Red Sox steal possible Aaron Boone replacement from right under Yankees' nose

Assuming there's a shred of sanity remaining in the New York Yankees' organization, the 2027 season will be Aaron Boone's last as manager. It will be his 10th. Even if he captures a World Series, the move is to ride into the sunset. If he doesn't? Well, there's just no logical reason he should exceed the tenures of Joe Girardi (10 years) or come close to the extended runs of Joe Torre, Miller Huggins, Casey Stengel and Joe McCarthy (all managed 12 or more). That would be an insult to history.

So, you'd think the front office would be conducting some prep work to get somebody working under Boone in 2027 to possible prepare for a transition. The Yankees didn't do that with Torre or Girardi, but in this case it might've been the more shrewd move given the already complicated clubhouse dynamic fans and pundits suspect from afar.

That's why when news broke on Wednesday night that Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Shelley Duncan was signing on to join Chad Tracy's staff with the Boston Red Sox, there was legitimate reason to be somewhat concerned.

Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam, two Red Sox insiders, came out of nowhere with the development as Boston stole yet another former Yankee from New York.

What does Shelley Duncan's departure mean for the future of the Yankees?

It's not exactly the end of the world, but can somebody explain why the Yankees simply didn't offer him a promotion? Instead they are keeping the exact same coaching staff under Boone despite the offensive underperforming and the defense floundering in the spotlight? There's no reason Duncan shouldn't have been part of a minor transition to try and tighten things up at the big league level. And that could've potentially paved the way for him to succeed Boone after 2027. At the very least, the Yankees might need a new bench coach with Brad Ausmus interviewing for the Astros manager job. Whether he gets it or not, one could argue they could use a different figurehead alongside Boone in the dugout with Ausmus seeming a bit redundant. Duncan is a guy who has always wanted to manage, and he returned to the organization where it all began for him a few years ago.

Duncan had been the Yankees' Triple-A manager since 2023 and earned International League Manager of the Year honors in 2025. That year, they lost in the finals. Regardless, he played a role in helping players like Austin Wells, Ben Rice, Spencer Jones, Cam Schlittler, George Lombard Jr., Elmer Rodriguez and others make the transition to the big leagues. It's been the best Yankees' youth movement since the 1990s.

If the Yankees want a former player who can foster good relationships with the young generations as their skipper, then Duncan seemed like a logical fit given his ascension since 2015 when he became the D-backs' Low-A manager.

The Yankees selected Duncan 62nd overall in the 2001 MLB Draft. He debuted in 2007, won a ring with the 2009 team, and then played four more years in Cleveland and Tampa. He signed a minor league deal with the Reds in 2014, but played in only 14 games and then retired. After that, he immediately got into coaching and has spent a decade working in baseball as a minor league manager, major league field coordinator, and analytics coordinator.

It's a pretty good resume that the Red Sox just got their hands on. And like many former Yankees that depart for the other side of the rivalry, we're sure this one will work out nicely for Boston and make New York look foolish.

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