Jeff Passan's Aaron Boone admission was pretty much confirmed after Brian Cashman buzz

Plenty of New York Yankees fans are waiting for the day the franchise moves on from manager Aaron Boone. Those fans, specifically, must not have loved a recent soundbite from MLB insider Jeff Passan, who made it seem like Boone will be around for many more years to come.

Passan's language had Boone haters incensed for a moment, before reality set in that Passan was merely discussing Boone's close relationship with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.

Jeff Passan's latest Aaron Boone/Yankees prophecy was misleading

If Cashman was positioned to be running the Yankees foreover, Passan's insinuations about a long Boone stint would feel real and scary to Boone's biggest critics. But that's not the case at all. Cashman's current contract is up at the end of this season. That is literally weeks away.

Depending on how the postseason goes, Hal Steinbrenner might end up deciding that Cashman's time at the helm has passed. Neither Cashman's trade deadline performances in recent years, nor his public statements about the Yankees' roster moves have inspired fans in any way, shape, or form.

If Steinbrenner can read a room at all, he'll realize that fan sentiment has turned against Cashman. People following this team and spending money on tickets want a new voice leading the front office. That's been the consensus for multiple years running. There's also the whole 16-years-and-counting championship drought to point to when it comes to Cashman's job performance.

If Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone are a package deal, Boone's not safe

Cashman and Boone have each other's back. Cashman extended Boone and has repeatedly defended the manager to the press. That's all good and well between two friends, but none of it will matter past 2026 as far as the Yankees are concerned, provided Cashman's presence isn't re-welcomed in the form of a new deal.

Boone's contract runs through 2027. Would the Yankees give him one last year -- this time with a healthy Aaron Judge -- before moving on? That feels like a plausible outcome. It's also not crazy to imagine a new general manager coming in and firing Boone immediately for the sake of handpicking their own skipper. Front office changes result in managerial changes all the time. The new GM might not want to risk a "lost year" to kick off his tenure.

Ownership has shown a lot of patience with Cashman and Boone in recent years. A World Series appearance in 2024 cannot be ignored, but it was the only such appearance in Boone's tenure. Anything short of another appearance in the Fall Classic this year could easily be spun as reason to move on from Boone -- along with Cashman -- following the season.

That standard might feel brutal given the job that Boone's done this season with a decimated roster, but this is the New York Yankees. Firing Boone a year before his deal ends would be based on an assessment of his entire tenure, not 2026 specifically. One American League Pennant in nine years? That's not even close to good enough, given the history of this franchise.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow