Back
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 30: Catcher Lou Marson #6 of the Cleveland Indians celebrates with closing pitcher Frank Herrmann #56 of the Cleveland Indians after the Indians defeated the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field on September 30, 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the Royals 15-3. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesThe New York Yankees are facing calls for significant change after another disappointing postseason exit.
Though principal owner Hal Steinbrenner has defended manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman, the organization quickly made some sweeping decisions about other members of the leadership.
The Yankees decided against renewing the contracts of two prominent former executives, creating a reset among Cashman’s primary lieutenants.
“The Yankees aren’t renewing the contracts of Omar Minaya and Brian Sabean, who served as special assistants to GM Brian Cashman,” the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported. “Minaya is the former (New York) Mets GM, Sabean the (San Francisco) Giants GM in their heyday.”
Now, the Yankees have turned to a division rival to fill one of the recently vacated roles.
Earlier this month, several reports surfaced indicating that the Yankees had enticed a former Toronto Blue Jays executive to fill the vacated responsibilities, with The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon among those to confirm the change.
“Catching up here, but can confirm … that Frank Herrmann has joined the Yankees,” Bannon reported. “Herrmann was a bridge guy for the Blue Jays between scouting and development. Was a real part of the Jays’ Cole Carlon selection and Danny Thompson Jr. 8th-round pick in ‘25.”
Hermann’s departure signals a change for the Yankees and it also a significant one for the American League East rival Blue Jays, who hired him in 2022 to lend expertise in numerous areas of the operation. Notably, Hermann also brings some of his own big-league experience to the Yankees’ role.
“Herrmann, 37, appeared in parts of four big league seasons,” Anthony Franco noted for MLB Trade Rumors. “He spent the 2010-12 campaigns with the Indians, where his time as a player overlapped with Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro’s and general manager Ross Atkins’ stints in the Cleveland front office.”
Herrmann is expected to serve as the Yankees’ new supervisor for global evaluation and player development integration, according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman. The position appears particularly relevant given his previous work bridging different areas of Toronto’s baseball operations.
Herrmann pitched for Cleveland from 2010 through 2012 before returning to the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016. He subsequently continued his playing career in Japan, spending five seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball before transitioning into front office work.
His familiarity with Toronto’s leadership and his experience across scouting and player development give the Yankees an addition with an understanding of how a division rival operates.