BRONX, NEW YORK – The SSG New York Yankees have announced today that they have relieved Manager Joe Maddon of his duties today in what, to many might be a shocking move. To Yankee’s fans, and even some players, this move seemed inevitable following the not surprising 4-11 start, made exponentially worse by the 30-5 loss versus the Seattle Mariners.
The move comes after the Yankees, in two games vs. the mariners, score just 7 runs, surrendering 44 to Seattle. Following their second straight loss in the second game of the series, Yankee GM Tom Moysak held a meeting with the coaching staff, much of which was kept secret to the public. What was discussed during that meeting, we still don’t really know. But what we do know is, tomorrow’s game versus the Seattle Mariners will not be managed by Joe Maddon. “We want to thank Joe for his time as the Manager of the Yankees. Although we didn’t see much improvement from last year, I still think Joe did a great job with what he had” Moysak said bluntly. He adds “the onus is on me to put a product on the field that can win every year, and to keep the same core of guys together for a long time” “I haven’t done that yet, but rest assured brighter days are ahead for this club, whether with me or without me” he concluded, promptly walking out of the press room answering no further questions. In a short and blunt conference, the GM told us all we need to know: there is much work to be done in the Bronx, and it will be up to the Yankee front office to make changes to build on an already solid prospect foundation, one that features second overall pick Steve Wilson, first overall pick Ron Lowe, Israel Avila, Manny Sanchez, Jim Bowers, and many more. Adding to that is the upcoming 2021 MLB First Year Player Draft where the Yankees will have the first overall selection. It’s been rumored that the team is looking for a pitcher and will target pitching for the first few rounds of the draft.
As of right now, the Yankees are actively searching for their next manager, one that will ultimately see through this retool and hopefully be a part of the first Yankee championship since 2009. Among the names the Yankees are rumored to be considering are: Clint Hurdle, Sandy Alomar Jr., Jose Carreno, Charlie Montoyo, and Luis Rivera. When asked initially about the team’s performance, Moysak spoke positively about some of the things he’s seen thus far: “We’ve witnessed glimpses of what this team can be. I like what I see out of the young guys, some in their second and third years, already looking like they’ve been in the league for 10. I’m seeing a lot of professional at bats from the offense and some solid innings from our relievers. The 4 wins don’t say much, but in each of them I’m finding many positives on which to build”.