The Yankees have publicly expressed the same idea. Hal Steinbrenner, like Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone before him, said there were no issues with the club's fundamentals hanging over the team throughout the season.
The 2024 Yankees lost a sloppy World Series with two baserunning errors and, most notably, three fielding errors in the fifth inning of the decisive Game 5 against the Dodgers. Cashman and Boone argued that the Yankees had a weak series in a strong season, and Steinbrenner said the same thing.
“We didn't have a clean World Series, and I think everyone knows that,” Steinbrenner said Wednesday at the owners' meeting in Midtown. “But those fundamentals are what got us to the World Series. Our play was solid for the most part all year. That's why we won the pennant for the first time in 15 years.
“But they definitely just played better than us in the World Series.”
Several Dodgers players said in post-series interviews that they were waiting for the Yankees to make a mistake. The most vocal was injured relief pitcher Joe Kelly, who said the Dodgers “every game said, 'Let the infield throw the ball, you can't make a play.'” ”
The Yankees were rated by FanGraphs as the worst base running team in baseball. Some advanced analytics have them ranked as middling or slightly above average defensively, but admittedly their series and Game 5 were poor.
The Yankees will return nearly the same coaching staff under Boone, who picked up his 2025 option. They don't think the club's mistakes were an organizational problem.
Still, the loss hurt.
“It hurt. It still stings,” Steinbrenner said. “It's funny, when you get that close and you don't get there, it stays with you for a while. We all feel the same way. We'll be right back in March and hope to be there next year. I need to go back and get the job done.”
The Yankees picked up Boone's option but did not extend the manager's contract.
They declined to add an additional season to Gerrit Cole's contract, which currently expires after the 2028 season.
Steinbrenner said he is open to further discussions with both parties.
Boone is now a lame duck manager. It's possible the group can reach a long-term agreement, but not until further free agency work is completed.
“I'm going to talk to Cashman.” [about Boone] …in the very near future,” Steinbrenner said. “But there's no need to be in such a hurry.”
Steinbrenner said the biggest hurdle in the call negotiations was the ace opting out, putting pressure on the team to either add another season to his contract or let him hit the open market, but the Yankees He said he countered by allowing Cole to go free. The only time Cole could revoke his opt-out was through his agent.
After Cole's initial decision, the Yankees were given two days to discuss their options with him.
“We only had 48 hours,” Steinbrenner said, adding that he could still meet with agent Scott Boras about the call. “When the deadline came, I didn't feel safe going into my fifth year.”
Leasing Steinbrenner Field to the Rays would result in the Yankees playing in their spring facility in 2025 after Tropicana Field was destroyed by Hurricane Milton But “it was the right thing to do for their fan base, many of whom are my neighbors and friends,” Steinbrenner said. , lives in Tampa.
The Yankees will reportedly receive between $10 million and $15 million to rent the ballpark. Steinbrenner said the biggest challenge is logistics, such as finding enough storage space to store bottled water and food for long homestands. You'll probably need to use external storage.
Steinbrenner said the Rays need to make renovations to the visitors clubhouse. The Tarpons, the Yankees' Class A affiliate team that normally plays at Steinbrenner Field, will play on the community-use field next door. They need to add lights to the field.
Steinbrenner said he essentially doesn't know where the Yankees stand in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, and that the offseason moves won't be over even if Soto returns to the club.
Even if the Yankees increase his salary by $600 million to $700 million, there will be other needs that need to be met.
“There are other things to add, whether it's through free agency or whether it's through trade,” Steinbrenner said. “We have some things to improve on, as does every club.”
Steinbrenner has never seen Aki Sasaki in person, but he has seen highlights of the Japanese star pitcher, who is scheduled to be transferred from his NPB team.
“He's a great pitcher, that's for sure,” Steinbrenner said. “However, we have not yet had any discussions about the possibility of posting Japanese players.”
