The New York Yankees have fired pitching coach Larry Rothschild, the team announced Monday.
Rothschild has had the job since 2011, when he replaced Dave Eiland, who was fired.
“I want to personally thank Larry for his near decade of commitment to this organization. Larry cares deeply about his craft and the pitchers under his tutelage, and he played a significant role in our successes over the past nine seasons. There’s a reason why Larry has had the type of distinguished baseball career he’s had, and it starts with experience and dedication that is difficult to emulate,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said in a statement.
Despite sending an MLB record 30 players to the injured list, the Yankees appeared in the ALCS this season, eventually losing to the Houston Astros. Statistically, the 2019 pitching staff wasn’t as good as the 2018 version, however.
The 2019 Yankees finished 103-59 with a .636 winning percentage and a 4.31 team ERA, which ranked them sixth in the American League.
The 2018 team finished 100-62, but with a 3.78 ERA.
Rothschild would be an option as pitching coach in Philadelphia, as he and new Phillies manager Joe Girardi have always had a good working relationship.
Rothschild previously worked as a coach for the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. He served as the Tampa Bay Rays‘ inaugural manager, from 1998 until early in the 2001 season.
After failing to gain a pitcher before the July 31 trade deadline, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said last week that the team intends to be “aggressive” in acquiring a star pitcher in the offseason.
Among the pitchers who could be available: the Astros’ Gerrit Cole, who will be a free agent, and the Washington Nationals‘ Stephen Strasburg, who can opt out of his deal.