Survey hints Yankees might have Aaron Boone replacement right under their noses

Baseball America's annual survey of the "Best Tools" in baseball, across all levels of the minor leagues, was published in their August/September print edition. The survey mainly focuses on toolsy top prospects and elite on-field skills, but the nation's preeminent prospect manual also asks "league managers," at every level, to assess a few other things, too — including themselves.

Yes, BA also doles out a "Best Manager Prospect" honor across every level of the minors, which means they request that each collection of skippers temporarily becomes a peer-filled jury, deciding together who has the best shot at making the majors in an entirely different light.

With so many ex-players rising swiftly through the ranks, cutting the line, and becoming MLB managers before cutting their teeth in the minors these days, it's less common than it used to be to find diamonds-in-the-rough in the minors. Dogged veterans like Earl Weaver, who got his start at Elmira and Rochester, would've likely been sent directly to a big-league front office these days.

Still, there are names to keep an eye on who are doing it the more traditional way, and the Yankees just so happen to employ the agreed-upon winner of the Best Managerial Prospect, International League edition. His name's probably familiar, too: Shelley Duncan.

Yankees Triple-A manager Shelley Duncan named Best Managerial Prospect in International League

That's "managerial prospect," too, distinguishing Duncan's win from, say, a 67-year-old lifer who dominates annually, but is content to stay in Reno. The ex-Yankee's fellow managers believe he has a chance to be called up to the next level after three years in Scranton — and, what do you know? He works for an organization that loves to promote members of the family and keep the bloodlines consistent.

Aaron Boone seemingly has his hands on an endless rope, and it's difficult to tell what degree of flameout would actually result in him losing grip on his current position. Continued testiness with his beat writers? More embarrassment at Fenway? Who can say?

If the job does open up, though, the Yankees would be wise to examine Duncan's accolades. He comes from a big-league bloodline (his father, Dave Duncan, was the Cardinals' revered pitching coach for many years/Tony La Russa's right-hand man). His MLB career might not have been as long as Boone's, but his Yankees career was more distinguished; he mashed seven home runs in 34 games in 2007, helping to spur a comeback into the AL Wild Card slot.

He's also got the respect of both his players and rivals, judging by the results of this survey. Don't say we didn't give you the heads up if the Boone situation really comes to a head.