Sean Casey not returning as Yankees hitting coach: 'The time right now is not perfect for me'
Sean Casey announced Wednesday on his podcast that he will not be returning to the New York Yankees as the team's hitting coach for the 2024 season.
Speaking on "The Mayor's Office," Casey cited family reasons for his decision and said he informed Yankees manager Aaron Boone before any formal offer could be made.
“I just told [Boone] that I’m not going to be able to come back next year,” Casey said. “I’ve got my two daughters [ages 13 and 17] at home. Getting divorced a few years ago, I have those girls 50 percent of the time. I just can’t imagine being away for eight months in New York while they’re here in Pittsburgh.
“... It was a lot of fun. I just enjoyed my time. I must admit, it was a tough decision for me. There was no offer made, but I do think I could have come back had I wanted to. The time right now is not perfect for me. We’ll see what happens in the next few years here.”
Casey, who played 12 years in the majors with five teams, was hired by the Yankees during the July All-Star break after working for MLB Network. Casey's hiring was the first in-season coaching change made by Brian Cashman as general manager and came after he fired Dillon Lawson.
The Yankees' offense did not respond to the change, as the team batting average went from .231 to .221 and the OPS dropped from .711 to .688 in the second half of the season.
A fourth-place finish in the AL East and no playoff baseball in the Bronx for the first time since 2016 were clearly going to lead to changes. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner hinted as much during Sportico's Invest in Sports conference earlier this month.
“We’re going to be making some changes. Some may be more subtle than others. But I think we’ve uncovered certainly things we can do better,” Steinbrenner said via The Associated Press.
“I want you to challenge everything, all of our philosophies, all of our practices, but more importantly, in a respectful way, I want you to challenge each other. I want you to critique each other. Check your egos at the door.”
Are more changes on the way? Boone is signed through 2024, and Cashman's contract expires in 2026. The roster underwhelmed this past season, something that didn't sit well with the fan base and will likely spur tough decisions to be made when it comes to other team personnel.
