The Yankees got swept out of the ALDS by Tampa Bay and the people responsible are keeping their jobs. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that New York is expected to re-sign Brian Cashman and bring Aaron Boone back.
Cashman’s four-year extension, signed in 2022, expires after this season. He has been the general manager since 1998. Boone is under contract through 2027.
The Succession Plan Is the Real News
CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa reported that Tim Naehring, New York’s vice president of baseball operations, is the odds-on favorite to eventually succeed Cashman, possibly after Cashman moves into a president role.
That is how organizations handle a 28-year general manager they do not want to fire. You promote him upward and hand the day-to-day job to the person already in the building.
Axisa did not hedge on the near term: “I would bet the farm on Cashman returning next season.” He described Cashman’s seat as icy cold, which is the opposite of what Yankees fans spent Wednesday night demanding.
Boone’s Record Tells Two Different Stories
Boone has reached the playoffs in eight of nine seasons with one World Series appearance. His teams are 27-30 in postseason games since 2018, and New York has not won a title since 2009.
Here is the number that explains the frustration. Boone’s teams are 7-0 in postseason series against opponents with worse regular-season records and 1-8 against opponents that were equal or better.
That is a manager who beats the teams he should beat and loses to the teams he has to beat. Tampa Bay won 98 games. New York won 93. The pattern held.
Boone is expected back in 2027 without an extension, which is a vote of something short of confidence. The last time the Yankees fired a manager in the middle of a contract was Stump Merrill in 1991.
What the Offseason Looks Like
New York has nine free agents and a 2026 payroll that FanGraphs put at $336 million. Olney said the open questions involve adding pitching, and he does not see a rebuild coming.
“Most of the to-do list going into this offseason is largely done for them,” Olney said. He also noted that “they do have a framework in place with George Lombard Jr. at shortstop.”
Boone, asked about his own status, deflected cleanly: “Those conversations and things are for another day.” Cashman backed him without reservation. “I think Boone’s a really good manager. We’re here for a reason.”
So the Yankees are running it back with the same front office, the same manager and a payroll north of $300 million. If that produces a different October, it will be because of the pitching they add, not because anything structural changed.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.