Yankees insider suspects Aaron Boone news you won’t want to hear

If Gallup were to poll random New York Yankees fans on whether or not they want to see manager Aaron Boone back in the dugout in 2022, we’d probably be looking at 85%-15% in favor of “no.”

Maybe we’re wrong, but that’s just based on what we’ve seen and heard from those on social media, at Yankee Stadium and in the local coffee/butcher shops on Sunday morning. Boone just simply isn’t a popular figure.

Are fans too hard on him? Perhaps. After all, it was general manager Brian Cashman who failed to balance this lineup with lefties until late July. It was the players who decided to hit consistently for only a few pockets of the 2021 season. And we really don’t think Boone was playing so many guys out of position on defense. Again, that’s likely on the front office. Gerrit Cole being bad in the Wild Card Game had nothing to do with the skipper.

But Boone is to blame for a number of other things. He’s too much of a “player’s manager.” He doesn’t reward good production. He doesn’t discipline poor production. From what the fans see on a nightly basis, he doesn’t seem to be a motivator. His bullpen management isn’t good. He’s totally fine with punting winnable games. He’s not really good in the playoffs.

There are plenty of reasons to let him go. Chiefly, fans want to see a symbolic change that shifts the culture.

The Yankees, though? They might not be on board with that just yet. MLB insider Bryan Hoch says he “expects” Boone to return to the Bombers in 2022 despite his contract expiring in less than a month.

Bryan Hoch believes the Yankees will bring back manager Aaron Boone.

Whether you like it or not, this always felt like what would happen because a) the Yankees aren’t ones to make seismic changes that attract drama and b) this current version of the team is pretty much done after 2022, and we could see a good portion of it go away after 2021.

What’s the point in changing managers if the next overhaul won’t be coming for another year? You’ll have a new skipper come in to lead a team that’ll be completely different by 2023?

But that’s the other thing. The Yankees shouldn’t be running this version of the team back in 2022. All of the big changes should be happening now, because, well, the last two seasons were bad and the playoff futility in 2018 and 2019 was even more disappointing.

Leave it to ownership and this front office to stick to their guns, though, and make that bizarre bit of history. Some might argue Boone deserves a fifth year because of the shortened 2020, but how many other contenders faltered in the manner the Yankees did due to those circumstances?

In those extended playoffs, the Yankees were by far the most notable underachievers. They added Gerrit Cole! They only got better!

So, in summation, the Yankees may not be getting a change of leadership in the clubhouse, nor will they endure the necessary roster overhaul in order to get over the hump and reach the World Series.

We’re already not looking forward to 2022.

Yankees: Alex Cora still running playoff circles around Aaron Boone

In 2018 and 2021, the Boston Red Sox manager saw the challenge of Aaron Boone in the other dugout, politely waved and nodded, then kicked the Yankees' ass.