There has been no talk of a contract extension for Aaron Boone, and the Yankees manager has not publicly pressured the team to offer him a long-term deal, Boone said.
It's possible, and likely likely, that Boone, who was a lame duck in 2021 and essentially a lame duck last season, will manage the Yankees again with no contractual commitment to return next season. Probably.
That's OK, Boone said.
“So here I am,” Boone said Monday via Zoom in a press conference after the club picked up his 2025 option late last week. “The reality is that a lot of people go to work every day with that presence, and it changes from year to year.”
Boone knows this well because he was among those people.
Hired before the 2018 season, Boone has fulfilled his first managerial contract, which expires after the 2021 season. He then signed a three-year contract with a club option until 2025.
He managed all of 2024, including a World Series appearance, but missed the championship, not knowing if he would return in 2025.
He knows it now, but there are no guarantees beyond next season, which has bothered some managers in the past.
“I'm excited to be back and we'll see if there are any more conversations,” said Boone, who has reached the postseason in six of seven seasons but has yet to win a title.
Last week, general manager Brian Cashman said he was a “huge fan of Aaron Boone.”
The Yankees engaged in more immediate free agent negotiations before addressing Boone's status, but they didn't have to finalize them until 10 days after the World Series ended.
Boone said the organization will now address more pressing issues, such as expiring internal contracts and time-consuming free agency matters, before discussing long-term deals.
“We know there are a lot of loose ends that need to be tied up organically, so we'll see what happens,” Boone said. “But either way, I'm ready, ready and excited for 2025.”
Do the Yankees have a chance to acquire 23-year-old Japanese prodigy Aki Sasaki, who has been hailed as an ace and is expected to be posted this offseason?
“We'll see,” Boone said of the right-hander, who will need to be wooed with strength rather than money since he's coming to the majors as an amateur, like Shohei Ohtani did when he signed with the Angels for $2.3 million. .
Boone has never seen the NPB star pitch in person, but he has seen videos of his triple-digit arm and splitter.
“We know he is a unique, special talent and a top-of-the-rotation player,” Boone said. “Hopefully we'll be with him too. But we haven't really even started those conversations with our organization.”
Boone said negotiations with Gerrit Cole were off the table and he was at a loss. Cole, who opted out and then essentially reverted to opt-in, will play for the Yankees through 2028 without testing free agency or adding the 2029 season to his contract.
“I'm really excited to have Gerrit back because he's a deep lead in our rotation,” Boone said of the 34-year-old. “I always felt like he was going to be a player with the ability to evolve over the years — we saw that this year as well –. He has the ability to pitch. So I think we can continue to grow for many years to come.”
