Breaking: Yankees manager may lose his job after the 2024 season, following the conditions given by the team.
After the 2024 MLB season ends, Aaron Boone, who has been the New York Yankees’ signal caller for the past six years, might not be around anymore.
During his time as manager, Boone has guided the Yankees to five winning seasons. During that time, the Bronx Bombers have made two trips to the ALCS and ALDS, respectively. Along with coaching Yankees star Aaron Judge to an American League MVP title and a record 62 home runs in 2022, Boone also guided great pitcher Gerrit Cole to the 2023 AL Cy Young Award. Both as a club and as an individual, New York has experienced tremendous success; yet, there have been a few setbacks that left something to be desired from the former Yankees player turned lead man, which may quickly force him out of the Big Apple.
According to reports, the Yankees need to make a deep playoff run to keep manager Aaron Boone in place.
Even though it won’t be with a World Series trophy next to him, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Boone might need to lead the Yankees further than he has ever led them as manager in the 2024 MLB playoffs in order to sleep soundly at night once winter arrives (h/t Kevin Hickey of The Sporting News):
Heyman stated via Bleacher Report, “I would say, they have to win at least one round and have to get into the playoffs, first and foremost.” “I believe the owner, Hal Steinbrenner, adores him. It will be difficult if they lose in the first round, so I would say that’s a really warm seat. However, I believe general manager Brian Cashman adores him and they fervently want to have him around.
How the Yankees’ season finale may either make or break Boone’s employment
Heyman makes a valid evaluation. But Boone has already achieved the goals he listed. In the past, the Yankees have had difficulty defeating the formidable Houston Astros in the AL. At the start of the Judge era, New York possessed strength at the plate and dependability in the bullpen, but when things got hard in the postseason, they needed another outstanding arm in their rotation. The Yankees acquired Cole in 2019 after that.
The Yankees have strengthened their lineup with star power at every turn thanks to the addition of Juan Soto, another MVP-caliber slugger, and the development of Luis Gil, a rookie pitcher, into a rising star.
The conference-leading Baltimore Orioles (70-48) and a host of teams vying for place in the rankings will present challenges for the Yankees (69-49), one of the favorites to emerge from the American League. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers (68-49) and the National League-leading Philadelphia Phillies (69-48) have the star power to rival New York’s if they advance far in the World Series.
An early playoff exit would be embarrassing for Boone in comparison to the Yankees’ 82-80 2023 season, which saw them miss the postseason for the first time since 2016. The biggest variable in Boone’s equation with the franchise right now is the addition of Soto. Both he and Judge are performing at MVP caliber, and Cole, who returned from a right elbow injury on June 19, has around seven more starts left to develop. Should they fail to execute Boone’s strategy, things might not go well for the latter, who also have solid play from Carlos Rodon Jr. on the pitching, Giancarlo Stanton and Alex Verdugo at the plate, and Clay Holmes to close things out.
Before the 2022 season, Boone inked a three-year contract with the Yankees that extends through the conclusion of the current league season. Even though he has a 2025 club option, how successful he performs in the 2024 playoffs with what is likely his best team to date will determine how long he stays in New York.
