Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - Updated: 03:40 AM EST
TAMPA, Fla. - Bernie Williams rejected the New York Yankees’ offer of a minor league contract and will wait to see if a guaranteed job opens up for him on the team.
Yankees manager Joe Torre spoke with Williams last week and tried to reach him, without success, on Sunday.
”Bernie told me he had talked with Joe. Other than the invite, there wasn’t any information that led him to believe he would be a member of the team,” Williams’ agent, Scott Boras, said Tuesday. ”He’s continuing to work out, will wait to see if their position changes.”
Williams signed with the Yankees in 1985 and came up to the major league team in 1991. Torre had hoped the outfielder would be on the field as position players started workouts Tuesday and that Williams would compete for a spot on the roster.
”Evidently, what I’ve said to him hasn’t been enough for him,” Torre said. ”I know he was down when I talked to him.”
Williams helped the Yankees win four World Series titles from 1996-2000 and is hurt the team hasn’t offered him a guaranteed job. Now 38, he lost his starting center field spot to Johnny Damon last year but hit .281 with 12 homers and 61 RBIs in 420 at-bats as a backup, seeing significant time after Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield got hurt.
”He certainly feels he can be a helpful contributor in ’07,” Boras said. ”He wants to remain loyal to the Yankees and doesn’t feel it’s appropriate for him to play for another club.”
Williams hasn’t returned calls from Yankees players or general manager Brian Cashman.
”You’d have to be stupid not to interpret the answer. He’s given us the answer,” Cashman said. ”If something changes, I guess he’ll let us know first. But it’s time to start focusing on who we have here now.”
Yankees captain Derek Jeter and others have said it will be ”weird” to go through spring training without Williams.
”I think we’re all kind of waiting to see if he walks through the door,” Damon said. ”He meant so much to our team last year. Without him, it would have been a different story. He filled in nicely for me when I was banged up. He filled in nicely for Matsui and Sheffield. Bernie’s the type of guy who can play probably another three or four years at a high level. He just wants to do it here.”
If the Yankees start the season without Williams, his corner locker at Yankee Stadium will be offered to closer Mariano Rivera, whose current locker is adjacent.
”I would take it under consideration,” Rivera said. ”My spot is a great spot. I’ve been there a few years. But, like I said, I would take it under consideration knowing the organization is thinking about it.”
Notes: Damon is upbeat about his physical condition after playing through a sore shoulder and a broken bone in his foot last season. ”The foot is completely healed,” Damon said. ”I haven’t ran much because obviously after the season I was a little banged up, wanted to rest a lot. This first week of spring I’m definitely going to work on getting in better shape.” ... Rivera threw 34 pitches during his third bullpen session and expects to be ready to pitch during the first week of exhibition games. ... Jason Giambi hit four homers, including one off the center-field backdrop, during his first batting practice session since offseason surgery on his left wrist. ”No pain at all,” Giambi said. ”We’ll see how it feels tomorrow.” ... Alex Rodriguez cleared the scoreboard in left-center during batting practice.
Bernie...I love you mang...but Joe is right. You have a near zero chance of making the team if you don't show to Spring Training, since the Yankees want to make love to a 1B platoon. You've got to make yourself known!
