Hal Steinbrenner plans to keep Aaron Boone as manager: Yankees fans react

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said he plans to bring Aaron Boone back as manager for the 2023 season. Fans had all sorts of reactions to the news.

After the New York Yankees were swept in the American League Championship Series by the Houston Astros, questions were raised as to what the plans were for the team in 2023. Specifically, was Hal Steinbrenner going to re-sign general manager Brian Cashman or retain manager Aaron Boone? Some fans have not exactly been pleased with the performances of either in recent years, and were holding out hope that there wold be some change.

Well, when it comes to the manager, change is not happening.

Steinbrenner spoke with Mark Didtler of AP News as he left the team’s player development complex in Tampa, Fla. on Wednesday, and said that he does not plan on making a change at the manager position, and that Boone will return.

“As far as Boone’s concerned, we just signed him and for all the same reasons I listed a year ago, I believe he is a very good manager,” Steinbrenner said, h/t AP News. “I don’t see a change there.”

Yankees fans react to Hal Steinbrenner announcing plans to keep manager Aaron Boone

Boone has become a polarizing figure inside the Yankees fanbase since taking over as manager in 2018, and being re-signed by the team last winter. Let’s take a look at some of the reactions from Yankees fans.

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When it comes to Boone, he does have the regular-season victories (427-281 record). He is the first manager to lead his team to the postseason in each of his first five seasons with a team. This past season, they did win 99 games and win the AL East.

The thing is, when it comes to the postseason, Boone has been unable to lead the team to a World Series apperance.

This postseason saw the Yankees have to overcome a 1-2 deficit in the ALDS to the Cleveland Guardians to advance to the ALCS. In their four games played against the Astros, Boone’s managerial decisions have been under the microscope.

Bringing Clarke Schmidt back out for the sixth inning of ALCS Game 1, only to give up solo home runs to Yuli Gurriel and Chas McCormick to break a 1-1 tie. Not allowing ace Gerrit Cole to get himself out of a bases loaded, no-out jam in Game 3. Having three different leadoff hitters and three different starting shortstops in four games.

Steinbrenner still has faith in Boone leading this team. He did cite that he is just one year into his three-year contract extension, which includes an option for a fourth.

As for Cashman, a decision still has to be made. Steinbrenner told Didtler that they “haven’t talked about anything yet.” So that is interesting.

The Yankees have an important offseason ahead of them. What will their offseason strategy be? And most importantly, will they re-sign star outfielder Aaron Judge?

While Steinbrenner has faith in Boone, bringing him and potentially Cashman back could be a hard sell for some fans.