Yankees manager Aaron Boone has no plans to publicly call out his players more often, despite mounting criticism of the club's culture. Speaking Wednesday on a video call with reporters, Boone said public criticism is not leadership, calling it "red meat to people that want to be upset with somebody."
The comments come amid pointed commentary from former Yankees, including CC Sabathia, who questioned the organization's standards following the Tampa Bay Rays' sweep of the Yankees in the American League Division Series earlier this month. Sabathia said there is "nobody in [the clubhouse] keeping that standard" and criticized the team for not having more former players around, something Boone disputed, noting he invites them to spend time with the club, especially during spring training.
General manager Brian Cashman said he has proactively made phone calls based on the outside commentary and will continue to do so, while owner Hal Steinbrenner said he is "not convinced" that publicly criticizing team figures would be effective. "I'm going to talk to them face-to-face," Steinbrenner said. Cashman noted that the franchise's 17-season championship drought was not caused by the issues being cited.
Boone, who returns for his 10th season as manager in 2027, said player issues are handled internally and that he believes accountability and culture have not been problems. He said the clubhouse was "a strength" this year, adding that the team "dealt with a lot and handled it" without pointing fingers.
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing