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Manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees.

In Aaron Boone’s eight seasons as manager, the New York Yankees have made it past the American League Division Series round only twice, and that was the case again this year as the Toronto Blue Jays put the finishing touches on the Bronx Bombers’ 2025 season Wednesday, winning Game Four of the ALDS by a 5-2 score to advance to the league championship series.

After finally making it back to the World Series in 2024 for the first time in 15 years, only to lose in a humiliating five games to the Los Angeles Dodgers, speculation has surrounded Boone’s managerial future in New York. According to a report by NJ.com, another division series loss could spell the end for Boone.

Now that exactly that fate has befallen the Yankees, will Boone return for a ninth season in 2026? The 52-year-old manager remains under contract through the end of 2027, but managers have been fired while still under contract before. What about Boone?

Boone Answers Question About Future

That question was put to Boone at his media session following Wednesday night’s elimination-game loss, and Boone gave a definitive response.

“No,” Boone replied when asked if he saw any reason that he would not be back in the Yankees managerial post next year. “I’m under contract. So I don’t expect anything.”

Of course, the decision is not completely up too Boone. Owner Hal Steinbrenner will make the final call on whether to retain Boone for a ninth season. But according to Thomas Carannante of the Yankees site Yanks Go Yard, Steinbrenner has shown no inclination to let Boone go before his contract is expired.

“That’s just the way the Hal Steinbrenner Yankees do business. You’re under contract? You’re here. You’re under contract and one of the worst performers in the league? You will overstay your welcome by at least two years before we kick you to the curb (see Aaron Hicks, DJ LeMahieu, etc.),” wrote Carannante late Wednesday night.

Boone ‘Doesn’t Command Respect,’ Analyst Says

Robert Casey founder of the popular blog Bleeding Yankee Blue took an even harsher view of Boone’s seemingly inevitable return.

“Ultimately Aaron Boone couldn’t lead the Yankees to a championship, just like so many of us have believed this season as well as the previous ones,” Casey wrote following the Yankees’ elimination.

“Losers are not winners overnight, and Aaron Boone will never be a champion as a Yankee manager,” Casey continued. “Why? He lacks the stones, the courage and the mindset to lead a team of stars. He doesn’t command respect. In fact, he’s a caricature of himself at this point. He’s a goon.”

Yankees Lifeless in Deciding Game

Though Boone made no single blunder in Game Four that could be blamed for the defeat, in the game that would determine their season, Yankees hitters simply looked lifeless, scraping together just two runs on six hits against a Blue Jays “bullpen game” in which manager John Schneider paraded eight pitchers to the mound.

After rookie southpaw Mason Fluharty gave up a game-tying solo home run to Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon leading off the bottom of the third, the next five Toronto hurlers silenced the Yankees offense until closer Jeff Hoffman allowed an RBI single to AL batting champion (.331) Aaron Judge with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

That brought up left fielder Cody Bellinger, but in what will likely be his final at-bat as a Yankee, Bellinger struck out swinging on just four pitches to send the Yankees home — until spring training next year.

Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin

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