Skip to main content
Yanks Go Yard
FanSided

Yankees playing waiting game with coaching staff is already burning them big time

The Yankees shouldn't be waiting around to make coaching staff changes.
ByPat Ragazzo
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on Reddit
Google Discover
Oct 3, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone looks on during batting practice prior to game one of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Oct 3, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone looks on during batting practice prior to game one of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees made the decision to bring back GM Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone for at least another year after getting swept in the ALDS by the AL East rival Tampa Bay Rays. That being said, changes still need to be made to the roster and potentially the coaching staff.

Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said he was going to take a look at "all the coaching" during his end-of-season press conference. However, the Yankees have yet to make a move on that front and it's only going to continue to hurt them if they keep waiting around.

Why the Yankees shouldn't be waiting around to make coaching changes

The Yankees were already burned when catching coordinator Tanner Swanson, according to Joel Sherman of The New York Post, left for the Seattle Mariners to become their bench coach. Swanson was the Yankees' catching coordinator since 2019 and it seemed crucial to bring him back in the form of offering a promotion.

They also lost former Triple-A manager Shelley Duncan, who bolted for a spot on the AL East rival Boston Red Sox's major league coaching staff earlier in the week. Duncan had served as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's skipper for the last four seasons and was highly regarded within the organization. He certainly earned a spot on the Yankees' major league staff, but they weren't quick enough to make him an offer. Boston benefits from a former Yankee yet again.

So if the Yankees want to make changes to their coaching staff, they should stop waiting around. Any desired potential candidates will continue to fly off the board and the Yankees will be stuck running back the exact same staff in 2027.

The biggest area of change that probably needs to be made is on the Yankees' hitting staff. And while Boone gave high praise to hitting coach James Rowson following the season, the Yankees' offensive struggles are mainly what led them to coming up short again this past year. The Yankees have also not yet announced whether Rowson and his assistants, Casey Dykes and Jake Hirst, will be back next season. It's unclear if they're directly at fault, but somebody needs to be held accountable if Steinbrenner was disappointed by the offense.

One name that makes sense to replace Rowson or one of his assistants is Aaron Bates, who parted ways with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. Bates and the Dodgers were unable to come to an agreement on a new contract and now he has left the organization after 12 years. Bates spent the last four seasons as co-hitting coach on the Dodgers' big league staff alongside Robert Van Scoyoc.

The Yankees could use a new voice or multiple new voices on their coaching staff next season. But they can't keep sitting around while everybody else around them makes moves. They already saw two viable options depart and can't afford to miss out on the next possible upgrade.

Add us as a preferred source on Google
Home/Yankees News