Yankees: It feels like Aaron Boone coddles his players and doesn’t hold them accountable

Yankees manager Aaron Boone really needs to buckle down during times like these.

Nobody really knows what New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone does behind closed doors, but his buttoned-up, conservative personality when speaking with the media as the team endures an endless rough patch needs to stop.

We’re not saying bash your players into oblivion and publicly embarrass them, but maybe hold them accountable here and there? When you lose 10 of your last 14 with this talented of a roster, someone needs to light a fire under the players. That’s the manager’s job.

And there’s no single player or group of players to point the finger at. The bullpen has blown six saves. The starting rotation has been horrid (even Gerrit Cole!). The offense couldn’t be more lost, whether it’s failing to hit with runners in scoring position or putting forth terrible at-bats. The blunders on defense and on the basepaths, while not plentiful, have popped up over this stretch.

Hey, maybe hold yourself accountable, too! The fans hardly want to hear, “Well, you know, we put guys in the right spots” or “We felt this was the best decision” or “Adversity is inevitable.” There’s really not one critical thing you can say about Gary Sanchez? And you’re STILL going to bat him in a key spot in the order? That’s what we call coddling.

What about Aroldis Chapman? Not only has he been terrible, but now he’s saying he feels like he’s “getting back to where he needs to be.” So, this is the guy you’re going to trot out there to close games when he’s admitted he’s not really ready despite Zack Britton cruising in that role to start the year?

And how can you be that soft on Tyler Wade? The Yankees speedster decided to make an executive decision in extra innings with zero outs to start running full speed when a ball was hit in the air to right field. He didn’t even wait to judge it! It was caught and Wade was doubled up at second base. And this is all you have to say?

It’s not even one of those situations! It’s the start of an inning with the new baserunner rule in place. This is an inexplicable error from a guy whose lone job on this roster is to run the bases properly. Such a mistake cannot be met with this kind of response. It’s flat. It’s weak. It doesn’t send a message.

The fact of the matter is this version of the Yankees needs to be sent a stern one, with the exception of Luke Voit, Gio Urshela and DJ LeMahieu. Everybody else has been performing terribly or has had their head in the clouds. A manager’s job is to wake them up and motivate them by any means … not continue to accept their poor play and blunders and then go right back out there the next day with the same lackluster energy.

Has this team shown you anything a shade above lethargy ever since that last sweep of the Red Sox? Aside from the two comebacks against the Mets — which continue to look less impressive by the hour — the answer is no.

Move Gary down in the lineup. Call out Mike Ford for his inability to do anything at the plate as of late. Make Brett Gardner feel responsible for his laughable play on both sides of the ball. Take Aroldis Chapman’s job away. Criticize the bullpen as a whole for failing to do the bare minimum. Literally anything. Because the whole “we’re turning the page” thing isn’t working.

The Blue Jays are about to overtake you in the standings. That’s unacceptable on so many levels and the fact this team seemingly doesn’t have any will to break out of this horrific slide is a direct reflection of the man in charge.

Yankees: NYY’s bullpen continuing to crumble vs Mets is worst sign possible

The New York Yankees continue to disappoint after blowing a late three-run lead to the New York Mets to eventually lose 9-7 in extras.