Via Kat O’Brien, we learn that Brian Cashman has decided to come back to the Yankees. He’ll sign a three year deal reportedly worth around $6 million. There aren’t many more details right now, though we’ll surely update you as we hear more.

Update by Ben (5:55 p.m.): You want statements? We’ve got statements.

From Brian Cashman:

I know I’ve said it before, but it’s an incredible opportunity and honor to hold the title of general manager for the New York Yankees. With it comes a great responsibility to ownership, the people who wear the uniform and our fan base.

I’ve got a job to finish here. That’s the bottom line.

I consider coming off a season where we didn’t reach the playoffs for the first time since 1993 as a personal challenge. I’ve never been one to run from a challenge, and I look forward to having the chance to go after this thing again.

From Hank and Hal:

Before we could move forward as an organization this offseason, we needed to come to a resolution on the person who would hold the important position of general manager and allow us to make another run at a 27th World Championship. We are thrilled that Brian has accepted to renew his commitment to this organization for at least three more years.

Holding the position of general manager for any Major League team is a challenge. But to do so in the great city of New York, where baseball is passionately followed 12 months a year, you must possess a number of unique attributes.

Brian has shown throughout his Yankees career that he has the dedication, integrity and know-how needed to perform-and succeed-in this environment. Having him in place allows us to begin an offseason of hard work, and we are pleased he will be working hand-in-hand with us to bring the New York Yankees back to the postseason.

The Yankees will sink or swim with the right man at the helm.

In the ongoing effort to track Brian Cashman’s every move, Ed Price tells us that the Yanks’ GM has yet to decide on his future. Cashman is “intrigued” by the open GM spot in Seattle but feels a deep sense of loyalty to the Yankees. Why anyone would want to go from New York to Seattle is beyond me. Are the Steinbrenners really that bad?

With the ball firmly in his court, Brian Cashman has a decision to make. Will he stay or will he go? No matter the outcome, though, the Yankees want this resolved soon. Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman reported last night that the Steinbrenner want a firm answer from Cashman by next week. I don’t blame the team owners for toeing the line here. The Yanks face a busy off-season, and they need to have a leadership structure in place well before the free agent filing period begins. My money’s still on Cashman’s coming back, but we’ll know for sure next week.

I’m still working on putting together a post about the final game. I took a lot of pictures, and the whole evening was very emotional. Plus, there’s this Civil Procedure reading too. I’ll have the photo post ready to go in the morning for you. In the meantime…

In the clearest indication of where the Yanks’ organization may be headed this off-season, Hal Steinbrenner unequivocally said that the team wants Brian Cashman back as the General Manager. Kat O’Brien has the story:

The Yankees want Brian Cashman back as their general manager next year, and have told him so, Yankees co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner told Newsday in a phone interview Monday.

“He knows that we’re with him, that we want him back,” Steinbrenner said.

Cashman confirmed that to Newsday in a phone interview, saying: “Yes, we’ve talked. They’ve mentioned that during the season.”

Steinbrenner said conversations took place among himself, brother and co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner, father and principal owner George Steinbrenner and Cashman when the Yankees played in Tampa earlier this month. Hal Steinbrenner said: “We did talk in Tampa. We didn’t talk about dollars, but we talked about time frame, length.

Interestingly, O’Brien’s sources hedge their bets when it comes to Cashman’s ultimate decision. While the Yanks want him back, it’s no sure thing that he wants to come back. “I think obviously, it’s quickly approaching that type of decision,” Cashman said to O’Brien. “There’s no doubt about it. I’ll sit down with my family — with the Yankee family and my family. We’ll do what’s best for everyone involved. I love what I do. We’ll just have to see what happens.”

In the end, I think Cashman will come back. I think the Yanks will offer him a very lucrative deal, and I don’t think Cashman can just give up 22 years of organizational ties. I think this story lays out what we’ve all thought for a long time: Hal is more in charge than the backpage editors of The Daily News and The New York Post would have you believe, and if that is indeed the case, I think we’ll see Brian Cashman return.

We’re Cashman supporters here. But we know he has his detractors. Those opponents, though, appear to come largely from outside the organization, and the people making the decisions for the Yankees recognize what they have in Brian Cashman. To give up on him now, in the middle of his restocking plan, would be folly.

Via MLBTR, I see that Ken Davidoff has written a piece categorizing the Yankees moves since Brian Cashman became GM. This is something we’ve talked about, oh, 18 gazillion times in the past, but it’s worth a revisit as the season winds down. I’m not sure exactly how Davidoff came about this information, but he’s got a bit more access than we do. So let’s see how it breaks down.

Cashman All The Way: Bobby Abreu, Alfredo Aceves, Armando Benitez, Wilson Betemit, Kevin Brown, Brian Bruney, Shawn Chacon, Tony Clark, Roger Clemens (both times) Johnny Damon, Kyle Farnsworth, Glenallen Hill, Kei Igawa, David Justice, Al Leiter, Cory Lidle, Hideki Matsui (re-signing in November 2005), Damaso Marte, Tino Martinez (his return), Jose Molina, Mike Mussina (re-signing in November 2006), Xavier Nady, Denny Neagle, Carl Pavano, Andy Pettitte (his return), Sidney Ponson (both times), Darrell Rasner, Mariano Rivera (re-signing in November 2007), Alex Rodriguez (the 2004 trade), Ivan Rodriguez, Javier Vazquez, Robin Ventura, Jose Vizcaino, Bernie Williams (re-signing in December 2005), Jeff Weaver

His Player, Not His Price: Jason Giambi, Sterling Hitchcock (re-signing in December 2001), Steve Karsay, Jorge Posada (re-signing in November 2007), Rondell White, Bernie Williams (re-signing in November 1998)

He Might As Well Have Been at the Atlantis With His Family: Aaron Boone, Jose Contreras, Dwight Gooden (return in 2000), Chris Hammond, Orlando Hernandez, Randy Johnson, Travis Lee, Jim Leyritz (re-signing in November 1999), Jon Lieber, Esteban Loaiza, Kenny Lofton, Raul Mondesi, Alex Rodriguez (re-signing in November 2007), Gary Sheffield, Ruben Sierra (return in June 2003), Darryl Strawberry (his re-signing in November 1998), David Wells (return in December 2001), Jaret Wright

The only real surprise on that list is Kei Igawa. I thought for sure that wasn’t a Cashman move, but rather an organizational move in response to losing the Matsuzaka bid. Funny how Cash had nothing to do with bringing in Jose Contreras, nor with trading him.

What do you guys think of the list? I think, if it’s true, it helps his case for a new contract. What it’s missing, though, is the moves he put the kibbosh on. Most of those, unlike the Santana deal, we’ll never know about.

Ed Price checks in to tell us that Brian Cashman still hasn’t decided on the future and won’t until after the season ends. Which is the same thing we’ve heard since, oh, Spring Training. The Day of Reckoning draws nearer.

Over the past year and a half at RAB, one of the most frequent and hotly debated topics has been of whether the team should retain Brain Cashman as general manager. While Ben, Mike, and I have made our stances clear, we do acknowledge the arguments of the anti-Cashman crowd, of which there are many (arguments and members). There have been a number of poor moves made during Cashman’s tenure, and one might claim that the Yankees woes this season are the product of decisions he’s made over the past six or seven years.

According to a few reports this morning — we’ll look to Anthony Rieber of Newsday — the decision has been made, at least on the Yankees end. Hal and Hank Steinbrenner reportedly want Cashman to man the helm for a few more seasons. This, according to Rieber, is due to Cashman working well with Hal, seemingly the saner of the brothers. The more we read about the Brothers Stein, the more it seems that while Hank is the mouthpiece, Hal is the one pulling the strings.

Cashman has been mum on the situation, as he should be. He’s got plenty of time to weigh his options. While there may be no job more prestigious than Yankees GM, he might prefer the calmer atmosphere of Seattle. Who knows?

Since we always seem to have the “should Cashman stay” debate, let’s try something different today. If you were in Brian Cashman’s shoes, would you take a three-year contract with a reasonable raise from the Yankees? Or would you seek different pastures?

Fact: Since 2005, when Brian Cashman supposedly “took control” of the Yankees, the team has gotten, record-wise, progressively worse.

Fact: The Yankees are witnessing a lot of money coming off the books in about two months. Jason Giambi’s contract, minus an option, will be up. Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte will be free agents. Bobby Abreu will no longer be a ward of the Yankees. The list goes on, but the savings are quite alluring.

Fact: Brian Cashman on Thursday both took blame for this season and expressed his support for the Yankees youth movement.

So where is this leading? Why, to a discussion, albeit a brief one, on Brian Cashman of course.

With this confluence of circumstances all arriving at the same time on September’s doorstep, the anti-Cashman voices will continue to make their cases. I’ll admit it; right now, these folks have some compelling arguments. The Yankees aren’t very good this year; they’re going to miss the playoffs for the first time since the first years of the Clinton Administration; and the kids — as Melky, Phil and Ian have shown — weren’t really all right.

There are, of course, other reasons for the Yanks’ disappointing season. They’ve been hamstrung by injuries. No one expected Phil Hughes to throw just 22 innings and then come down with an injury. Chien-Ming Wang’s Lisfranc disaster has resulted in more Sidney Ponson outings than I ever hoped to see. Jorge Posada’s shoulder problem has been more disastrous than anyone expected, and Hideki Matsui’s aching knee cost the Yankees these years as well. Now with Joba — nearly the Yankee ace in July — has been MIA for a few weeks, that the Yanks are even as close as they are is a minor miracle.

So as the Yanks head into a stretch drive and a postseason with lots of alluring free agents and lots of money coming off the books, questions abound about the team. Do they keep following the youth movement? Probably. But, as Jayson Stark reported this week, the Yanks plan a full court press on Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and, if they don’t land Sabathia, Ben Sheets. They’re going to spend the money they have available to them.

When all is said and done, it comes back to Cashman. Is his autonomy on the wane? Should he even still be around? I’ve long said yes, and I’ll hold to that position. But the masses are growing restless, and the Yankees will again heading into November have the weight of the world on their shoulders as they look to rebuild and retool for a brand new stadium.

Let the Brian Cashman debates begin. According to Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman, the Yankees plan to offer Brian Cashman an extension when the long-time GM’s contract runs out in the fall.

Writes Heyman:

Never mind the Yankees’ current standing in third place, or their recent struggles. Both Steinbrenner brothers are now said by people familiar with their thinking to be on board with Brian Cashman as their general manager, for now and long into the future. Even if the Yankees fail to play into October for the first full season since 1993, club insiders say that the Steinbrenners plan to offer Cashman a contract extension after this season.

At the start of the season, as we well know, Cashman’s long-term prospects in the New York seemed to hinge on this season. He had very publicly — and with an assist from Hal Steinbrenner — declined to give up prospects (and perhaps Chien-Ming Wang) in a trade for Johan Santana and was putting his chips in the development basket. Now, we sit in mid-August, and the Yanks are firmly ensconced in third place, a distant five games behind Boston in the Wild Card.

Yet, as Heyman notes, the Steinbrenners have reportedly latched onto the positives this year. The Yanks organization looks very strong with Austin Jackson and Jesus Montero leading the charge. Plus, Cashman gained major points for his seeming coup in acquiring Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte for nothing more than Jose Tabata and a bunch of mid-level prospects.

Meanwhile, if the Yanks are serious about a new approach involving smart investing in free agency and developing quality youngsters from within, it never made sense to hold Cashman’s feet to the fire based on just the 2008 season. The Yankees are going to have to ride out a plan that takes a few years to see through, and that means Brian Cashman should return. Hopefully, Heyman’s report contains the truth. Hopefully, Cashman doesn’t jump ship to Seattle. Hopefully, the Yanks’ new approach will work for years to come.

While the Yankees improved their team yesterday by shipping out Kyle Farnsworth and landing themselves Ivan Rodriguez in return, the end of the Farnsworth Era provides us with yet another chance to ask our favorite question: Who will pitch the 8th inning?

Farnsworth, hurler in 30 8th innings this year, had emerged recently as the Yanks’ set-up man, to a point. He was yanked in Boston when he nearly coughed up a tight game, and he’s always just one misstep away from completely imploding. But he had his role on the Yankees, and now the team has to fill a bullpen hole.

While the team has yet to announce a corresponding roster move, you have to believe that Chad Moeller will be DFA’d and Brian Bruney will activated from the DL. With that move, the Yanks will have a plethora of candidates to set up for Mariano. Damaso Marte, long the setup man in Pittsburgh, seems likely to inherit the role, but Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras and Bruney should all be considered candidates. None of these players are less reliable than Farnsworth was, and three of them — Marte, Ramirez, Bruney — should be better than Krazy Kyle.

When Brian Cashman pulled the trigger on this deal, he pulled something of a coup. The Yanks instantly improved behind the plate. But he also fully committed himself to his new approach toward building the bullpen. He’s now content to throw young arms out there in an effort to see what sticks. We’ve long endorsed this approach. Why pay $5 million for a Kyle Farnsworth when Edwar Ramirez can be had for the league minimum? Now we’ll get to see how well this works, and how good Joe Girardi is at handling it. Who will emerge to pitch the 8th is a question entirely up for grabs.