Major League Baseball's regular season came to a conclusion on Sunday, with only a tiebreaker game remaining between the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays remaining before the post-season.
Manager watch: Dale Sveum out; Girardi in?
Taking a look at some of the latest news and rumors involving managers whose future with their current teams remain unclear.
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
There are a number of managers whose contracts expired when the regular season ended, or are rumored to be on the way out. MLB has a mandated moratorium on team announcements during the playoffs, so many decisions regarding personnel are expected to come in the next few days:
Dale Sveum
The Chicago Cubs manager is expected to learn his fate on Monday, according to Ken Rosnethal and Jon Morosi of Fox Spots. Club officials had not reached a decision regarding the manager's future as of Saturday, and are expected to discuss the matter until the meeting.
Sveum is not expected to be judged solely by his win-loss record, but officials are reportedly concerned about the regression of some of the younger players on the team.
Update 12:29 pm: Dale Sveum has been fired by the Cubs, and Chicago will begin seeking external replacements shortly.
Joe Girardi
The New York Yankees manager's contract expired at the end of the season, leaving Girardi with a number of options. The Yankees do want Girardi back in the clubhouse, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post speculates that Girardi "sounded like a man" who was ready to return to New York.
Prior to Sunday’s final game, Girardi, an Illinois native, addressed his possible interest in returning to Chicago, where he played with the Cubs from 1989 to 1992 and again from 2000 to 2002. Girardi noted that he hasn’t lived in the city in recent years and that both of his parents are now deceased, “So there’s not as much there as there used to be.”
Having dismissed Sveum, the Cubs are expected to pursue Girardi nonetheless. Tim McCarver’s spot in the FOX national booth is also opening, and the network would consider Girardi if he wants the position. The manager’s contract runs through October 31, so any club wishing to interview him prior to that date would have to get permission from the Yankees.
Ron Gardenhire
The Minnesota Twins are expected to make a decision on Gardenhire's future in the next two days, reports Brandon Warne of 1500ESPN.com. Gardenhire's contract also expired at the end of the 2013 season.
Twins general manager Terry Ryan does want Gardenhire to return to Minnesota, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, but it could be on a short-team deal after three straight disappointing seasons. If Gardenhire doesn't return, he could be an option for other managerial positions, including the Seattle Mariners opening.
Ned Yost
The Kansas City Royals manager saw his contract expire at the end of the season, but both Yost and general manager Dayton Moore have publicly expressed interest in a 2014 return. The team has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday afternoon, and both Moore and Yost are expected to be present.
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