New York Yankees: World Series only resource for Boone getting extension
New York Yankees Aaron Boone is in the option year of his contract and you get the impression that he must win a World Series to get a contract extension.
An old baseball adage goes that managers are hired only to be fired.
Thus, it’s never easy to manage a team with high expectations, but that is facing New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone heading into spring training next month. Adding a starting pitcher like Gerrit Cole was a top priority for the Yankees this offseason. A major free agent signing of this nature places them as the prohibitive favorites to win the 2020 World Series.
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But at the same time, it puts tremendous pressure on Boone to win heading into his option year of his four-year deal. And being the last manager standing come October might be his only resource in getting a contract extension from Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner.
Since George Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees from CBS in 1973, this ownership period (2008-present) under his son, Hal, has been the most tranquil as only two people (Joe Girardi and Boone) have held the managerial position. So discussing possible changes has been an uncommon practice in the Bronx of late. This wasn’t his father’s approach of running the Yankees as most managers (20 hired in Steinbrenner’s first 23 years at the helm) were on the hot seat the day they were hired until the end of their tenure.
Hal has done a terrific job of staying above the fray when media speculation arises on the job security status of any Yankees front office personnel. However, another disappointing postseason result will not be tolerated by him, especially after opening his checkbook to secure a big-ticket item such as Cole. Patience is running thin in the Bronx from the owner’s suite all the way out to the Bleacher’s Creatures in right field. They all expect the Yankees to be playing baseball well until Halloween each fall.
Like or not, this high standard was first established by his father and continued by Hal today. The success of the Yankees is based upon World Series championships and not by winning a division title or appearing in the American League Championship Series (ALCS). Hal will have no qualms about moving on from Boone if winning a World Series isn’t achieved in 2020. If you need an example, only look at Boone’s predecessor as Girardi was let go after coming one game short of leading the Yankees to their 41st appearance in the Fall Classic during the 2017 MLB playoffs.
It has been a while since the New York Yankees were “The Toast of New York” as this moniker includes a ticker-tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan’s Financial District to celebrate another championship. In fact, the 2010s was the first decade of the Yankees’ existence that the franchise didn’t win at least one World Series. They haven’t won a title since 2009 as the Yankees have lost their last four ALCS appearances. For the owner and his fan base, this period of time is an eternity.
Boone controls his own fate as Yankees manager
Boone is in the option year of his contract, but he could gain an extension if the New York Yankees play up to their potential in 2020. Everyone was caught surprised by his hire as it was such an out-of-the-box move. Boone had no managerial or coaching experience, yet still given the keys to the sport’s most-cherished franchise.
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Give credit where credit is due as Boone has won at least 100 games in each of his first two seasons at the helm in the Bronx. It was a travesty that he didn’t win the American League Manager of the Year award last season. Boone led the Yankees to their first AL East division title since 2012 despite the constant influx of the roster.
2019 will be best remembered for the number of injuries (39 players on the injury list) sustained by the Yankees. At times, it was downright comical. Boone did a terrific job of keeping the boat afloat by inserting the call-ups into the lineup and getting the most out of their ability. He instilled a philosophy in the locker room that it didn’t matter how big or small the contribution was because collectively, it earned another victory in the win column for the Yankees.
Boone’s critics will argue that he’s nothing more than a figurehead in the dugout for New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and his analytical team. It’s believed they have heavy input in how the Yankees lineup looks each day. Here is where the problem lies for Boone as the Yankees are built to win right now. He cannot afford to have the team get off to a bad start and have speculation begin on how the players aren’t playing to their potential.
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The odds are low that Boone will be looking for work elsewhere after the 2020 season. Mainly because the Steinbrenner in charge trust his front office is making all the right decisions. The passion to win is the same, but any consideration of a managerial change is thoroughly thought out rather than making a knee-jerk reaction to a tough loss.