Yankee Legends Floated to Replace Aaron Boone; Here's Who Would Really Get Job
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
After a fifth straight Yankees loss on Tuesday, another one in gut-wrenching fashion as closer Devin Williams allowed two runs in the bottom of the eighth, if manager Aaron Boone was not on the hot seat before, he is now. At least as far as fans are concerned.
Before this season, the Yankees extended Boone's contract through the 2027 season, so he admittedly seems unlikely to be abruptly fired mid-season.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 20: Manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees looks on prior to the game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 20: Manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees looks on prior to the game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.On the other hand, the team's deep regression after a fast start has not been a one-time occurrence. The same sort of collapse under Boone has happened in each of the previous three seasons as well.
As compiled by Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report, here's how the Yankees' recent seasons have gone:
2022: 61-23, then 38-40
2023: 48-38, then 34-42
2024: 49-21, then 45-47
2025: 42-25, now 18-29
In response, Yankee fans have floated the names of two franchise legends to replace Boone, but in all likelihood based on how recent manager firings have gone, neither of their favorites would be in line to get the job.
According to an analysis by Pinstripes Nation columnist Esteban Quiñones published Wednesday, one of the two most popular prospective Boone replacements would be former catcher Jorge Posada — the backstop and in many ways, backbone of the Yankees dynasty under manager Joe Torre that won three straight World Series from 1998 to 2000.
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Posada also won a fourth World Series with the Yankees in 2009, when Joe Girardi was managing the iconic club. But the Yankees have not won a World Series since then, and have appeared in only one, last season.
However, the 17-year veteran, who spent his whole career in the Bronx, has never managed a big league team. The second hoped-for candidate, according to Quiñones, has 12 years of managing in the majors, five with the Los Angeles Dodgers, followed by seven overseeing the Miami Marlins.
In fact, 64-year-old Don Mattingly won National League Manager of the Year with the Marlins, in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Mattingly guided the Dodgers to three straight playoff appearances from 2013 to 2015 after a three-year absence from the postseason. With the Marlins, the only postseason appearance under Mattingly came in the 2020 season.
As a player, Mattingly's .830 lifetime OPS with 222 home runs in 14 seasons — all with New York — and .307 career batting average make him certainly the most accomplished Yankee player who spent his whole career in the Bronx but never won a World Series — or even to play in one.
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Mattingly never even played in the postseason until the final year of his career, 1995, when the Yankees lost the American League Division Series to the Seattle Mariners. He currently serves as bench coach of the Toronto Blue Jays.
In reality, in the hypothetical event of Boone's midseason dismissal, neither of those Yankee greats are likely to be hired.
Instead, based on multiple precedents, the most likely candidate would be Boone's own bench coach, former Detroit Tiger Brad Ausmus.
Bench coaches tend to be the most common replacements for fired managers. Blue Jays manager Jon Schneider was elevated from bench coach in 2022 when Charlie Montoyo got the axe.
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson was bench coach when he replaced fired manager Girardi in 2022 as well.
This year, when the Pittsburgh Pirates canned manager Derek Shelton, they promoted bench coach Don Kelly to take his seat. And those are just a few examples of the trend.
Ausmus had an 18-year playing career with four different teams, winning four Gold Gloves and being named an All-Star in 1999. He also has managerial experience, helming the Detroit Tigers from 2014 to 2017, including a 90-win season and playoff appearance in his rookie year.
Ausmus, 56, also managed the Los Angeles Angels in 2019.
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