The New York Yankees have been struggling lately. They once had a 7 1/2-game lead in the American League East dating back to June, but it has all disappeared, and the Bronx Bombers may be falling out of the mix. They are six games back in the division and just one ahead of the Cleveland Guardians in the Wild Card race.
Things aren't looking great for the Bronx Bombers as they prepare to make a trip to Busch Stadium and play the similarly slumping St. Louis Cardinals. Yankees fans may want to blame manager Aaron Boone for their struggles and the decisions he makes, and criticism is certainly fair.
However, Jon Heyman of the New York Post pointed out something very important, that in this day and age, the front office has the final say over a lot of things, including managerial decisions, and such is the case for Boone and the Yankees.
Jon Heyman gives Yankees fans truth bomb about Aaron Boone
While criticism is fair, it's also important to note that Boone is not the one making the final call on a lot of things. Instead, it is General Manager Brian Cashman who is telling Boone what to do and how to run the ballclub. There isn't anything Boone can do about that, unfortunately.
He ultimately has to do what is asked of him and can't risk going against it. Back in 2021, the St. Louis Cardinals fired then-manager Mike Shildt over "philosophical differences." Perhaps Boone could be in a similar situation that if he were to speak up, he might risk losing his job.
The point is, the problems with the Yankees go well beyond Boone. A manager can only play the hand he is dealt, and the roster of the Yankees is deeply flawed, too reliant on two-time AL MVP Aaron Judge for offense. The fundamentals are also an issue. Some of that could be attributed to Boone, but for the most part, he likely doesn't have much say in the matter at all.
Fixing the roster is ultimately up to Cashman. Even last year's World Series team was flawed and wasn't the best put-together roster. There really isn't anything Boone can do about that.
So, unfortunately, Yankees fans are going to have to accept that Boone isn't getting fired and that he isn't the one in charge when it comes to certain decisions, even some of his own.