cashman's family and ownership not known for interfering with its general manager.
Manager Joe Torre has two years remaining on his three-year, $19.2 million contract. Torre has said he will not resign, putting the onus on Steinbrenner to fire him if he wants to make a move.
Torre has promised to address his feelings on Steinbrenner after the season, and those comments could conceivably elicit a reaction from his boss.
Club officials have long believed that Steinbrenner would never fire Torre, for fear of the public backlash. But after a first-round exit, and with the Steinbrenner favorite Lou Piniella available for work, Torre's status is at least somewhat tenuous.
Whether or not Cashman and Torre return, the Yankees will face off-season challenges. The bullpen will certainly be one area club officials will try to make over, and if recent history is a guide, they will be prepared to overpay.
With the exception of Rivera, the Yankees struggled to find reliable relievers this season, as in 2001. After that season, they overwhelmed Steve Karsay with a four-year, $22.25 million offer, believing they had signed a closer-quality reliever to be a setup man. Karsay never quite earned Torre's trust and spent only one healthy season with the Yankees.
Tom Gordon has done a fine job for two seasons with the Yankees, but he struggled in two postseasons and, at nearly 38 years old, he is unlikely to get any better.
The Yankees may choose to let Gordon leave as a free agent and pursue a closer to set up for them. The left-hander B. J. Ryan of the Orioles, who turns 30 in December, may be prepared to cash in. Ryan had 36 saves and a 2.43 earned run average for Baltimore last season, and he has expressed interest in coming to New York.
Ryan is also left-handed, which would fill a gaping hole for the Yankees. They have not had a left-handed reliever whom Torre really trusted since they let go of Mike Stanton after the 2002 season. The Philadelphia Phillies' Billy Wagner, who is an older, more established closer than Ryan, is also a free agent who could fortify the Yankees' late-inning relief.
Left-handed middle relievers who are free agents include Ricardo Rincon of Oakland and two pitchers who interested the Yankees before the trading deadline - Scott Eyre of San Francisco and Scott Sauerbeck of Cleveland.
With those pitchers and several solid right-handers available in free agency, the Yankees should be able to fortify their bullpen. Right-handed relievers coming off strong seasons include Bob Howry of Cleveland, Jim Mecir of Florida and Rudy Seanez of San Diego. Closers Mike Timlin of Boston and Bob Wickman of Cleveland are also free agents.
The outfield will be another area of concern for the Yankees. Bernie Williams is a free agent, and after 15 years with the Yankees, both sides may be ready to move on. Williams, 37, does not intend to retire, but the Yankees have yearned for a better defensive center fielder for at least two years.
If Williams stays, the Yankees could ask him to take on the role Ruben Sierra occupied, as an occasional designated hitter and outfielder. But it is unknown if Williams would accept such a role. (Sierra, 40, is a free agent.)
Johnny Damon of the Red Sox is a free agent - represented by Scott Boras, who also represents Williams - and likely to command a very high price. Another free agent is Jacque Jones, who played left field for the Minnesota Twins but has slipped offensively the past two seasons. Torii Hunter, the Gold Glove center fielder for the Twins, could be traded and would have obvious appeal to the Yankees.
Gordon and Williams are 2 of 14 free agents on the Yankees' roster. Most - Kevin Brown, Felix Rodriguez, Rey Sanchez and others - will not be retained. The one the Yankees will certainly try to keep is Hideki Matsui, the steady left fielder who has expressed a preference to stay in New York.
Steinbrenner loathes Matsui's agent, Arn Tellem, but Matsui has been so productive and has generated so much good will that it would be surprising if the Yankees let him go.
The Yankees received solid defense, and one important month of hot hitting, from first baseman Tino Martinez, another free agent they could try to keep.
Soon enough, the Yankees will have to address their long-term future at catcher, having traded Dioner Navarro in the Randy Johnson deal last winter. The free agents Bengie Molina and Ramon Hernandez are available, but Jorge Posada is signed for one more year.
As for the rotation, the market for free-agent starters is slim. A. J. Burnett, Kevin Millwood, Matt Morris and two pitchers who failed in New York, Kenny Rogers and Jeff Weaver, are the leading names. The Yankees could stand pat.
If Japan's Seibu Lions make their ace pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, available to bidding by major league teams, the Yankees could be tempted. But they already have Johnson, Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright under contract. Shawn Chacon, Chien-Ming Wang and Aaron Small are not under contract, but they are not free agents and are nearly certain to stay with the Yankees.
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