Undoubtedly experiencing a roller coaster ride throughout the year, the New York Yankees’ dramatic season has finally come to an end. This off-season brings rise to many questions regarding the future of several players and managing officials. However, one of the most important concerns in New York surrounds the status of their long-time manager Joe Torre.
Earlier this week, Torre declined a one-year, five-million dollar contract to return to the Yankees. His reasoning was plain and simple: the incentives were not worth the bite.
According to Torre, the five-million dollar contract was basically a stab in the back considering all he has done for the organization. After twelve long seasons and four World Series Championships, Torre has decided that his tenure in New York is over and that he has no desire to even return to the stadium to clean out his office any time soon.
“I walked out of there, I’m not going back. I just leave the memories,” quoted Torre.
From the points of view of several baseball analysts, the one-year contract offer was a prime indication that New York has gradually lost its appreciation for Torre’s past accomplishments. His prior contract was a three-year, $19.2 million deal. With just a one-year offer, Torre did not feel it was worth it since he would be dealing with the same type of issue at the end of the 2008 season.
The meeting that took place between Torre and owner George Steinbrenner lasted a mere twenty minutes, and sources say that Torre left the meeting in disgust.
“The fact that somebody is reducing your salary is just telling me they’re not satisfied with what you’re doing,” Torre said. “Two years certainly, I think, would have opened the door to have further discussion but it never happened.
Should Torre be the one to blame for the recent lack of production from the Yankees in the postseason? It is definitely hard to say. In each of his twelve seasons with the organization, he has led the Yankees to the playoffs and has captured ten division titles. In his first five years in the pin stripes, he won four World Series championships. However, there is no question that the Yankees have had their share of playoff struggles over the last decade.
Just what does this mean for the future of Torre and the New York Yankees? It seems highly unlikely that Torre will even consider offers from other teams, as his feeling of disappointment is probable cause for some time away from the dugout. Many speculate that he will take a job behind the booth as a possible announcer. From 1985 to 1990, Torre served as a broadcaster for the California Angels. In addition, he did spend some time commenting from behind the ESPN booth.
As for the Yankees? There is no telling who will be the skipper in pin stripes come Opening Day 2008. Possible candidates include Joe Girardi, Don Mattingly, and Tony Pena. However, the removal of Torre from the managerial position may have a trickle effect that could cause even more problems for the Yankees. How will this effect Alex Rodriguez’s decision to test the free agent market? What impact will this have on free agent superstars Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada? Only time (and the upcoming off-season) will provide these answers.
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