Former Marlins and Yankees manager Joe Girardi has officially stepped down as the manager for Team USA ahead of the “Premier 12” Olympic qualifier for the 2020 Games in Tokyo, Japan:

Joe Girardi had been named the team's manager for “Premier 12” in August, but his pursuit of a managerial opening in the MLB is a personal priority.

Brosius–who was Girardi's teammate with the Yankees in the late 90s–is a longtime assistant with Team USA, and he will fill Girardi's shoes ahead of the Tokyo.

Baseball was eliminated from the Olympic program for the last two Games, but it returns in 2020. The United States won the bronze medal at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Meanwhile, Girardi continues to pursue a number of jobs. He has been interviewed by the Cubs, Mets and Phillies, amongst others, and he is the favorite to land one of the openings on the market.

A source told Mike Puma of the New York Post that Girardi is particularly interested in the Mets job:

“You are reporting to the general manager, here is what it’s going to be, you either want the job or you don’t,” the source said. “And I think Joe wants the job badly enough that it won’t be bothersome and he’s going to figure out how to get along and everything else. I don’t see that being an issue.”

Former Mets All-Star and current Yankees special adviser Carlos Beltran (who is also a candidate for the job) has said that he is only interested in managing in New York.

However, many executives within the industry believe that the Mets front office is more likely to choose a candidate with experience, which would give Girardi the inside track on the job.