The New York Yankees are on pace to miss out on the postseason for the first time since 2016, and could very well finish in last place in the AL East for the first time since 1990. The Yankees' fanbase has voiced their displeasure, whether it's on social media or at the ballpark by holding up a "Fire Cashman" sign.
If the Yankees do finish in last place, the fanbase will want some blood. While general manager Brian Cashman does play a major factor in the team's struggles this season and in years past, it appears as though he is going nowhere, considering the fact he signed a four-year contract last winter.
But, the one individual that fans believe could be the one that is shown the door is manager Aaron Boone.
But is it really a lock that Boone will be ousted after this season?
According to SNY's Andy Martino, the only way the Yankees will let go of Boone after this season is if owner Hal Steinbrenner overrules Cashman and his baseball department, per "four sources with direct knowledge of the Yankees' inner workings." A high-ranking official on the team told Martino, "Boone is an asset, not part of the problem."
Yankees Rumors: Only way Aaron Boone will be fired is if Hal Steinbrenner overrules Brian Cashman
It does make sense that Cashman and the baseball operations department would likely want to keep Boone, considering he works in lock-step with them. But Steinbrenner would have to go against the recommendation of Cashman, which Martino writes that the owner has gone alongside his general manager.
Interestingly enough, Martino reports that during the 2021 season, there were "voices in Steinbrenner's ear" that were trying to talk him into firing Boone and replacing him with Buck Showalter. But, Cashman wanted to stick by Boone, thus he remained with the team.
While one of the main criticisms has been Cashman and the program he runs, Martino writes that neither is likely to go anywhere. Martino says the only way that would happen is if Cashman voluntarily steps down, but writes that Steinbrenner would likely try to talk him into staying.
Boone has held the managerial position since 2018, and he has 489 wins to his credit (as of Aug. 28), which ranks eighth all-time among Yankees managers. He did lead the Yankees to the playoffs every year but has never brought them to the World Series. A trip to the Fall Classic won't happen this season, as they are all but mathematically eliminated from the postseason.
Players have come to Boone's defense in an interview with The Athletic (subscription required), including Aaron Judge, D.J. LeMahieu, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Judge called Boone "a good friend," while LeMahieu says managing the Yankees is "not an easy job." That is one thing with Boone, he is a player's manager, so he does have the support from the locker room, as evidenced by the comments from the players linked above.
But with the displeasure of fans at Yankee Stadium only growing, Steinbrenner will have to justify whatever decision he makes, especially if he manages to keep everyone on board after the season. If the Yankees were to finish in last place, it would be quite the decision to not make any significant change to the organization, whether it's at the manager position, in the front office, or on the roster.
