The New York Yankees' struggles this season have been well-documented, and it's about time for some heads to roll.
They own a 60-65 record, placing them in the AL East basement. If they can't find a way to win 22 of their remaining 37 games, they'll finish with a sub-.500 record for the first time since 1992.
With a payroll just shy of $280 million and fresh off re-signing Aaron Judge to a massive contract, the Yankees were supposed to be major contenders this year. Prior to the season, the Yankees had World Series odds of +950, which tied them for fourth overall, but they are now sitting at +11,000.
If Aaron Boone can't find a way to push the right buttons in September and at least secure a wild card (currently 9.0 games out), his tenure as the Yankees' bench boss may be all but over.
Aaron Boone's odds to be fired before 2024 season
| YES | NO |
|---|---|
| -110 | -130 |
Odds as of August 18, 2023
Aaron Boone was never a fan favorite in the Bronx, and rightfully so. He's had more than his fair share of questionable managerial decisions involving batting lineups, rotation, and bullpen management. He's not perfect, but if you were to ask the other 29 MLB fanbases, they'd probably tell you they dislike their manager as well.
What Boone has accomplished, and what people tend to forget, is guiding the New York Yankees to five winning seasons in his first five years in charge, including two 100-win seasons and a 99-win season just last year. While no World Series titles have come from it, they did appear in two American League Championship Series where they were simply beaten by the better team (the Houston Astros in both instances).
Should past results exclude Boone from receiving criticism for this year's failures? Not necessarily, but I do believe that one bad season in six years is not sufficient reason to call for the manager's head — right @Fire_AaronBoone?
No
— Is Aaron Boone Fired Yet? (@Fire_AaronBoone) August 18, 2023
It seems that I'm the only one willing to give Boone a free pass. But then again, since I reside in Toronto, there's nothing I'd love more than to see the Yankees toil in misery under Boone's guidance for the next 10 seasons.
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Facts are facts
Setting bias aside, let's examine the facts.
There are only so many scapegoats the Yankees can blame for this year's utter disaster.
To begin, there's the roster. This $280-million roster ranks 22nd in runs per game (4.2), second to last (!!!) in batting average at .231, 26th in OBP at .306, and 22nd in SLG (.400) and OPS (.706). That's simply not going to cut it.
The AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles are statistically superior in every category, and they have a payroll that's only a quarter of the size ($70 million). While injuries to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have played a significant role, baseball is a team sport, and it seems that the Yankees just don't have players who are fully committed right now. Unfortunately, you can't fire players, so we must consider the next option.
What about general manager Brian Cashman? He managed to keep Judge in pinstripes for the foreseeable future and lured Carlos Rodon (a signing that has so far turned into a disaster) away from San Francisco. Yet, fans still love to criticize him and believe the team might fare better without him.
Hal Steinbrenner insists that Cashman isn't going anywhere, even after signing Josh Donaldson for $42 million for 2 seasons of 121 hits (25 HR), 180 strikeouts, a .222 average, and a .142 average. It's also worth noting that Dillon Lawson, the team's hitting coach who was fired in July, was the first coach to be fired in-season during Cashman's tenure as GM.
This brings us to Aaron Boone.
Will Aaron Boone be fired before 2024 regular season?
I've made my Toronto bias known already, so I'm all for him staying with the Yankees for as long as he'd like.
However, the Yankees will fire him and replace him with some other former club legend who is unfit to run a Major League Baseball team.
While it won't happen before the season is finished, should the Yankees miss out on the postseason for just the fifth time since 1995, Cashman will have no choice but to bring out the Guillotine and mercifully end Boone's tenure as Yankees bench boss.
My best bet: Aaron Boone fired before 2024 season: Yes (-110)
