You are here
Breaking MLB News: Joe Says No
It looks as though Joe Torre will not return to the Yankees in 2008. (AI Wire)
It appears as though the Joe Torre era in New York has officially come to a close.
Torre, who has held the Yankees' manager job since 1995, rejected a $5 million, one-year contract to return as manager of the club.
The Yankees offered Torre a one-year deal with a base salary of $5 million and incentives that would have increased his salary to $8 million based on postseason performance. Under that offer, if Torre reached the World Series in 2008, an option for 2009 would have vested.
"We felt we needed to go to a performance-based mode," team president Randy Levine said. "We thought it was very fair. It clearly was at the top of the market, but we respect Joe's decision."
Bench coach Don Mattingly is the leading contender to replace Torre. Yankees broadcaster Joe Girardi, the NL manager of the year with Florida in 2006, is another top contender.