The Big Lead

Yankees giving Aaron Boone a contract extension is sure to annoy fans

By Sam Westmoreland

Feb 20, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) looks on during work outs at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Feb 20, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) looks on during work outs at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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The New York Yankees have locked manager Aaron Boone into place for at least the next three seasons, after he agreed to a two-year extension on Thursday, according to ESPN's Jorge Castillo.

Boone's new deal will run through the 2027 season, after the club picked up his contract option following last season. The extension is no surprise; both owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman expressed a desire to sign Boone beyond this season after last year's deep postseason run.

The move makes a ton of sense; in seven years in charge of the Yankees, he's made the playoffs six times, and has yet to have a record below .500. He ranks second in winning percentage among active managers, behind only the Dodgers' Dave Roberts, and his .599 win percentage is the 10th best of all-time.

Boone's generally even keel demeanor has served him well in the tempestuous market that is New York City; he's well-regarded in the game and by his players, and locking him up for a few more years is a logical decision.

It's also a choice that's going to anger Yankee fans.

Boone has not been well-liked by the Yankee faithful at any point during his tenure. His history of postseason flubs is well-documented at this point. Sure, he makes it into the field every year, but this is not a fan base that accepts making the playoffs as an acceptable benchmark for success. They expect championships, and, frankly, Boone has yet to come particularly close to delivering one. The Yankees have never had the best record in baseball under Boone, and his handling of rotation and bullpen choices in the postseason has left much to be desired.

Even last year, when the team had its best postseason run under Boone, New York was a bad defensive team that actively failed to improve in that regard at any point during the season. They looked outclassed by the Dodgers despite Los Angeles having zero starting pitching.

This season, they will be facing off against a much improved Red Sox team and an Orioles team that still has an incredibly young, insanely talented core in the AL East.

Boone is a good manager, maybe even a very good one. But as long as this team keeps coming up short of the level fans expect it to hit, as long as that trophy case doesn't get any more hardware added to it, he's not going to be a popular man among fans.

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