Aaron Boone Fired? Stop With the Yankees Fan Fantasy

If you’ve been around Yankees Twitter (or the bleachers) lately, you’ve seen it. Fans are calling for Aaron Boone’s head. One even wrote on a fan website he could be gone by the end of the month. Others are listing his replacements (Ron Washington? Ummmm, not likely)

Stop. Just stop with your fan fiction. 

Former MLB GM Jim Bowden, who worked under Brian Cashman and still talks with him regularly, cut through the noise on Foul Territory Tuesday morning. 

 “This is not on Aaron Boone,” Bowden said. “He’s the defending American League Champion manager. He managed into the World Series last year.”

Bowden laid it out plainly. This team is built to win with power. They lead MLB in home runs and slugging, and are first in the AL in runs scored. That’s not the problem. The problem is pitching.

Gerrit Cole? Recovering from Tommy John surgery. Clarke Schmidt? Gone for the year. Marcus Stroman? Released. For much of the first half, they didn’t have Nestor Cortes or Lou Trivino. The bullpen has been a mess, with Devin Williams imploding and the group ranking 22nd in ERA.

Cashman did what he could at the deadline — adding David Bednar and others — but no manager can wave away a decimated pitching staff.

The defense? Middling at best. The team? One-dimensional, Bowden said. Maybe they grab a wild card, maybe they’re done early. 

But blaming Boone? That’s “foolish.” He did not create a roster that limits the DH to two players, or create the player development system that has caused chaos on the basepaths. Major League managers aren’t hired to teach fundamentals. 

“He stands up for the players,” Bowden added. “Behind the scenes, he’s a good communicator. He’ll get tough one-on-one, but he doesn’t embarrass players. He’s done a great job.”

Could there be a change if the Yankees completely collapse and miss the playoffs? Maybe in the offseason, but even that would be surprising considering he just signed a new deal with the Yankees (Seems to conflict with the fan narrative that Hal Steinbrenner is cheap, no?) 

 But a mid-August firing? Not happening.

So if you’re dreaming about Boone getting axed before October, that's all it is, a dream.