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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is returning to the team in 2025.
The Yankees announced on Friday they have exercised Boone’s contract option for next season after leading the team to a World Series appearance in 2024.
Boone’s tenure as Yankees skipper has been a constant tightrope in which he seems to be on the verge of getting fired. He appeared to be in the most serious jeopardy last year when the team finished 82-80 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Despite their struggles in 2023, Boone had plenty of support within the organization.
“Boone is an asset, not part of the problem,” said one high-ranking Yankees official to SNY’s Andy Martino in August 2023.
That sentiment proved to be right when Boone was brought back for the 2024 campaign. The Yankees performed much better with the addition of Juan Soto hitting in front of Aaron Judge and a breakout performance from Luis Gil in the starting rotation.
New York made it back to the postseason and won the AL pennant for the first time since 2009. USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale noted that any decision about the manager for 2025 would be dependent on the team’s postseason performance.
The Yankees wound up losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Boone wasn’t the main culprit for why they lost that series, but his decision to use Nestor Cortes in relief in Game 1 when he gave up the walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman raised some eyebrows.
The main criticism of Boone has stemmed from his bullpen management, particularly in the postseason. Former Yankees starter Luis Severino publicly questioned how the relievers were deployed after a Game 3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in the 2022 ALDS.
On the whole, though, Boone has done a good job of navigating all of the pressures that come with managing in the Bronx. The Yankees certainly value his presence in the dugout, though it will be interesting to see if they extend his contract or let him play things out in 2025 before deciding whether or not to offer him a new deal.
Boone was originally hired by the Yankees in December 2017 after the team decided not to renew Joe Girardi’s contract. He will become just the eighth person in franchise history to manage at least eight seasons. His 603 wins are the seventh-most ever for a Yankees skipper.
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