The Yankees picked up Aaron Boone’s 2025 club option last week, ensuring that he’d be back at the helm for an eighth season, but there’s still no certainty in place beyond what’s now effectively a one-year pact. Boone told the Yankees beat this morning that as of this moment, there are no conversations with the Yankees about an extension that would keep him in the Bronx beyond the 2025 season (video link via SNY). Boone also revealed that there will be at least one change to his coaching staff next year but wasn’t prepared to publicly divulge any names (also via SNY).
The 2024 season proved to be the most successful under Boone, whose club reached the World Series for the first time since 2009, albeit in what proved to be a losing effort to the Dodgers. The Yankees’ 94 wins during the regular season were only Boone’s fourth-highest total in a single season, but he’d never experienced a playoff run of this magnitude in the past.
On the heels of that showing, it seemed increasingly likely that Boone would indeed stick around, be it simply via that club option or on a new multi-year extension. It’s still possible the two sides come to terms on a lengthier arrangement, but the Yankees did let Boone play out the entire 2021 season as a “lame-duck” manager on a one-year deal with nothing guaranteed beyond that particular season until late October.
Boone also touched on a number of offseason-centric topics, though he generally provided expected answers. He confirmed that he’ll be in attendance for the upcoming meeting between owner Hal Steinbrenner, Juan Soto and agent Scott Boras. Boone spoke generally of his hopes to be a player in the market for star Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki but offered little beyond praising the 23-year-old as a special and gifted talent whom the organization has been scouting for years.
Perhaps most interestingly to Yankees fans, Boone was asked about infield prospect Chase Durbin and offered a glowing review, calling him a “stud” and noting that he expects the 24-year-old second baseman/third baseman to play a “big” role on the 2025 club. Adding either a second baseman or third baseman has been expected thus far, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. likely slotting in at the other position.
It seems unlikely the Yankees would hand the other spot right to Durbin, but he’s coming off a 2024 season during which he slashed .287/.396/.471 with more walks (12.5%) than strikeouts (9.9%) in 375 Triple-A plate appearances. The former 14th-rounder, who came to the Yankees from the Braves in 2022’s Lucas Luetge trade, also smacked 10 homers and swiped 31 bases in just 82 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Boone touted Durbin’s “great bat-to-ball” skills and “elite ability on the bases” and noted that the club has been working to improve his versatility with reps at second base, shortstop, third base and in the outfield because the organization is bullish on Durbin’s chances of helping the big league club sooner than later. None of that precludes an infield acquisition in the next few months, but it does make it a virtual certainty that Durbin will be selected to the 40-man roster before next week’s Rule 5 protection deadline.
Thank the Good Lord
You’re welcome!
I would like to extend the plug end of my extension cord to Aaron Boone!
I keep hearing the Yankees are interested in trading for St. Louis’s Arenado.
So that’d move Chisholm to Second.
Correct??
Jazz could play a couple of positions depending on how the off season plays out. I don’t think the Yankees are trying to add aging veterans on large contracts. I don’t think they want to touch the Josh Donaldson stove again. I think they will get younger and more athletic in the infield. That said, if St. Louis eats all the money, then sure, lots of teams will be interested.
Clip,
I wouldn’t bank on him leaving just yet. Cashman loves Boone, and so does Hal. The Yankees brass is probably not going to learn the lessons that the Dodgers scouting report had on them. I hope I’m wrong, Yankees need a manager to give these guys a kick in the butt!
I hear rumblings it going to be a short term deal. Somewhere between 185 million over 11 years.
@Clip, does that mean I can go back to dreaming about the Water Cooler Guy managing?
Absolutely! Haha.
This will be his last. Yanks overachieved and now they won’t be able to retain their current talent level due to financial restrictions (they’ll either sign Soto and be done or loose him and not be able to replace that level of production).
So after poor showing in World Series, and a down year, yanks will be looking else where for a manager in 26
Comments like this always give me a good laugh. Sure, re-signing Soto would probably be the Yankees one big move of the offseason but it would also mean they remain the AL favorites going into 2025. There’s also nothing to indicate the Yankees overachieved this year. If anything they slightly underachieved after a great start to the season
Agreed. They also only had half a year of Cole essentially, and underachieved in the WS for sure. That was not the “best” that this Yankees team played this year.
That’s not what I saw in the WS. I saw a dodger team that was clearly better than the Yankees in every aspect.
The cold streak for the young short stop has to be alarming. As well as judge not being able to hit against playoff quality pitching. I agree Cole wasn’t there and to form all season but also that other pitcher was on another level the first 1/2 to make up for it.
Toronto could make a big sign or 2 and overachieve this season, so could Red Sox. And Tampa can always overachieve. Be interesting in how the offseason shakes out but if Yankees can’t win the offseason, they won’t be able to duplicate the regular season of 24.
Toronto isn’t doing anything flashy. 211 million on a 237 tax level they wanna stay under. You’re looking at roster fillers with a little tucked away to see if they are buyers at the deadline. Toronto is what it is.
The Dodgers won in 5 games, so nobody is trying to say the Yankees were better. However, not making routine plays that most little league teams make, was not this Yankee team displaying their best effort. I’m not sure why that is controversial.
If all they’re going to do is resign Soto, then why bother? If they’re *only* going to resign Soto, then they’ll need to lie to him that the Yankees are committed to winning.
The Yankees do have the reigning Cy Young and current MVP on the roster. Judge and Soto put up numbers that we haven’t seen since Ruth and Gehrig. We shouldn’t act like if we don’t waste money on washed FA like Rizzo and Verdugo that the roster is somehow worse.
Soto is a 26 year old superstar. You don’t just let guys like that walk. A full year of Jazz and Dominguez in the lineup plus continued development from Volpe and Wells would make the 2025 lineup much better than the 2024 version. The Yankees don’t need to make many outside moves to find themselves back in WS contention next year
Ronk – I agree the Yankees didn’t overachieve, but the rest of the AL absolutely underachieved. The way Baltimore, KC, Minnesota and Seattle tanked the last couple months was embarrassing. Houston had an admirable midseason rally, but the injuries were ultimately too much for them.
The whole league went through a lull at one point this year. There was a point in June when the Yankees, Dodgers, Phillies, Guardians, and Orioles all were on pace for 100+ wins but in the end none of them got there. It was a very strange regular season but ultimately led to an entertaining postseason
While I want the Yankees to retain Soto, its simply not enough and it was evident in the WS that the Dodgers were another tier above the Yanks. The Yankees have been so top heavy and lack any real lineup depth. Even if Giancarlo plays like he did in the postseason, that leaves just about 3 hitters to really worry about, then the rest you can attack and have them try to bear you. Its just not sustainable to have them pitch around Judge and Soto, have them on base and no one can hit them in. Jazz is a decent addition, but instead of having him in the OF to get rid of having to play Verdugo, the play him at 3B during the world series. Its nuts. Verdugo can be a solid 4th or 5th guy but he finds his way into the starting lineup every game on a team that has too many OFers and that should be enough to tell you how thin the depth is.
@whiffa, blah blah blah blah.
I believe it’s Caleb Durbin. & the Yanks would be nuts to rely on a 5’6 2B w/ a 500Ab track record of good play.
Could not disagree more. Durbin had a .396 OBP in 310 AB’s this year and this with a bum wrist when he came back. elite bat to ball skills, he struck out only 37 times and walked 47. He also stole 29 of 32 bags and is a strong 2B glove. Crushing in the AFL too. Perfect leadoff hitter potential.
Couldn’t agree more. Durbin is the anti Torres. Hustles, high baseball IQ, good base runner, small strike zone, defensively sound, doesn’t strike out. Everything that was wrong with the 2024 Yankees, Torres in particular, Durbin is the opposite. Let’s roll with the youth and he is cheap.
By that logic Dustin Pedroia never would have gotten a shot. Durbin could be a bust but he could also be another dirt dog…
Dustin Pedroia was a 2nd round pick with an extensive track record of success. He’s also 3 inches taller.
Durbin’s an option but he simply cannot be the Yankees #1 option at this point. There’s an Altuve and then there’s 400 other guys who didn’t work.
Those 3 inches are with his cleats on, his batting helmet on and standing on top of his equipment bag…
jbig – I can attest Pedroia was no more than 5’7″ based on others with verified height standing next to him.
And oh yeah, he actually admitted he was 5’7″
boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2016/07/31/pedroi…
Don’t believe everything you read from BR or team-issued statements.
Yeah. Doesn’t really matter for this though. Durbin as your only option is a very risky proposition. Bat might play but you just came off a WS disappointment. I’m not handing him the keys without real competition for the spot.
Everyone is writing off a 24 year old Oswald Peraza who in a down year last year hit 16 homers and stole 25 bases and has an elite glove no matter where you put him. Jazz is also an option if he fails, as is Oswaldo Cabrera and Jorbit Vivas. Vivas is only 23 years old and coming off a disappointing season at AAA but could be in mix.
See Altuve….
Can you say Pedroia!
Love Caleb Durbin. HATE that the Yankees want to take every prospect and play them all over in their first taste of The Show. Let the kid play his damn normal position and just master THAT along with hitting!!
Baseball front offices have been corrupted by the video game generation where you can play anyone anywhere with little consequence beyond your abilities with the controller
Not going to get many AB’s if all you play is 2b and Jazz and Volpe are playing everyday. Plus he’ll be competing with Cabrera and Peraza for a roster spot and that’s absent then adding a veteran 1b/3b if they chose to.
Btw, Volpe and Wells have been left to their “natural” positions and JD isn’t going to DH so it isn’t every prospect.
Boone and Cashman HAVE to have compromising pictures on the whole Steinbrenner family. George would have dropped them both off the side of the GW by now.
That was my quip when the World Series was getting kicked off – “can’t wait for this battle of wits between two managers who both probably should’ve been fired 6 years ago”
Everyone must have laughed and laughed…
They did, thanks
Over the last six years Dave Roberts has a winning percentage of .650 (105 win average) five division titles and two World Series crowns.
Should’ve been fired, huh…
Idiotic.
Are you kidding me? Look at the rosters the Dodgers have given him every year of his tenure. A bowl of chips could manage that team to a .650 record, give me a break.
The Dodgers should have multiple more World Series in addition to what they’ve won, and while some of that is not necessarily Roberts’ fault, his lack of urgency and galaxy-brained pitching decisions in October definitely deserve significant credit for their hand in why they don’t.
And I’m not looking to die on an anti-Roberts hill, honestly I do like the guy. I’m glad for him that the Dodgers have given him a long leash and he finally got them there this October (not before almost handing all the momentum right back to the Yankees on a silver platter by making a conscious decision to openly punt a close-out game 4 in the Bronx). But for the kind of money the Dodgers have been investing in their roster, the patience they put in Roberts was anywhere from unusual to unwarranted.
Yankees have to give this genius, who brought in Cortes (who wasn’t in game action for more than 1 month) to face Ohtani, Betts and Freeman in a key situation, a 10 year 500 mil extension.
Yanks needed Freddy to hit like he did against the Padres!
Extension? I’m shocked they haven’t fired him.
Don’t be shocked, seems like he’s a nice pet for Cashman so he’ll stick around for awhile. Girardi had different ideas on how the team should be run and wasn’t re-signed when he should’ve been IMO
I’m still not fully used to the fact that these are not George Steinbrenner’s Yankees that I grew up rooting against. The Boss would’ve had no tolerance for this clown show, but clearly his kids are of a different mindset for better or worse. Won’t hear me complain that it’s been mostly for worse, though at the same time I do miss the intensity the rivalry had in the mid-00’s.
Yeah there’s a lot more loyalty (for better or worse) and rationality under Hal’s leadership. Unfortunately, since Hal has had Cashman a part of his life for so long I believe he will never fire him and has a job for life. He probably sees Cash as more of a family member than an employee at this point. The only thing that may change is Cashman moves to a traditional President of Baseball Ops role and they hire a GM to oversee more and hopefully give some fresh perspective. I know the Yanks made it to the WS this year, but there are still flaws in these teams that are continuous year after year that never get addressed under Boone/Cashman
Come on Yanks we’re in WS
Worth a 2yr 10m option on year 3.
Aaron Boone did not lose the World Series.
Numerous folks have commented on numerous platforms that what we saw in the World Series was not an aberration. The Yankees were fundamentally unsound all season – overcame it to get as far as they did, but in the end failed to execute.
Boone can’t catch or throw the ball, he can’t cover 1st either. Assemble a more fundamentally sound team and the odds of a better outcome rise.
Boone made the decision to turn to a rusty, bitter Nestor Cortes when he had Tim Hill in the bullpen to face Freddie Freeman with the bases loaded. That one decision shaped the rest of the series
Then it’s his job to train, motivate, and incentivize sound playing fundamentals. I suppose a World Series appearance earns a year’s grace, but the World Series showed the Yankees to be less than the sum of its parts. and much of that has to be on the manager.
“More fundamentally sound”…Doesn’t the field manager have primary responsibility over the defensive “fundamentals” of his team?
His job is to have his team focused and prepared, especially in the WS. Things that are important to the manager, are important to the players. I agree that the players have to do their part, but they don’t fill out the line-up card or bring in pitchers in the tenth inning of a WS game that haven’t pitched in 40 days because their elbow is shot. I guess when you don’t show up for the WS there is plenty of blame to go around, but in my mind the manager’s job is to make sure his team is ready for those moments.
@sunday, dude are you for real? If what you say is so, wouldn’t it be the manager’s responsibility to make sure his players are more focused, committed, and become fundamentally sound? Or in your world, does the manager just fill out the lineup card and make pitching changes? New to beisbol?
Ok fire Boone
Hire Pedro Griflo for meal $ and a single room. Has to pay his own airfare
If that would work the Marlins would have already hired him…
COMMENTS CLOSED
I’ve already talked positively about Boone at length here recently, so I’ll just say this, the whole lame-duck label when it comes to managers is, well, lame. Soon to be free agents do not get these labels. He got an extension via option. Now let’s see how it goes and I say that as someone who generally likes Boone. This goes for anyone else, too. I’ve never gotten why they need extension before their contracts run out. Anything can happen in a season, play for it! This isn’t rocket science, earn your keep!
I get what you’re saying but lame-duck status conveys to the players that the org isn’t committed to him. Players need to trust their manager but how much is one going to place in one if they are leaving any way? It’s like dating someone who is only giving you one years’ time. Joe Torre left the Yankees bc he didn’t want to be in Boone’s current position.
Yeah and I never agreed with Torre. I also don’t agree with that whole thinking because if players like their manager they’ll play for him, conversely that manager should be at their best to get reupped or make the best impression for a new job. The whole lame-duck BS was fabricated to get managers job security. No other person in the clubhouse has that unless they have no trade clauses. Coaches certainly do not.
Salzilla, while I completely respect and understand your position, I believe Boone has failed enough to be shown the door. However, I will state that I fully believe Boone understands his job is to follow the analytics and does so; thus, Cashman says Boone does a great job because Boone mostly just follows the Fishman department’s analytics evaluations.
I also believe that Boone is a mediocre manager despite the circumstance he’s in, which is why Cashman could only give accolades for his relational characteristics and not his decision-making…
Resigning Soto is the first step. Then hopefully Hal permits a few more additions to bolster the team. I’m hopeful Dominguez will make a positive impact and they will address 3b.
I think one reason they stick with Boone is that the players absolutely adore him. They would run out in traffic for him. They feel he 100% has their back at all times and thus a pleasant clubhouse is attained. And if you’re Cashman you see Big G and Judge come up to you in the hallway and they say “you ain’t touching Boonie” then you don’t fire Boonie lol.
This. He’s been far from perfect, but the players love him and HE GOT THEM TO THE WORLD SERIES. You can’t state enough. In no way was he being shown the door. He deserves at least this year.
ISOB: You are exactly right, and the value of that impact is immeasurable to fans. However, I still think Boone’s decision-making overcomes any positive impact from his relationships. Just my one cent worth of opining.
Make chase durbin the starting second baseman next year
SO SAYS MIKE
Yankee infield, Walker-Durbin-Volpe-Jazzz!
Atleast wait till the stink from that WS choke turd has cleared before trying to ask for another bone. Who’d replace Boonie if they did can em … Welcome Home Donny Baseball !
Joe Maddon !
Yankees should move on. 2003 was long ago
Yankees Suck Yankees Suck!!!!!!!
Hold up, did the article say that Jazz is to be back next year?
Jazz has two more years of arbitration left, so the Yankees control him through the end of the 2026 season if they choose to retain him. I don’t see why they wouldn’t for at least the 2025 season as he played quite well for them after the trade.
Great manager.
The hate for the guy is unreal. Managers really do very little for the overall success for the team. They handle the media, they sorta keep the clubhouse together along with the vets, but overall… they are just a pretty face that follow the instructions of the front office. Boone “lead” the yanks to a WS and handles the media well. A small extension is well deserved. 2-3 years is fine
Somewhere Grady Little is crying into his beer.