Most baseball people believe that for a variety of reasons, including an excellent working relationship with Hank Steinbrenner's younger, quieter brother Hal, Cashman will choose to return to the job he's held for 11 years. Cashman is expected to give both Steinbrenners his answer as early as next Monday or Tuesday. Negotiations on his new deal would begin the moment Cashman provides the go-ahead and are not expected to take long.
There has been speculation for months that Cashman could be intrigued by any one of a number of potential GM openings, including one in Seattle, another in Philadelphia (Pat Gillick has said he's retiring), and possibly a third in Washington (although Jim Bowden is still hanging in there). And if Cashman chooes not to remain with the Yankees, a few more opportunities could be opened up for him. Yet people close to the team still expect Cashman to stay.
Yankees people are anxious to commence what's likely to be an extreme makeover after missing the playoffs for the first time since long before Cashman became GM (only one Yankee defeat or Red Sox victory will ensure a quite October for the Yankees). So they want an answer by sometime next week, the first week of a postseason that will not involve them.
Hal Steinbrenner recently told Newsday, "He knows that we're with him, that we want him back.'' SI.com reported last winter that the Yankees made a play to try to extend Cashman's contract and again on Aug. 13 that the Yankees still wanted him back, despite the difficulties of the 2008 season.
