Yankees sign Brian Cashman to three-year extension, part ways with coaches Kevin Long, Mick Kelleher

The Yankees made some decisions for the future on Friday, extending general manager Brian Cashman with a three-year contract and parting ways with hitting coach Kevin Long and first-base coach Mick Kelleher. The departures of the coaches were first reported by Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.

Cashman, who has been the team's general manager since 1998, was widely expected to return despite the team's struggles over the last two seasons. The 47-year old has been at the helm of the Yankees for four World Series championships and fourteen playoff appearances in seventeen seasons, leading many to believe that the job is his until he retires or moves to another role.

Long, a well-respected ex-minor leaguer in the Royals organization, had been the team's hitting coach for seven seasons after being hired in 2007. He was generally regarded as one of the best hitting coaches in the league until this season, when the Yankees ranked 20th in the majors with a .245 average as a team.

Kelleher, 67, had been with the Yankees since the 2009 season. He previously worked as a coach with the Pirates and Tigers after retiring as a player in 1982.