Yankees' Brian Cashman Defends Aaron Boone Amid Struggles

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Yankees fans have poured it on Aaron Boone amid the team’s recent struggles. But Brian Cashman is still supportive.

Fans of the New York Yankees are calling for Aaron Boone’s job, but Boone’s boss is still in the embattled Yankees manager’s corner.

General manager Brian Cashman gave Boone a vote of support Friday before New York’s series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Yankees once held a seven-game lead atop the American League East yet are in third place and 6.5 games back of the first-place Toronto Blue Jays and are clinging to the final American League wild-card spot.

They hold a 1.5-game edge over the Cleveland Guardians for the last postseason berth after their 4-3 win over the Cardinals on Friday.

What Did Brian Cashman Say About Aaron Boone?

Cashman has been a member of the Yankees front office for three decades. He’s been the general manager since 1998 and spent 12 years in arguably the most pressure-filled environment while working for George Steinbrenner.

“The market already provides instant accountability,” Cashman said to The Athletic. “In many cases, today’s world is so much different than maybe generations before. I think leaders, managers, coaches are more inclined to try to support and help players that are going through a lot as they try to navigate their struggles. Struggles are part of the game. It’s just louder in a bigger market.

But Cashman has marveled Boone’s ability to keep saying the right thing and remaining positive amid struggles, especially since the Yankees have had slumps in each of the past four seasons and still have not won the World Series since 2009.

“I know I couldn’t do that. I probably would be creating more regretful comments along the way because from lack of sleep or getting provoked, it wouldn’t take much,” Cashman said. “I think it takes a certain character and abilities to try to manage a group of 26 guys, especially in a big market, through difficult times.

“I don’t know how any manager, let alone a manager in a big market like New York, speaking of Aaron Boone, I’ve told him many times, how he does the pre- and postgame and navigates that on a daily basis, that’s not easy. It takes a talent in its own right to try to walk through that without losing your cool or getting emotional. He has stayed level-headed and even-keeled.”

Though not essential, especially these days, Boone’s playing career — especially the ups and downs he had in New York — inform his approach.

“He knows how tough this sport is,” Cashman said. “He’s invested in these guys heavily, as we all are. Trying to explain away a difficult play or a bad performance for some time while the storm is upon us is not an easy task to navigate or deal with and remain cool, calm and collected. He’s obviously done an amazing job of working through that.”

What Did Brian Cashman Say About The Rest of This Year?

The Yankees are 23-32 in their past 55 games, which marks 34 percent of the season. They’ve lost 14.5 games to the Blue Jays over two-and-a-half months and 10-plus games to the Boston Red Sox in that span.

Yet, even though New York is still clawing just to try and get back to the playoffs, Cashman said the team’s goals of getting back to the World Series — where it fell in five games to the Los Angeles Dodgers last year — is the same.

“We’re the defending American League champs trying to re-defend that,” Cashman said. “We have a lot of time on the clock, but not enough time at the same time. I don’t want to misrepresent (that) there’s not urgency, because there is.”

Pat Pickens is an experienced sports writer and media personality who has written for outlets like NHL.com, the Associated Press, the New York Times and USA Today. He covers the NFL, NBA, NHL and NBA as a breaking news contributor at Heavy. More about Pat Pickens