The New York Yankees committed their future to Aaron Boone by inking him to a three-year deal with a club option for the 2025 season.
This comes on the heels of another early postseason exit, as his team couldn’t overcome the Boston Red Sox in the American League Wild Card Game.
The organization took a few days to decide whether to keep him or let him go, but they chose the former, and he will be in charge of the Yankees’ fortunes at least until the 2024 season expires.
Unless he proves incapable of making the next step after year one and two of his new pact.
The Yankees are showing faith in Boone, and will surround him with a brand-new coaching staff.
Third base coach Phil Nevin, hitting coaches Marcus Thames and PJ Pilittere, and first base coach Reggie Willits won’t be back with the club next year.
General manager Brian Cashman recently talked about getting a shortstop this offseason and improving other areas of need on the roster.
The Yankees Have Faith In Boone, But He Needs To Deliver
All of this means that the organization doesn’t see Boone as the problem, instead, he could be part of the solution.
After all, he has shown some traits that ownership admires: an ability to handle the press, and continual support for his players.
Players respect him.
However, all of it means that he won’t have much of a leash should things go south next year or in 2023.
Just as Boone has strengths as a manager, he also has some clear weaknesses.
His lineup construction is not always optimal, his management of the bullpen, rest days, and workloads is iffy, and his influence in games, while difficult to measure, seems to fall short when compared to top skippers in the game.
The Yankees want someone who can manage the clubhouse and the dugout adequately, places where egos can cause frictions sometimes.
He is very good at that, but he needs to prove that he can take the powerful Yankees to the promised land: their first World Series title since 2009.
He Needs To Prove He Can Succeed In The Playoffs
Boone, so far, has shown he is a very good regular-season manager, with a solid 328-218 record in four years.
#MLB | On Tuesday the #NewYorkYankees signed manager #AaronBoone to a 3-year extension with an option for a fourth year. #Boone has a 328-218 managerial record with #NewYork, and the #Yankees have made the playoffs every year during his tenure. pic.twitter.com/lMOFy1g4BG
— TheBuzz (@WTBdotcom) October 19, 2021
He is yet to reach the World Series during his tenure as a skipper, though, and only reached the ALCS once, in 2019, where the Yanks were ousted by the Houston Astros.
So far, he has a couple of eliminations in the Division Series (2018, 2020) and one in the Wild Card Game (2021).
The organization, additionally, needs to give him the tools to succeed, which means a quality roster.
The Yankees hired pitching coach Matt Blake and he turned the pitching staff into one of the best in the league.
Offense, however, was a problem all year, which is why Thames and Pilittere aren’t returning.
The Yankees will look extensively for a data-driven, analytics-expert hitting coach to turn their fortunes around and get the best of struggling stars such as Gleyber Torres, Gary Sanchez, DJ LeMahieu, Clint Frazier, Joey Gallo, and others.
I know Boone's not popular, but I'm not too upset – yet. Very short leash next season but still holding out hope
— Sad New York Fan (@SadNYGuy) October 19, 2021
But if the team fails to make the playoffs in a very tough AL East next year, Boone may not last too long as the skipper.
NEXT: 3 Shortstops Yankees Can Acquire This Offseason