While the wait continues within the Yankees organization for owner Hal Steinbrenner to dictate the direction of the team in what looks like a fluid situation, he seems inclined to keep Aaron Boone as manager, industry sources told Buster Olney. from ESPN.
“Likes [Boone], and I don’t think I blame him for what happened, “said a source.
During a season generally seen as a disappointment, Steinbrenner cited poor player performance as the main reason for the team’s troubles. There has also been strong criticism on social media of Boone from some Yankees fans.
But at the moment, Boone has no contract for the 2022 season. Some within the franchise privately complain about Boone, and the common refrains are that he should more frankly evaluate the team’s performance to the media when the Yankees play poorly, and that your bullpen choices too often don’t work out.
In Boone’s four seasons as manager, the Yankees are 328-218, averaging 98 wins in three full seasons, and have made the playoffs every year. The Red Sox beat them in the American League Wild Card Game this year, and the Yankees haven’t advanced beyond the American League Championship Series with Boone, which is no small matter for a fan base that He hasn’t seen a World Series title. since 2009.
The organization can also weigh changes in the coaching staff.
The decision of whether Boone stays with the Yankees is not necessarily Steinbrenner’s alone. Boone’s contract will expire a few hours after the World Series, which means he could become a free agent in the manager market at a time when many front office executives believe there is a shortage of attractive and experienced candidates. If Boone’s contract with the Yankees expires, other teams may be interested in talking to him.
For example: The San Diego Padres fired Jayce Tingler as their manager last week, and they are expected to hire someone who has managed the major leagues before. Some of the names their leaders ask about include Braves third base coach Ron Washington, who was a finalist for the San Diego spot when Tingler was hired, and Bruce Bochy, Brad Ausmus, Buck Showalter and Jeff Banister. . As the unofficial scrutiny has progressed, a source reports, a staff member has asked questions about Boone’s status and whether he could be considered by the Padres.
The Yankees’ pedigree has generally served other candidates, Don Mattingly, for example, or Joe Girardi, because there is a presumption that they have useful experience in handling probing questions from reporters and in being the public face of a company. private throughout a season.
If the Yankees decide to let Boone’s contract expire and choose a new manager, rival officials believe they will consider the Astros’ bench coach, Puerto Rican Joe Espada, among others. Espada was a coach for the Yankees before moving to the Astros in 2018.
The commissioner’s office is warning teams not to make major announcements during the postseason for fear that attention will drift away from current games. The Yankees may not announce a resolution until there is a hiatus in the playoff schedule.
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