Long to return as Yankees' hitting coach

ARLINGTON, Texas - After announcing last week that pitching coach Dave Eiland wouldn't be retained, general manager Brian Cashman said the organization's desire was to bring back the rest of Joe Girardi's staff.

One of them, hitting coach Kevin Long, is back in the fold after agreeing to a three-year contract, a source confirmed Monday. It will be Long's fifth season as the team's hitting coach.

The Yankees have not yet re-signed but are expected to bring back third-base coach Rob Thomson, first-base coach Mick Kelleher, bench coach Tony Peña and bullpen coach Mike Harkey. Harkey is among the internal candidates to replace Eiland.

The Yankees received permission Monday to talk to Gil Patterson, a roving pitching instructor for the A's who pitched for the Yankees in 1977 and coached in their system previously, about the opening.

"I'm looking forward to the interview," Patterson said last night by phone.

Another candidate, Rick Kranitz, the Orioles' pitching coach who served in that position on Joe Girardi's staff in Florida in 2006, accepted a job as the Astros' minor-league pitching coordinator Monday.

Organizational meetings began Monday and should conclude Tuesday in Tampa as the Yankees start laying out their offseason plans.