BRONX, NY: The Yankees declared on Friday that they had exercised manager Aaron Boone's 2025 club option. Next year, he will captain the team for the eighth year.
“Aaron is a steadying presence in our clubhouse and possesses a profound ability to connect with and foster relationships with his players,” said GM Brian Cashman
“Consistently exhibiting these skills in such a demanding and pressurized market is what makes him one of the game’s finest managers. Our work is clearly not done, but as we pursue the ultimate prize in 2025, I am excited to have Aaron back to lead our team.”
Boone oversaw the Yankees' 94-68 record in 2024, which helped them win the AL East for the third time in seven years. A Yankees team led by Boone won at least 92 games for the fifth time in six 162-game seasons. This past season, the Yanks also captured their first American League pennant under Boone. Naturally, the Yankees' season ended in agony as they lost 4-1 to the Dodgers in the World Series, blowing a 5-0 lead thanks in large part to one of the most agonizing innings in team history.
Boone and the Yankees were trying to overturn a 3-0 World Series deficit in order to become the first team in MLB history to do so. No team had even forced a Game 6 after falling behind 3-0 in the World Series. With five early runs against the Dodgers and Gerrit Cole on the mound, the Yankees appeared to be on their way to accomplishing just that. However, they gave up five runs in the fifth inning due to mistakes made by Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe, as well as a defensive blunder that resulted in first base being left uncovered on a grounder to Anthony Rizzo.
Even if that one inning was brutal, the team will still believe that Boone is the best candidate to lead them next season. It's unclear if the two sides will talk about an extension. Before re-signing Boone to a three-year contract that October, the Yankees let him play a full season as a lame duck captain in 2021. The Yankees may at least wait until the following offseason to decide whether Boone is suitable for the position in 2026 and beyond, given the mounting demand for an elusive World Series championship.
The Yankees have played at a 603-429 pace under Boone. Six out of seven seasons have seen postseason berths as a result of that.584 winning percentage. The outcome of the offseason will have a significant impact on the Yankees' prospects for 2025. In addition to having possible requirements at several infield positions and in the bullpen, they seem headed for a bidding war for Juan Soto.
Comments