The Yankees are giving Aaron Boone another chance.
The club and Boone have agreed to a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option, the Yankees said in a statement Tuesday morning.
“We have a person and a manager in Aaron Boone who possesses the baseball acumen and widespread respect in our clubhouse to continue to guide us forward,” said Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner. “As a team and as an organization, we must grow, evolve and improve. We need to get better. Period. I know Aaron fully embraces our expectations of success, and I look forward to drawing on his intelligence, instincts and leadership in pursuit of our next World Series championship.”
Boone and general manager Brian Cashman each were expected to speak to reporters later Tuesday morning.
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Though Boone will return, he’ll have new faces around him.
Last week, the Yankees dismissed his hitting coaches Marcus Thames and P.J. Pillitere and his third base coach Phil Nevin. Nevin and Boone are close friends.
Steinbrenner was said to have been mulling over his decision for two weeks, seeking input from Cashman and from others throughout the organization, including from players.
Clearly, Steinbrenner was on the side of Cashman, whose contract expires after next season.
After the Yankees’ 6-2 wild-card loss to the Red Sox that ended their season, Boone said that he enjoyed his job and that he felt like he was working in lockstep with the front office and ownership.
Boone has the sixth-best winning percentage (328-218, .601) on the Yankees’ all-time list, just behind Joe Torre (.605).
Still, unlike Torre and his immediate predecessor Joe Girardi, Boone has failed to deliver the Yankees a World Series title. In his four seasons, he’s captured just one division title while making it once to the AL Championship Series (2019) and failing two times in the AL Division Series (2018, 2020).
“Look, all I can say is that i love doing this, I love doing this with this group, I felt incredibly supported from the organization, from ownership, (general manager Brian Cashman) and front office on down,” Boone said at the time. “So, whatever happens moving forward, I’ll be at peace with. I’ll walk out of here tonight proud of what a lot of people have done here since I’ve been here. It’s a group and a shared effort and I love going to battle with all these guys, players, coaches, support staff, front office.”
His players went to bat for him, too.
“I can spend all night sitting here with you giving you reasons why I think he should be the manager,” Aaron Judge said.
“I’m very thankful for the things that he’s taught me and from the way that he’s treated me and the rest of my teammates,” Brett Gardner said.
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Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com.
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