Tampa, Fla ? The New York Yankees could hire a new manager by the end of this week.

“It’s possible,” Hank Steinbrenner said Wednesday, adding that the process could extend longer. “We want to get it done as soon as possible.”

He spoke before first-base coach Tony Pena became the third candidate to interview for the job that opened when Joe Torre stepped down last week. Yankees broadcaster Joe Girardi interviewed Monday, and bench coach Don Mattingly on Tuesday.