NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner questioned current and former players along with staff on whether to keep Aaron Boone before deciding the New York manager will return next year.

“We had a winning season. ... That's not an accomplishment, that's a requirement,” Steinbrenner said Tuesday during an online news conference.

Boone replaced Joe Girardi before the 2018 season. New York faded from contention by mid-August and finished 82-80, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

“He's extremely intelligent. He's hardworking. The players respect him,” Steinbrenner said. “He's able to take all the information we throw his way.”

Boone is entering the final season of his contract. Steinbrenner said he typically does not consider early extensions.

New York fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson at the All-Star break and his replacement, Sean Casey, left after the season.

Steinbrenner said the team is relying heavily on a pair of former general managers who were hired last offseason, Omar Minaya and Brian Sabean. Steinbrenner said he had 40 pages of notes following the team's end-of-season meetings, which he said at times were heated.

New York has hired Zelus Analytics for a yearlong review of its practices.

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