With the Yankees coming back to the pack in the AL East general manager Brian Cashman was asked yesterday whether manager Joe Girardi’s job could be in jeopardy.

His answer was a simple “no” and then when a follow-up question wondered whether Girardi’s job was safe regardless of how the Yankees finish the season his answer was an equally simply “yup.”

Two weeks ago Hal Steinbrenner told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post that Girardi’s job was “not at all” at stake, so unless both men are being coy the manager isn’t going anywhere.

Girardi is under contract for next season at $3 million and despite struggling of late the Yankees still hold a one-game lead in the AL East with the league’s third-best record at 82-63. This is Girardi’s fifth season as Yankees manager after one season managing the Marlins and his .570 career winning percentage is the 15th-best of all time and tops all active managers.