Joe Girardi, Yankees Manager, Wanted Back by Bombers, Coveted by Cubs

Joe Girardi, the New York Yankees manager whose three-year, $9 million contract ends in October, is reportedly being courted by both the Bronx Bombers and the Chicago Cubs.

A former catcher, Girardi played for both the Cubs and the Yankees during his lengthy 24-year career in the majors. He just finished his sixth year managing the Yankees, having earned his 600th career win as manager on July 1.

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Rumors around Chicago's interest in Girardi surfaced after the Cubs fired manager Dale Sveum after just two seasons at the end of September. The team ended at the bottom of the National League Central for the first time in seven years, with a record of 66 wins and 96 losses.

For their part, the Yankees, which ended their regular season with a record of 85 wins and 77 losses, are not letting the 48-year-old Girardi go without a fight.

Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman is reportedly planning to offer Girardi a raise to extend his current contract with the Bronx Bombers, having supposedly met with Girardi's agent on Wednesday. What, if any, contract resolution was agreed upon at that meeting has yet to be made public.

Most observers believe Cashman will offer Girardi a three-year extension deal for between $12 million and $15 million, the New York Daily News reported.

Following a Monday meeting with Girardi, Cashman was asked by ESPN if the Yankees manager would be permitted to speak with the Cubs regarding potential contract negotiations.

Refusing to say definitively whether or not Girardi would be permitted to meet with the Cubs, Cashman told ESPN, "He is obviously under contract. And we have an interest in clearly trying to keep him."

"I think he likes it here," Cashman added following Monday's meeting, "[And] we are going to give him a real good reason to stay and he has earned that through his six years."

According to ESPN, both Girardi and the New York Yankees would like to have the contract resolved as soon as possible, possibly as soon as Friday.

Having been born in Illinois, Girardi's motivation for moving back to the Land of Lincoln might not be as strong as it once was having lost his father last year. Over the weekend, Girardi told reporters, "There’s not as much there as there used to be," the New York Daily News reported.

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