The Yankees will be looking for a new pitching coach as Larry Rothschild was fired on Monday, the team announced.
Rothschild has held the position since 2011, and has helped the pitching staff stay at the top of the league each season. However, with one year left on his contract, the Yankees decided to move on and try someone else in the role.
"I want to personally thank Larry for his near decade of commitment to this organization," Cashman said in an official release. "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 manager Aaron Boone added: "Larry is someone I leaned on extensively over these past two years. I'm truly grateful that I had someone as established and loyal as Larry as I made my transition to the dugout. Seeing him work day after day, I have a deep appreciation for how devoted he was to his craft and how tirelessly he dove into his responsibilities. His distinguished career clearly reflects how highly he is regarded amongst his peers in baseball, and I wish him the very best moving forward."
The Yankees' pitching staff this season wasn't particularly dominant when you look at the numbers. Though they finished fourth overall in strikeouts with 1,534, their 4.31 ERA was 14th in MLB and 12th in WHIP at 1.30.
Rothschild was without Luis Severino to work with for most of the season, but James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ and CC Sabathia weren't putting up the best numbers either. Paxton was supposed to be the team's ace, but that ultimately showed down the stretch heading into the postseason. Overall, his first season in pinstripes finished with a modest 3.82 ERA, while Tanaka (4.45), Happ (4.91), and Sabathia (4.95) followed.
As for the bullpen, the Yankees came into the season with a stacked group that included Aroldis Chapman, Zach Britton, Adam Ottavino, Chad Green, and Tommy Kahnle. But they didn't lead the pack with a 4.08 ERA, finishing ninth overall in the MLB and fifth in the AL.
With 45 years of experience, Rothschild should be viewed by multiple teams looking for a new pitching coach. One that comes to mind is now Phillies manager Joe Girardi, who worked with Rothschild during his time managing the Yankees, can have him join his staff in his first season with Philadelphia.
Since Rothschild has joined the Yankees, the pitching staff have led the American League in wins with 826, win percentage at .567, and strikeouts with 12,634.