2024-10-31 22:45:03
The poet T.S. Eliot once wrote, “This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper.”
That sure is a good way to describe the Yankees’ 2024 season.
New York had World Series aspirations this season, and for most of the campaign, the team lived up to those expectations. The Yankees posted the best record in the AL, winning the AL East and earning a bye in the postseason. The Bronx Bombers dismantled the Royals and Guardians with ease to reach the Fall Classic, going up against the mighty Dodgers.
That is where the magic in New York simply vanished. The Yankees lost in five games to the Dodgers to fall well short of a title. It brings an incredibly sour ending for a season where the faithful of the pinstripes truly believed that this was their year.
Now, the Yankees face plenty of questions as MLB turns the page to the offseason. While the biggest question is the free agency status of star outfielder Juan Soto, there is another decision to be made by the New York front office — Aaron Boone.
The Yankees and their manager find themselves at an intriguing point as they consider Boone’s future. Will the Yankees fire Boone this offseason? Here’s what you need to know about the managerial situation in New York.
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Will Yankees fire Aaron Boone?
The Yankees have an intriguing decision to make this offseason in regards to Boone. There is a club option on Boone’s contract for the 2025 season, meaning the two are not guaranteed to run it back next season.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported in early September that the Yankees’ performance during the 2024 postseason would ultimately determine whether New York picks up the option or not. Immediately after the World Series defeat, though, SNY’s Andy Martino reported that Boone is expected to return for 2025.
On the one hand, Boone helped get the Yankees to their first World Series since 2009, when New York defeated Philadelphia for the title. The Yankees lost just two games total in the ALDS and ALCS in 2024, knocking off the Royals 3-1 in the divisional series before beating the Guardians 4-1 in the AL championship. You can make the argument their path was easy, but ultimately, New York took care of business against two teams it was expected to beat.
Still, given how the World Series played out, it’s hard to see the postseason in total as a positive. The Yankees won just one game against the Dodgers, and Boone received plenty of flak for some of his decisions in the series.
The Yankees manager was criticized for a number of decisions in Game 1, including pulling Gerrit Cole after six innings when he was at 88 pitches, having Jake Cousins start the 10th inning over Luke Weaver, and bringing in Nestor Cortes, who hadn’t pitched in over a month, to face the heart of the Dodgers’ order. The result was a Freddie Freeman walk-off grand slam to win the series opener.
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There was also talk that Boone should have switched Aaron Judge’s spot in the lineup. Despite the slugger struggling mightily in the 3-hole, the manager opted to keep the order consistent, giving the outfielder more reps in the heart of the lineup.
Boone’s managerial decisions certainly did not decide the series. The Yankees batting under .200 as a team, with a slugging percentage of under .300, would be more of the cause for the embarrassing loss to the Dodgers.
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Aaron Boone contract
Boone signed a three-year contract after the 2021 MLB season, keeping him with the Yankees through the 2024 season. The deal also has a club option for the 2025 season.
He’s been the manager of the Yankees since 2018, compiling a regular season record of 603-429 over his seven seasons at the helm of the pinstripes. That includes two 100-win seasons and six playoff appearances in that time.
