Could Yankees Turn To Red Sox To Replace Aaron Boone?
During the team’s summer slump, a large number of New York Yankees supporters are urging owner Hal Steinbrenner to take manager Aaron Boone’s position.
Barring a total collapse this month, there’s no indication Steinbrenner will make such a move, but Jimmy Hascup of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com thinks there’s a chance the Yankees might approach current Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora this upcoming summer.
“Crazier things have happened, but if there’s one certainty, it’s that Cora has proven to be one of the game’s best managers,” Hascup said. “Cora has a 489-410 career record, with two postseason trips and a World Series victory. However, Cora has the Red Sox at 49-40 after two straight seasons without making the playoffs, surpassing many preseason projections as Boston remained quiet in free agency and appeared to be in a transitional year.”
Boone is in the final year of a contract with a club option through 2025, but Cora looks to have increased his worth in a contract year. Chris Cotillo of MassLive stated that “the overwhelming belief in industry circles is that [Cora] won’t return, instead hitting managerial free agency and finding a lucrative deal with a team willing to pay him a big contract.”
When Craig Counsell signed a record-breaking $40 million, five-year contract to join the Chicago Cubs this past autumn, it completely changed the market for managers. In contrast, Cora’s salary as Boston’s manager this season is $2.75 million, according to a recent report by Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
Regarding Boone, he led the team to the postseason every year from 2018 through 2022 and is well-liked by notable Yankees players including captain Aaron Judge. The Bronx Bombers, on the other hand, haven’t played in a World Series since winning the 2009 Fall Classic. Coming into Tuesday’s series opening against the 44-46 Tampa Bay Rays, they had lost 16 of their previous 22 games
Maybe the 55-37 Yankees will make the necessary adjustments over the All-Star break, which begins on Sunday night, and turn things around, keeping Boone’s job till 2025. However, presuming Cora, 48, hits the open market, Steinbrenner may give him a call if the Yankees fail to make it to the World Series this year.
