The New York Yankees have officially missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. With the regular season over, the Yankees finished the year with an 82-80 record, narrowly avoiding a losing season and keeping their 31-year streak intact. That's not exactly winning over frustrated fans, considering the team hasn't made it to the World Series since 2009. With that, they want changes.
While there may be changes within the Yankees organization, it sounds as though manager Aaron Boone isn't going anywhere.
Hitting coach Sean Casey told Greg Joyce of the New York Post that he has been asked by Boone and general manager Brian Cashman to return to the team next season. With that knowledge, the belief is that Boone and Cashman will be retained this offseason. Casey said that he would talk to his family before making a decision.
Sean Casey expects to return as Yankees hitting coach, likely meaning Aaron Boone returns
After the team's loss to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, Casey did clarify that he hadn't been formally offered the position. Boone also said that Casey had "jumped the gun." Casey said that he was asked if he would be willing to return. That doesn't mean the move isn't happening, but it's not official just yet.
Reports in recent weeks have indicated that Boone would be back next season, despite the mixed reaction he gets from the fanbase, and that he is under contract for one more season. While he does have over 500 wins in his six years as manager, the team hasn't made it to the World Series in his tenure, and they appeared to be significantly outmatched and out-managed in recent postseason trips.
Boone did mention that he's scheduled to meet with Cashman and team owner Hal Steinbrenner this week in Tampa, Fla.
Steinbrenner told the Associated Press that he is planning to bring in an outside company to audit the organization's analytics and baseball operations department. With that knowledge, the analytics department would likely see changes this offseason. After all, the team fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson this season, who was analytically-minded, and Boone brought in a former player in Casey to fill the role for the rest of the year.
Michael Fishman, assistant general manager to Cashman, oversees the analytics department and has caught the ire of fans.
The hitting didn't necessarily improve since the Yankees made the switch from Lawson to Casey, but it did bring an old-school approach to a team that followed analytics religiously. On the year, the Yankees ranked 29th in batting average (.227) and 25th in OPS (.701).
Not to mention, the analytical approach in the front office had backfired in terms of some of their additions in recent years.
We won't know what the Yankees decide to do until the audit is complete and they make an official announcement. From the looks of it thus far, the main subjects of Yankees fans' anger and frustration -- Boone and Cashman, appear likely to return in 2024.
