The New York Yankees‘ World Series hopes ended on Wednesday night. The Tampa Bay Rays swept New York. The Yankees’ World Series drought will continue for a 17th year.
After failing to beat a division rival in the postseason, quick reactions have pointed to Yankees manager Aaron Boone. Will he be back for 2027?
Although it is easy to assume New York’s best interest is to move on from their manager after nine seasons, The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty believes Boone will remain the franchise’s leader.
“Before Game 3, general manager Brian Cashman told reporters that he thinks Aaron Boone is a really good manager,” Kuty said. “There is a lot of reasons why they made the playoffs, and he’s (Boone) certainly part of that…
The Yankees were also without Aaron Judge for the playoffs… Not to mention not having Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Max Fried for large stretches of the season, yet they still won 93 games. I think the Yankees are going to point to a lot of other things.”
Aaron Boone Enters Final Year of Contract in 2027
Aaron Boone’s contract with the New York Yankees runs through the 2027 season. The team agreed to a new two-year deal with the manager after exercising his club option ahead of the 2025 MLB season.
Kuty mentioned the high expectations of a lockout coming this offseason. That could be why the Yankees are leaning toward keeping Boone through this process.
“You’re going to be going into a lockout,” Kuty mentioned. “Yankees fans probably don’t want to hear this, but it’s probably going to be tough for an organization to find the new voice and then also connect with players right away once the lockout ends.”
Boone already has the chemistry needed for a team that will have to adjust to a potential new league format heading into a lockout.
Players the Yankees Will Need to Address This Offseason
New York has a long list of impactful players from 2026 who will hit free agency this winter.
Position players heading to free agency include utility player Jazz Chisholm Jr., outfielder Trent Grisham, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, and infielder Amed Rosario.
Turning to the pitching staff, a room of relief pitchers is heading to free agency, including David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough, Tim Hill, John Schreiber, and Michael Fulmer.
“Bednar is the biggest one by far, owner of 35 saves and a 2.47 ERA this season,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller. “Like Chisholm, he could also be headed for a qualifying offer of an estimated $23.1M, but is expected to decline it in pursuit of something closer to a four-year, $66M contract.”
The Yankees will have a busy offseason, like the rest of MLB. A lockout is becoming more likely.
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