The New York Yankees haven’t made it to a World Series in over a decade, a problematic result that hasn’t yet sparked wholesale changes in the front office. General manager Brian Cashman remains at his post and is expected to be retained after his contract expires this year.
However, manager Aaron Boone could be the one on the hot seat, even if the Yankees win over 100 games. The Bombers had one of the most lucrative first halves in baseball history, currently nursing an 8.5-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.
However, if Boone can’t will his team to the World Series this year, his tenure with the Yankees could be cut short, despite signing an extension recently.
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Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reported that the Yankees could clean house if they don’t make it to the World Series.
Could Aaron Boone win 100-plus games in the regular season and get fired? If the Yankees lose in the Division Series, maybe Hal Steinbrenner decides to clean house.
The Yankees haven’t won a pennant since 2009, their longest drought since 1982-95. They went through 10 managers during that period and that’s only counting Billy Martin once.
The Yankees may need a scapegoat to fall back on:
Steinbetter may look for a scapegoat if his team fails to achieve their ultimate goal this season. They have the talent to make a World Series appearance, especially with several underappreciated players rising to the occasion. Notably Cortes, Clay Holmes, and Jose Trevino.
Having an MVP-caliber season from Aaron Judge and several players playing above their average performance is usually a good recipe for a deep playoff run. However, injuries have hit the team hard the last few weeks, but Boone is expecting most of his top guns back in mid-September.
Ultimately, there will have to be a scapegoat if they fail to push beyond the divisional round, which opens up the discussion regarding who will be thrown under the bus.