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Epstein extended ... another smart move by Red Sox

Red Sox star GM Theo Epstein's contract negotiations went much smoother this time than they did three years ago, and the reason for that is that Epstein is said to feel much more comfortable in that job now. The reason he is more comfortable is that the team's excellent owner John Henry, who emailed news of Epstein's new three-year agreement to Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe, has abided by his promise to keep a definitive separation between church and state -- or in this case, between the business operation headed by Larry Lucchino and the baseball department run by Epstein. The success of both departments has been immense. Lucchino's revenues are "up by double'' since he's been there, according to an owner of another team. And Epstein, of course, has won two World Series with a team that had previously gone zero for its last 85 seasons.

Hey Hank, maybe it's you

General manager Brian Cashman has said that the Yankees' dreadful season is his responsibility. And manager Joe Girardi said it was his.

But Hank Steinbrenner took the opposite approach, saying aloud that it was time for an advisory committee, which is a direct slap at Cashman. The whole thing is pretty funny, really, since Cashman "has always understood the GM never makes all the calls with the Yankees,'' one colleague said.

Beyond that, Hank is just talking to hear himself talk now. It has become quite clear that his younger brother Hal is really running the team while the only thing Hank runs is his mouth. According to people in the know, sister Jennifer also has become a forceful voice within the Yankees' hierarchy. So among the Steinbrenner siblings, Hank may be running third.

While his bosses started to heed Cashman a little more after he signed his last contract three years ago, Cashman understands that the Steinbrenners always have the right to over-rule him, as they did by giving Jorge Posada an extra year and by giving Alex Rodriguez two extra years after swearing that they were out of the bidding following Rodriguez's opt out.

The odd thing is Hank the Yank assuming that the debacle known as the 2008 baseball season is someone else's fault, and not his. Hey Hank, you're the one who just got there. Not Cashman, who was present for all four World Series titles (the first as Bob Watson's assistant).

And let's not forget that when father George ran the Yankees, Hank was busy running the Kinsman Farm horse stable for two decades. And by the way, Hank's record there was zero for the Triple Crown. Hundreds of horses saddled, yet zero to hit the board (win, place or show) in any of the three Triple Crown races.

The question then becomes: What makes Hank think this is someone else's fault?

Around the majors

• There's more talk lately that the Yankees may consider trading Robinson Cano. The main reason apparently isn't that he recently earned a benching for failing to hustle, but more because he has tremendous trade value despite his off-year and the Yankees have multiple needs. The Dodgers, managed by Cano's first manager, Joe Torre, are said to be interested. The New York Post mentioned that possibility last offseason, well before Cano's terrible year.

• Orlando Hudson picked a good year to be a free agent. If Cano goes, the Yankees would be interested. While it's possible that the Mets could also be interested, the idea that they want to trade Luis Castillo seems far-fetched. Who's going to want the Mets' backup second baseman at $6 mil per?

• It's nice that Mets starter John Maine is still trying to come back this year. But it's pretty clear now that we won't see him in a game until next year.

• In Jerry Manuel's game of relief roulette, maybe Joe Smith should be tried as closer soon. Lately, he's looked the best of their relievers.

• Too bad Fernando Tatis is out for the year with a separated shoulder, That was some comeback story.

• The Nats are more than gnats to the Mets; they are their great tormentor.

• While the Phillies now lead the Mets by a 1/2 game (and have a much easier schedule), the Mets have actually led 80 times through six innings while the Phillies have only led 66 times through six innings. That shows what a good comeback team the Phillies are and, of course, how rough it's been for the Mets' pen.

• DeWayne Wise is a nice story for the White Sox. Buddy Bell is said to be the one who recommended that the team call up the red-hot 30-year-old journeyman, who won a game recently with a grand slam.

• Scouts are saying Ken Griffey Jr. is no longer great in center, but you could have fooled me; he made two nice catches on Monday night.

• Belated congrats to Bobby Cox's boys for breaking their streak of 29 straight one-run defeats on the road by beating the Mets 3-2 on Saturday.

• I don't like this new trend of players who have no business bunting late in games. Chase Utley tried it the other day, and Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria tried it on Tuesday night.

• Kudos to Mariano Rivera for tying Lee Smith for second place on the alltime save list.

• Same to Derek Jeter for passing Lou Gehrig for most hits at this Yankee Stadium.

• Alex Rodriguez and agent Scott Boras apparently have made up after the rocky winter where A-Rod went back to talk to the Yankees on his own, then bashed Boras on 60 Minutes. A-Rod said he is back talking to the man who got him the $252 million contract with the opt-out provision that allowed him to add a $305 million contract on top of that original deal. "Even brothers fight,'' Rodriguez said. "He's a good guy.''