The New York Yankees entered Thursday in third place in the American League East and with a 1 1/2 game lead for the final AL Wild Card spot.
At this point, it’s hard to believe the Yankees once had the top spot in the division and were in a position to run away with it. Their recent woes have led some fans to call for Aaron Boone to be fired. While MLB insider Jon Heyman notes that the Yankees will not fire him, FanSided’s Christopher Kline named former Miami Marlin manager Skip Schumaker as a potential replacement for Boone.
“The Miami Marlins and Skip Schumaker parted ways after only two seasons together,” wrote Kline. “He led them to 84 wins and a surprise postseason berth in 2023. Then Miami undercut the front office with Kim Ng’s firing and the team fell apart. It’s rather difficult to pinpoint exact managerial tendencies in today’s game, but Schumaker has proven that he can rally a group of underdogs to outperform expectations. Just imagine what he might do with a team of high-paid stars and the Yankees logo across his chest.”
Schumaker was the 2023 National League Manager of the Year. He is also a former player who spent 11 seasons playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. He won a World Series with the Cardinals in 2011.
His career record is 146-178 as a manager, but the Marlins were not exactly in a position to be contenders when he took over. Regardless, he managed to lead them to the postseason. With the aggressive nature of the Yankees’ front office, he could find success.
Boone’s current contract runs through 2027. There are no indications that a change is coming, but if the Yankees miss the postseason, conversations about Boone being fired will get louder.