Joe Girardi Not Returning As Yankees Manager

NEW YORK CITY — New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi won't be returning to the Bronx next year, he and the team announced Thursday. The Yankees decided not to renew Girardi's contract and are now searching for a new manager, team officials said in a news release.

Girardi just ended a four-year, $16 million contract with a playoff run that nearly brought the Yankees to the World Series. His departure will lead to the Yankees hiring their first new manager in a decade.

"With a heavy heart, I come to you because the Yankees have decided not to bring me back," Girardi said in a statement.

The news comes just days after the Yankees came one game short of making a World Series appearance with a young team led by star rookie Aaron Judge. They lost on Saturday to the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

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The Yankees will likely look to veteran coaches Rob Thomson and Tony Pena to possibly replace Girardi, as well as outside candidates, according to ESPN, which first reported Girardi's departure.

"I want to thank Joe for his 10 years of hard work and service to this organization," Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said in a statement. "Everything this organization does is done with careful and thorough consideration, and we’ve decided to pursue alternatives for the managerial position."

There had been speculation about Girardi's future during the Yankees' playoff run, in which his mistakes led to a loss against the Cleveland Indians in the divisional championship series, Newsday reported.

Girardi, 53, came to the Yankees in 2008, when he replaced longtime manager Joe Torre. At the club's helm he netted 910 wins, 710 losses, three American League East division pennants and a World Series championship in 2009.

Girardi is one of three people in Yankees history to play for and manage a World Series-winning team. He was the Yankees' catcher from 1996 until 1999, when the team beat the Atlanta Braves for the championship.

"As Hal Steinbrenner and I mentioned to Joe directly this week, he has been a tremendous Yankee on the field and away from it, as a player, coach and manager," Cashman said in his statement. "He has a tireless work ethic, and put his heart into every game he managed over the last decade."

(Lead image by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)