How much pressure is on Aaron Boone in 2024? Here are 5 questions for the Yankees manager
Over his six seasons as New York Yankees manager, Aaron Boone hasn’t outwardly fretted about his job security.
As the defending 2022 AL East champs, the Yankees limped to a fourth-place finish in 2023 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016, sparking a call for change.
Despite an “unacceptable’’ season, owner Hal Steinbrenner left his trusted management team intact, but this is a pivotal year.
It’s the final guaranteed season of Boone’s three-year contract, with the Yankees holding an option for 2025, and the team still searching for its first pennant since 2009.
Boone’s first official spring training address is Wednesday, and here are five questions for the manager as camp begins:
1. What’s the Yankees' Opening Day lineup?
As captain Aaron Judge suggested recently, the Yankees would be fine with any combination of him, Juan Soto, and DJ LeMahieu atop the lineup.
Is there an ideal combination?
Soto’s preference is to bat third, with a career .986 OPS as a No. 3 hitter versus an .817 OPS in the No. 2 spot.
Entering his free-agent walk year, he’s obviously willing to hit wherever the Yankees see fit, and the Yanks – at long last – have an opportunity to alternate right-handed and left-handed hitters.
For the sake of balance, could the Yankees go with…
DJ LeMahieu, 3B (R)
Juan Soto, RF (L)
Aaron Judge, CF (R)
Anthony Rizzo, 1B (L)
Gleyber Torres, 2B (R)
Alex Verdugo, LF (L)
Giancarlo Stanton, DH (R)
Austin Wells, C (L)/Jose Trevino, C (R)
Anthony Volpe, SS (R)
And would the Yankees really bat Stanton that low, entering his age-34 season and coming off career lows in batting average (.191) and OPS (.695) in 2023?
2. Do the Yankees have enough starting pitching?
There’s a five-man staff in place, but the Yankees must keep a vigilant watch on the trade market.
Earlier this month, Corbin Burnes was dealt to the defending AL East champion Baltimore Orioles, in a nightmare divisional scenario.
The current high-price tags on the Chicago White Sox’s Dylan Cease and Cleveland Guardians’ Shane Bieber shouldn’t prevent the Yanks from constantly inquiring on the right-handers, or with the Miami Marlins on their pitching surplus.
And there’s plenty of rotation concern after Gerrit Cole, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner.
It’s a big Year 2 in pinstripes for Carlos Rodon, coming off elbow and back issues and an all-around subpar performance in 2023.
Coming off an All-Star season in 2022, Nestor Cortes’ year was wrecked by two injury list stints due to rotator cuff strains.
Signed as a free agent, Marcus Stroman could thrive in the Bronx, where he’s always wanted to be.
Clarke Schmidt became the Yankees’ second-most reliable starter in 2023, and he stands out among the league’s No. 5 starters.
But the Yanks didn’t get their prime pitching target, free-agent starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles Dodgers) and they parted with Michael King and some key rotation depth pieces to land Soto from the San Diego Padres.
3. What’s the state of the Yankees' bullpen?
This has consistently been a team area of strength, but there are some concerns.
Reliable lefty Wandy Peralta signed with the Padres, and the Yankees did not pursue any notable free agent relievers, from the high-end Josh Hader to the likes of Hector Neris, Keynan Middleton or Ryan Brasier.
Acquired from the Dodgers, lefty Victor Gonzalez might prove to be a valuable addition in the lead-up to closer Clay Holmes.
But Tommy Kahnle and the supremely talented but oft-injured Jonathan Loaisiga finished 2023 on the IL. Does Loaisiga’s workload have to be re-evaluated, what’s the status of Ron Marinaccio, and will Scott Effross – coming off Tommy John surgery – be counted on to fill a key setup role?
4. What’s the long-term outfield plan?
Boone expects to open with a regular outfield of Verdugo in left, Judge in center and Soto in right.
The idea is to get Stanton occasionally in the defensive mix, which could mean increased starts at designated hitter for Soto, not known for his fielding acumen.
Judge is being asked to play regularly in center field for the first time since 2022, and the Yankees also have a two-time Gold Glove Award winning center fielder as a fourth outfielder in Trent Grisham.
By late June or early July, switch-hitting center fielder Jasson Dominguez is expected back from elbow surgery rehab, forcing a reconfiguration of the outfield – assuming everyone is healthy.
5. Has the pressure to win ever been greater?
There’s always a mandate to win in the Bronx, so in many ways this isn’t new.
Boone has enjoyed good working relationships with owner Hal Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman, and his likeable persona and good rapport with players has worked in Boone’s favor.
But this is certainly a pivotal season for Boone in the Bronx, where a second straight non-playoff season or early October exit could have drastic consequences.
New to the Yankees’ coaching staff in 2024, Brad Ausmus has big-league managerial experience and might be in consideration to manage in 2025 should things go south.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Aaron Boone: Pressure is on Yankees manager as spring training 2024 arrives
