Yankees manager Aaron Boone is in the final guaranteed year of his contract, though the Yanks can retain him for 2025 via a club option. Boone told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic yesterday (X link) that he was focused on the World Series and hadn’t had any recent contract talks. Jon Heyman of The New York Post writes that the club is expected to “at least” pick up that option, suggesting Boone is likely to be back next year.
Boone, 51, is in the final days of his seventh season as the Yankee skipper. The club has had plenty of success in that time, making the postseason in six of those seven seasons. Nonetheless, many fans have been displeased with his tenure, perhaps due to the lack of postseason success or the fact that the club dipped to a record of 82-80 in 2023 and missed the playoffs entirely.
But the 2024 campaign was a big bounceback for the club. They went 94-68, winning the American League East and having the best record in A.L. After getting a bye through the Wild Card round, they defeated the Royals in the ALDS and the Guardians in the ALCS.
The World Series has been a challenge so far, with the Yanks dropping the first three games to the Dodgers. They managed to stay alive with a victory in game four last night but still face a steep path to victory.
Many will be unhappy if the Yankees can’t pull off an unprecedented comeback, but it’s not terribly surprising that Boone has seemingly earned himself some extra job security. How much a manager can impact on-field performance is something that can be endlessly debated but there’s usually a rough correlation between positive results and keeping the gig. With the strong regular season in 2024 and the club making it to the World Series for the first time since 2009, it would be a shock if Boone weren’t invited back for 2025.
Even if he is back in the dugout next year, what remains to be decided is what the contract will look like. Generally speaking, teams don’t like their managers or front office members to be in lame-duck status, so the Yanks may not simply pick up the option. The Yankees and Boone could agree to some sort of extension, perhaps by adding another guaranteed year or another option for 2026.
However, the Yankees did let Boone manage as a lame duck once before. His original contract was a three-year deal starting in 2018 with a club option for 2021. They eventually picked up that option and he skippered the club in ’21 with his future uncertain. It wasn’t until October 19 of that year that it was reported that he would be coming back. He and the club agreed to a new three-year deal for the 2022-24 seasons with the aforementioned option for ’25.
uvmfiji
Frankenstein club every year. Might as well extend Boone if you’re gonna keep Cashman around
Michael Macaulay-Birks
I think Cashman is the one that needs to go
Joe says...
There’s room for both in the unemployment line.
DR2020
yes!
vinc3nt3
A marquis team like the Yankees needs an equally GM & Manager.
steven st croix
Cashmans only move is to blame Houston for the Yankees failures.
17dizzy
Boone didn’t make the Errors and mental fielding mistakes of 5 unearned runs in the 5th inning in the 5th game of World Series.
Boone did get the team to the World Series.
28 other teams did not make it.
Why wouldn’t he receive another years extension?
yankeemanuno23
17dizzy
B/c Boone made multiple World Series managing mistakes. Game 1 took out Cole too early w 88 pitches; then put in Cortez (not pitched since mid Sept) vs Hill (0 runs allowed) to pitch and boom grand slam!
Game 2 Boone pitches Rodon vs Schmidt, who has a better W/L & stats on the road vs at Yankee Stadium… loss game.
Game 3 suspect w some relief pitcher order
Game 5 doesn’t come visit mound w Cole in the 5th to settle him & get a breather, he had 20 pitches w 2 outs after the disasters; Boone puts in Kahnle who walks several gets hit b/c only throws changeups (3rd time seen in 3 days).
Fact: Yankees fielding was in bottom 3 in AL and poor base running, indicative of poor Mgr discipline / fundamentals.
The Dodgers showed up the Yankees in all categories, Manager strategy & all hustled, always! They were much better! Soto is gone.
This one belongs to the Reds
There should be no mystery here.
julyn82001
Georgie would’ve had extended Boone already.
phenomenalajs
Probably would have fired him, then rehired him to a new contract a little bit later.
Joe says...
Costanza?
letitbelowenstein
Costanza would have found a way to get Terry Francona and it wouldn’t cost the Yankees much at all.
avenger65
letitbelowenstein: And his father would still be angry about the Yankees trading Buhner to Seattle.
VegasMoved
George would’ve quit after Game 3, then come back for Game 4 like nothing had happened.
Rsox
No, he would have fired him after losing the Wild Card to the Sox in ’21
This one belongs to the Reds
And fired him mid season only to bring him back next year.
Pedro Martinez’s Mango Tree
The comeback would not be unprecedented, it’s been done before
camdenyards46
No team has ever come back from down 3-0 in the World Series
cbraves
First time for everything!
mlb fan
“first time for everything”…Keep in mind that the Dodgers did manage and play the game like it didn’t really matter(with a 3-0 lead). I’m fairly certain that will not happen again.
baseballfreak25
In real stats, the teams that have lost the first three games in a World Series are 0-24 in winning the series. Pretty much means the Yankees are done statistically speaking.
cbraves
Well, I’m old school baseball and I don’t really care about metrics or statistics especially when it comes to October baseball. Anything can happen, while not likely, Dodgers still have to do get it done.
LaBellaVita
Well, I am 100% into metrics and probabilities, and I completely agree with you. It ain’t over until it is over. Teams HAVE come back from a 3-o deficit. But it happens so rarely that it has yet to have occurred in the WS.
That said, the 3-0 is irrelevant. The Yankees are down 3-1. And I bet several WS teams have come back down 3-1.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
There’s NOT a first time for everything.
Take down 3-0 for example. Has it happened? No there’s never been a first time ever in history. Horrible quote. Don’t know why it stays alive.
Kind of like “Father time is undefeated.”
Father time is put on the Shelf quite often and beat up and put back in the box for years for many athletes. Sure it comes back later, but it’s when the player decides not when “father time” decides. Another horrible quote that I don’t know why it stays alive. Don’t get me started. LOL.
Fever Pitch Guy
Gary – With regard to Father Time, they are talking about winning the war not just a battle.
Nobody lasts forever, even Rich Hill will eventually stop pitching.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Yes Fever, eventually. But sometimes people say father time is undefeated when a guy hits 30 or 34 or 38 or 40 depending on the subject.
I’m saying father time is not undefeated and he can be pushed back quite a bit depending on the person.
Father time has ONE WIN AT THE END in those scenarios and a handful of losses. That makes father time 1-10 for instance. That’s not undefeated in my book.
cbraves
@GaryWarriorsRedSoxx – This is baseball my guy, anything can happen at any time. Never had a 50-50 player in history, but it happened. Before last year, never had a 40-70 season, but it happened. In time, there will be a team come back from a 3-0 deficit in the WS.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
You misread the quote. “There’s a first time for everything.”
No team is going to go 162-0. No team is going to hit 47 home runs in one game. No player is going to have 6 RBI in every single game he plays. Should I go on.
There is not a first time for everything.
If you disagree that’s fine, or if I’m missing something then I apologize. It’s just the way I understand quote. I think it’s wrong. I think it’s rubbish.
TheMan 3
only twice in WS history has a team come back from being down 3 games to one to win the Championship
The 1979 Pirates and the 2004 Red Sox
The odds aren’t good
detigs6884
The 1968 Tigers were down 3 games to one and took the final 3 games to win the World Series.
El Kabong
@detigs6884
Good call. The first World Series I watched as a kid. One memory was seeing pictures that winter of WS MVP Mickey Lolich flipping pizzas at his off-season job. Things have changed just a tad.
dasit
royals in 1985
sergefunction
That was when he and then-Tiger fan Mike Ilitch were buds and PR’d it up. He wasn’t actually Minimum Wage Mickey. That relationship didn’t last too long.
Later, Mickey legit flipped donuts at his shop in/near the Lake Orion area. Truth – they were rather tasty.
YankeesBleacherCreature
@TheMan 3 – Those were division championship series.
Rsox
The 2004 Red Sox swept the Cardinals in the World Series. However, you are probably thinking of the ALCS
Pedro Martinez’s Mango Tree
I was, my mistake
Alan53
It’s happened a few times. 2016 Cubs for one.
rememberthecoop
Yep and in fact the Cubs were the sixth team to come back to win after being down 3-1 in the WS.
Canuckleball
The broadcasters mentioned it last night on the international feed, but no team in MLB history has gone down 3-0 in the World Series and forced a game 6, let alone won a World Series.
That’s the situation the Yanks are in. If they win tonight, they will have already done something that’s never been done.
Tigers3232
No team has done it during the World Series
VinScullysSon
2004 was ALCS not World Series
Fever Pitch Guy
TheMan – It’s happened more than twice, and the Red Sox didn’t do it in 2004.
You got the 1979 Pirates right though, so you’re batting .333
BaseballBrian
Umm what? No team has ever done it, let alone force a game 7.
Alan53
Down 3 to 1 has happened a few times. Down 3-0, never in WS, once in ALCS.
BaseballBrian
The World Series is going on now.
superunclea
Cora hasn’t done anything in 5 years and got extended. I’m not a Yankees guy, but Boone hasn’t dipped below .500 in his tenor. He deserves an extension.
gravel
Tenors have to keep it high.
The biggest tr0ll
Cora won a championship though, Boone hasn’t. The only thing Boone did right was a walk off in 03.
HiredGun23
“Many will be unhappy if the Yankees can’t pull off an unprecedented comeback.”
You mean Yankees fans or ???
HalosHeavenJJ
The Dodgers are kind of a west coast Yankees, plenty in this region are rooting against them and would love to see them be the poster child for historic WS collapse.
Blackpink in the area
But if that collapse comes at the hands of the actual Yankees that kinda defects the purpose.
14thor
In Orange county since last week people have been wearing Dodgers gear. And the Angels fans I work with in Anaheim aren’t going to cheer for the Yankees.
El Kabong
West Coast Yankees, as in winning a ton of games every year? What baseball fan wouldn’t want that from their team? The Dodgers are the anti-Angels.
mab51357
I hate the Dodgers (lifelong Giants fan). But I actually hate the Yankees even more so this WS is kind of a win win for me. Dare I say that I hope the Dodgers win. And if the Yankees come back to win, the consolation is that the Dodgers choked again. It’s also a lose lose because one of them will win. I do like Aaron Boone and he should get a 3 year contract either way IMHO.
HalosHeavenJJ
That game 1 decision to bring in Nestor isn’t helping his case for an extension at all.
Acoss1331
Pulling Cole at 88 pitches when he was dealing, and sending Nestor were terrible decisions.
El Kabong
Easy for you guys to say. It wasn’t your decision. You were watching on TV while scraping the lint from your beer bellies.
rct
It’s “easy” for people to say because they were glaringly obvious bad moves. Especially the Nestor move. Hadn’t pitched in over a month and you bring him in to face Ohtani, Betts, and Freeman. Even more egregious when he had lefty Tim Hill (2.05 ERA in 44 innings for the Yanks this season; career OPS-against vs lefties of .614) available in the bullpen. Shockingly bad choice with the game on the line there. Series should be 2-2 right now.
mab51357
That said, Boone is not the reason that their “stud” center fielder sucks in the post season though. They don’t get to the playoffs without him but they also won’t win it all without him.
mab51357
Boone isn’t the one who made Jisz Chasm disappear in the WS either
He and Judge have finally done something tonight, and surprise, they’re winning. So far.
Acoss1331
The Yankees defense was so bad in that fifth inning. Assumptions in the playoffs are killer. Especially that Betts grounder, both Rizzo and Cole just had a collective brain fart…
User 2770661946
Hasn’t been a manager who has done so much with so little during his tenure. Not only does he deserve a new contract, he deserves a raise. I know it. You know it. Aaron knows it. If the Yanks act foolishly and let him walk, he will be snapped up in a day by a team that will fire their manager that morning just to get Boone in their dugout.
Patriot12992
Solid bait
Redsman59
First time I ever heard Terry Troll make any since.
Captainmike1
Do you watch any of the games ?
User 2770661946
If mom isn’t watching her shows or she went out with the girls and I have the place to myself I do
HalosHeavenJJ
Thanks for the chuckle.
mlb fan
“Just to get Boone in their dugout”…Boone is more the poster child of not being able to be fired once you’re in good with Yankee’s owners. Brian Cashman is the original poster child.
Lloyd Emerson
Terry Turdbucket obviously has a fathead of Aaron Boone mounted above his bed.
The biggest tr0ll
Boone was only manager because of 03. He’s not actually that great. Steinbrenner likes living in the past.
ckc12537
Wow. Fantastic article. Great research.
Captainmike1
I think he and the analysts and GM behind him all need to go
metsin4
Only in Yankee fantasy land does a manager go to the World Series and fans don’t want him back.
Yankee Clipper
Your statement is a straw man argument.
metsin4
No when has a World Series manager ever been talked about not coming back besides retiring.
rct
The fans haven’t wanted him back for several years. A solid push through the postseason doesn’t change that, especially when it has contained about a dozen head-scratching managerial moves.
kellin
Actually, there are plenty of Dodgers fans who dont want Roberts back, either.. ( I know a few)
Patriot12992
The team wins because of its prodigious talent, it plays garbage baseball and never does the little things right. A great manager could wring more out of this team.
jmedlin21
Boone’s problems is he wants and thinks he is there friend first and manager sometime. Be a manager, not there best friend.
rmullig2
The lackadaisical base running and poor defense could doom him barring a miracle comeback. Seems like the Yankees need a more hands-on manager now. With all the young players they have now and more on the way they need to make sure those guys don’t turn into Gleyber Torres.
mab51357
Torres is an embarassment to MLB and the Yankees. He’ll be gone(if any team would take him) next season or back to the minors to learn how to respect the game. Lazy, aloof, dumbfounding and can’t think well if there’s a game being played. I’ve bad mouthed a few players over the years for not hustling like Machado but he always seems excellent on defense. Gleyber is lost. Glad we all got to see it in the WS no less.
El Kabong
Boone has done a good job. This is the same fan base that used to refer to Joe Torre as “Clueless Joe.”
Yankee Clipper
That’s actually not correct… that was prior to his Yankees tenure.
And Boone doing a “good job” is relative. If a better manager were in place the Yankees would likely be leading the series (or at worst, one game behind).
Although I understand why you may think he has, watching him manage for seven years paints a very different story. He has been the benefactor of talented teams with which he consistently underperforms.
metsin4
The Yankees are no where close to the top teams in the NL. They probably wouldn’t have been a playoff team in the NL. They went 22-23 vs the National league. No way they are better then the Dodgers with any manager.
mab51357
They’re not better than Philadelphia and it’s probably a tossup with the Mets and Padres.
El Kabong
Nope. I lived in the NYC area and vividly remember Yankees fans referring to Torre as Clueless Joe.
As for Boone, he has been successful as a big-league manager. Navigating the post-season today is more complicated because there are so many rounds. That’s not his fault. And it’s not a failure to fall short of being in the World Series. It’s more about fans (primarily men) wanting to brag about something they had nothing to do with. Their fragile egos can’t handle a little ribbing the day after their team loses. So they choose a scapegoat. Good ol’ male insecurity (which is pretty much a tradition in America).
Yankee Clipper
I’m sure some did refer to him that way, but that was due to his time prior to the Yankees. It was his nickname with the…. Mets or Cards, I believe; and it was used to title an article in one of the major newspapers upon his hire.
But then again, every fanbase has imbeciles too. Look at the guys who grabbed Mookie to get a ball – not a wise decision.
rct
“(or at worst, one game behind).”
I think at worst they would be tied (should have won Game 1). Tonight is Game 5 so it’s not possible for them to be only one game behind (it’s either 3-1 or 2-2). Minor quibble but your overall points still stand!
DR2020
yes. well said clipper
ClevelandSteelEngines
Haven’t watched much of the WS but why blame Boone when the roster is only Judge and Soto? They enjoyed strong performances from guys that weren’t much in the regular season that helped overcome AL Central teams. Now those performances are slipping up, and Judge is still slumping, so not surprising they aren’t putting up much of a fight.
letitbelowenstein
Yankee fans, a hypothetical scenario. Boston offers Alex Cora for Boone. Would you want to see this happen?
ClevelandSteelEngines
some sox fan would trade him for a fictional character
Yankeesforever
Boone’s managerial decision in game one should be enough to let him go,
Managing the Yankees is a stressful job, you can see how he has aged.
He had his run, time to move on,
DR2020
correct
Rick Pernell
Someone needs to weigh in here with a comment of how Boone’s teams ALWAYS go through a prolonged slump. His teams rarely go on long winning streaks or manage to put mediocre teams away. Look at how the 2024 Yankees stacked up against the White Sox, Pittsburgh or Colorado.
@Yankee Clipper, I am sure you can provide more of Boone’s inability to get the job done.
When you’re the manager, it isn’t in the job description to win the popularity contest with the players.
New New Buccoprojectory
You mean that MLB trade rumors can’t even wait until the world series is over to post Boone’s future. Come on give it a rest
harpatkel50
How come Jason Giambi isn’t in the mix?
DevoPettis
Yeah it’s a lame take while in the Series. And no way is this over. Dodgers and press are clearly downplaying the severity of Ohtani’s injury. I doubt he can barely hit a homer in batting practice. The longer it goes the worse it’s gonna get for his shoulder.
mlbnyyfan
Fire Boone and hire Mattingly to manage, Randolph to bench coach and Nick Swisher hitting coach
Lefty_Orioles_Fan
Hey I want Willie Randolph back
I will give you Brandon Hyde
Dumpster Divin Theo
F’in
Samuel
To state the obvious….
Hal has had a free ride for years along with Cashman. Boone’s the 3rd wheel.
The Red Sox are not really the Yankees competition. The Mets are. Between the Wilpon ownership and the people they hired as Baseball Ops heads the Yankees owned the NYC baseball market. That’s changing…..
Steven Cohen has the money and could care less about “penalties”. But we saw that still didn’t matter his first few years. But now he has David Stearns – one of the best Baseball Ops heads in MLB. Hal and Cash have no clue. Were they running a franchise in KC or Milwaukee their teams would be perpetual cellar dwellers. More and more baseball fans in NYC will be gravitating to the Mets….
particularly the young ones.
–
If MLB had real revenue sharing as the NFL, the Yankees would be the Jets and Giants.
brucenewton
Cashman needs to go. Literally requires the highest payroll by far for any hope of winning it. Boone manages using Cashman’s analytics. His moves are pre-determined. If Boone is let go and Cashman still remains, nothing will change, another rookie manager will get the gig and manage in Cashman’s mold.
Dmac13
If the yankees win the WS they can keep boone otherwise bring back Don Mattingly or rob Thompson. But something tells me NY will get a unknown and say analytics say he will be good. NY needs a baseball guy not analytics!
DR2020
baboon has been here are too long already. Never has anyone underperformed so much with so much
No_purpose19
Continuing to have your guys pitch to Freeman is a sure way to not get an extension.
DevoPettis
It’s gonna be hard to fire Boone if Cole throws a no or 1 hitter and the relievers keep shutting them down.
mlbnyyfan
Cashman should be fired. He built this time with limitations. Home run or nothing. I still don’t think Cashman knows how to build a team. They won in 2009 spending big bucks. Bye bye Boone.
Mustard Tiger
@DevoPettis Yeah, well that didn’t happen.
DarrenDreifortsContract
He makes Dave Roberts look like Tommy Lasorda.
bcjd
It would be ironic if Boone suffered the same fate as Grady Little.
NCYankee
Baboon has to go! He has no strategy and is clueless when managing a pitching staff
highflyballintorightfield
The dreadful lack of fundamentals shown by the Yankees has to be a reflection on him. You drill PFP, 3-disengagement rule, throwing to the right base, so you can do it when your mind is 90 percent shut down by fatigue and panic. Yankees pretty obviously don’t do that.
Mustard Tiger
I’m convinced every fan base thinks their manager is an idiot until the guy wins a World Series or two.
andyger63
Fire Boone. Now. Today. This morning, I never want to see him manage this team again. Bring back Girardi. At least he had guts. And a brain.
Scott Costello
I have never seen a team so terrible on fundamentals. That is a DIRECT reflection on Boone and his attitude and accountable. I would have fired him mid game yesterday. Of course the players love him, because they can do what ever they want and not be admonished, yelled at or even told they need to be better.
I’m happy they lost last night because I could not watch him mismanage games anymore.
Fire Boone, Fire Cashman