MLB Rumors: Luis Garcia injury, Aaron Boone hot seat, Cardinals move
By Mark Powell
MLB Rumors: How hot is Yankees manager Aaron Boone’s seat?
Yes, it’s early in the season, but if ever there were a team to overreact to a tough start to the season, it would be the 27-time World Series champion New York Yankees.
The Yanks entered the season among the favorites to win the American League, behind only the Houston Astros. So far, New York hasn’t played up to par, in large part due to injuries. Monday night’s loss goes squarely on Aaron Boone, however.
Boone pulled starting pitcher Domingo German through eight-and-a-third scoreless innings with a runner on first base. German has pitched brilliantly, and instead of riding the starting pitcher to the finish, he opted to go with Wandy Peralta and then Clay Holmes, who promptly blew the game in rather embarrassing fashion thanks to the Cleveland Guardians.
German had thrown just 88 pitches, but Boone was worried about the risk of a back-breaking home run, which at the time would have tied the game. Cleveland is 29th in baseball in that power department, and Amed Rosario isn’t exactly Babe Ruth. Nonetheless, Boone made the switch anyway.
“There’s going to be tough losses (and) great wins,” Boone said after the game. “Especially as great as Domingo pitched after getting smoked in the middle of the game, too, off the leg there. I was worried how deep he’d be able to go and he was terrific.”
German didn’t question Boone’s decision to close him, as he shouldn’t do publicly. While it was a questionable call to begin with, it also showcases that the Yankees don’t have a true closer at this juncture, something that could come back to haunt them should they make it to October.
Yanks Go Yard’s Thomas Carranante summed up fans feelings in just a few short sentences:
"“Poor decision making. Explanations that don’t add up. An offensively anemic team further mired in perilous situations that are inexcusably manufactured. The Yankees better get these out of their system now.”"
Better now than later, I guess.