The New York Yankees announced today that they would pick up the 2025 club option on Aaron Boone’s contract, keeping him around for next season. This is far from surprising, as many reports indicated that the team had no interest in moving on from the veteran manager after the team’s run to the World Series. A well-liked manager in the clubhouse, the organization has repeatedly backed Boone publicly and it reflects on their private view of him as a capable skipper who can make in-game decisions and keep the locker room together.
As the team prepares for a critical offseason headlined by the Juan Soto sweepstakes, they do some housekeeping by keeping their manager around for next season.
Aaron Boone’s 2025 Option Picked Up By the Yankees
Last season the Yankees won the pennant for the first time under Aaron Boone, as the team was able to not only win the AL East but also capture the top seed in the AL. It wasn’t the ending the Yankees had hoped for, but it would be shocking for the team to let go of a manager who is as popular as Aaron Boone is in that clubhouse after a run to the World Series.
Aaron Judge, who is the captain of the team, has publicly and privately expressed his support of the team manager, and given their consistent playoff berths under his helm, the need for a change isn’t there. While the decision to bring in Nestor Cortes during Game 1 of the World Series was questioned by many, his body of work speaks for itself.
The bullpen was excellent for the Yankees in the postseason, with a 2.67 ERA and 50.3% GB% across 60.2 innings of work, and Boone pushed the right buttons multiple times in their path to the pennant.
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Whether it was taking a gamble on using Mark Leiter Jr. in big spots or his aggressive usage of the bullpen when starters were faltering, the Yankees were kept in games they had no buisness being in because Aaron Boone didn’t mess around with leaving pitchers in too long.
In the team’s pursuit of Juan Soto, keeping a manager who is popular and well-liked by the star outfielder could help the team in negotiations. Familiarity and continuity are things Soto hasn’t had since being traded by the Washington Nationals, and those are two things the Yankees can sell to the generational talent.
Money will speak louder than anything else, but small things like keeping management together could give the Yankees the narrowest of edges in conversations, and every inch in these kinds of sweepstakes can count towards ultimately landing a star player.