Yankees havent decided fate of hitting coach James Rowson: Just takes time

LAS VEGAS — Nearly five weeks removed from the last time the Yankees played a game, their hitting department is still under review.After Hal Steinbrenner blamed the offense for another season ending without a championship, turning up the heat on the seats underneath hitting coach James Rowson and Co., Brian Cashman said Tuesday that the club was “still working through our hitting coach situation.” Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.“It just takes time,” Cashman said during the general managers meetings at the Aria Resort and Casino.

“So first, James Rowson’s a free agent [his contract expired].He’s talking to other clubs at the same time, and we’re also engaged in the marketplace and also internally, determining what’s next and best for us.

It’s not resolved yet, so I really don’t have any more to add.But that’s the current status of that.”Time would seem to be of the essence, given that a lockout is looming and once it begins (at midnight Dec.

1), Aaron Boone and his staff will not be allowed to communicate with players on the 40-man roster.So if the Yankees are going to hire an external replacement for Rowson, it would behoove them to give him time to connect with his new players and offer some guidance for the winter.“I’m working through thoughts and permutations and have had discussions about what’s best and what’s next,” Cashman said.

“I’ll just leave it at that.”In the meantime, the fates of Rowson and assistant hitting coaches Casey Dykes and Jake Hirst hang in the balance entering an offseason in which the Yankees will be hard-pressed to fix their offensive problems just by adding hitters from a limited free agent class or via trades.Cashman said he has been “given a budget” by Steinbrenner — which he declined to reveal — as he tries again to construct a roster that can capture the franchise’s fir...