After the 2024 MLB season ends, Aaron Boone, who has been the New York Yankees’ signal caller for the past six years, might not be around anymore.

During his time as manager, Boone has guided the Yankees to five winning seasons. During that time, the Bronx Bombers have made two trips to the ALCS and ALDS, respectively. Along with coaching Yankees star Aaron Judge to an American League MVP title and a record 62 home runs in 2022, Boone also guided great pitcher Gerrit Cole to the 2023 AL Cy Young Award. Both as a club and as an individual, New York has experienced tremendous success; yet, there have been a few setbacks that left something to be desired from the former Yankees player turned lead man, which may quickly force him out of the Big Apple.

According to reports, the Yankees need to make a deep playoff run to keep manager Aaron Boone in place.

Even though it won’t be with a World Series trophy next to him, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Boone might need to lead the Yankees further than he has ever led them as manager in the 2024 MLB playoffs in order to sleep soundly at night once winter arrives (h/t Kevin Hickey of The Sporting News):

Heyman stated via Bleacher Report, “I would say, they have to win at least one round and have to get into the playoffs, first and foremost.” “I believe the owner, Hal Steinbrenner, adores him. It will be difficult if they lose in the first round, so I would say that’s a really warm seat. However, I believe general manager Brian Cashman adores him and they fervently want to have him around.

How the Yankees’ season finale may either make or break Boone’s employment

Heyman makes a valid evaluation. But Boone has already achieved the goals he listed. In the past, the Yankees have had difficulty defeating the formidable Houston Astros in the AL. At the start of the Judge era, New York possessed strength at the plate and dependability in the bullpen, but when things got hard in the postseason, they needed another outstanding arm in their rotation. The Yankees acquired Cole in 2019 after that.

The Yankees have strengthened their lineup with star power at every turn thanks to the addition of Juan Soto, another MVP-caliber slugger, and the development of Luis Gil, a rookie pitcher, into a rising star.

The conference-leading Baltimore Orioles (70-48) and a host of teams vying for place in the rankings will present challenges for the Yankees (69-49), one of the favorites to emerge from the American League. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers (68-49) and the National League-leading Philadelphia Phillies (69-48) have the star power to rival New York’s if they advance far in the World Series.

An early playoff exit would be embarrassing for Boone in comparison to the Yankees’ 82-80 2023 season, which saw them miss the postseason for the first time since 2016. The biggest variable in Boone’s equation with the franchise right now is the addition of Soto. Both he and Judge are performing at MVP caliber, and Cole, who returned from a right elbow injury on June 19, has around seven more starts left to develop. Should they fail to execute Boone’s strategy, things might not go well for the latter, who also have solid play from Carlos Rodon Jr. on the pitching, Giancarlo Stanton and Alex Verdugo at the plate, and Clay Holmes to close things out.

Before the 2022 season, Boone inked a three-year contract with the Yankees that extends through the conclusion of the current league season. Even though he has a 2025 club option, how successful he performs in the 2024 playoffs with what is likely his best team to date will determine how long he stays in New York.

Three Yankees who will be dealt this offseason but weren’t traded at the deadline.

During this year’s trade deadline, the Yankees were able to add Jazz Chisholm, Mark Leiter, and Enyel De Los Santos, but general manager Brian Cashman and his front office could have been even more aggressive. To be honest, the team might face criticism for keeping a few guys on the roster that have no place in the Bronx.

Naturally, it’s not as simple as it sounds to swing that many deals. In a perfect world, the Yankees could have cut all of the guys they might have wanted to, but there are a lot of complicated circumstances at play here. Partners in a trade must be prepared to take on the players that New York no longer wants. A major factor in keeping some of those performers in New York for a few more months was the huge wages they were paid.

However, Yankee supporters who have a special bond with any of the three players on this list may want to enjoy seeing them play in the final stretch. There’s a good probability they’ll be searching for a new residence once the offseason gets underway.

3. Verdugo, Alex

To encourage greater contact from the Yankees hitting order, Alex Verdugo was added. His season in the Bronx has been up and down. That makes his long-term status with the organization uncertain at best, especially considering that he is expected to become a free agent this offseason.

With his salary just little under $9 million this year, Verdugo is probably not going to be able to afford to move back to the Bronx. In order to ensure that they have the funds to offer Juan Soto a lucrative new contract, the organization is making every effort to reduce payroll before the start of the following season. This suggests that Jasson Dominguez, with his low contract, is a solid choice to man an outfield place for New York in the upcoming campaign.

To be fair to the front office of the Yankees, teams weren’t lined up to sign Verdugo before the deadline. It is simple to understand how his value to New York in the last stages would have outweighed that of any other trading partner. His recent improvement at the plate further strengthens the legitimacy of that line of thinking.

If Verdugo is prepared to accept a significant discount or if the Yankees are unable to re-sign Soto, they may be interested in signing him, but he should be searching for a longer-term deal that is more profitable than what New York will be able to provide this offseason. The chances are stacked against him returning for another season in the Bronx, but that prognosis might alter if he turns into a postseason hero for the team.

2. Rizzo Anthony

One of the main reasons Anthony Rizzo wasn’t actively involved in trade negotiations prior to the deadline was his prolonged stay on the injured list. The Yankees are facing a challenging situation with regard to his future now that he is set to return to the active roster in a few weeks.

Due to Rizzo’s injury, relatively unknown rookie Ben Rice had the opportunity to earn a spot on the Major League roster. Rice hasn’t exactly taken the baseball world by storm as a Yankee, but considering his inexperience, he has shown some excellent flashes. Although he started out in the organization as a catcher, he quickly picked up the skills necessary to play first base defense. In the long run, he has an advantage over Rizzo because of his versatility.

If the team waits until September 1st to bring Rizzo back to the major leagues, they can avoid having to make a decision about his future too soon. He might be added via an additional roster position for the team. That would give Cashman and his team a few more months to kick the can down the road.

The Yankees will have to pay Rizzo $17 million if he plays out the last year of his deal. That’s a big price to pay for a first baseman who hasn’t been an above-average hitter in more than a full year. Conversely, if New York want to end the Rizzo era, they can let go of him with a $6 million buyout.

Although Rizzo has a terrific locker room presence, the Yankees cannot continue to pay his excessive salary because Soto’s agreement is about to expire. He would need to put on an incredible final act if he wanted to stay in New York past October.

1. Gleyber Torres

Gleyber Torres was seen as a key component of the Yankees’ future not too long ago. Unfortunately, he has outstayed his welcome in the Bronx due to his failure to improve defensively and his stalemate at the plate. The organization made the obvious decision to allow Torres to enter free agency by acquiring Jazz Chisholm at the deadline.

Despite all of his flaws, Torres still has enough offensive potential to demand a sizable, multi-year contract when he becomes a free agent. Since this is his final season under cost restrictions, he will be eager to spend lavishly in the offseason. The Yankees are not a team that can afford to accommodate his expectations.

If the crew was completely convinced of Torres’ mental state, things might be different. The organization has been troubled for years by his attention span violations on the field. Torres’ time with the Yankees may be over after manager Aaron Boone benched him because of his lack of effort on the base paths in recent weeks.

Although some supporters may believe Torres still has star potential, at 27 years old, he ought to be reaching his maximum potential. The Yankees may give him a player’s pay, but someone else will wager that they can correct his shortcomings. Opening Day of the 2025 season will find Torres out of the starting lineup for the Yankees.