9 years, 8 postseason berths, yet no World Series. Aaron Boone is the only New York Yankees manager to lead the franchise so long without a World Series ring. Each playoff exit has brought a fresh set of criticism aimed at the culture Boone has established in the Yankees’ clubhouse. In the aftermath of the ugly ALDS loss – Yankees getting swept by the Tampa Bay Rays – a New York sports analyst has asked the Yankees to fire Boone ahead of the 2027 season and go for Alex Cora.
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With the former Red Sox manager winning three World Series titles – as a player, as a coach, and as a manager – he is likely the best candidate for the job. Furthermore, Cora also has experience managing a clubhouse under high pressure.
“He [Boone] needs to go, and the Yankees need to hire Alex Cora. And I know Alex Cora, at least reportedly, has said, well, he’s not going to manage next season. We’re talking about the Yankee job opening up,” said Tommy Lugauer on WFAN Sports Radio.
“And if the Yankee job opens up, I got a feeling that Alex Cora would be interested. But you got to go out on that limb. You got to take that chance.”
The Tampa Bay Rays absolutely crushed the Yankees in the ALDS.
In Game 1, the Yankees scrambled up only one hit as Drew Rasmussen shut them out. Game 2 was a spectacular show of defensive collapse. The Yankees recorded three errors in one inning. In the series finale at Yankee Stadium, the Rays took the lead while the Yankees tried to match up. Ultimately, fan interference cost them the game-tying home run, and the Yankees lost by a run.
After promising fans a World Series return in Spring, the Bronx Bombers’ playoff run ended with the ALDS for a second year straight. A demand for a managerial change is not totally unfounded.
After the Boston Red Sox posted a dismal 10-17 record, the franchise fired former manager Alex Cora on April 25 and promoted Chad Tracy to interim manager. Around the same time, the Philadelphia Phillies also fired Rob Thomson. But before firing Thomson, Dave Dombrowski had offered the Phillies’ job to Cora. However, Cora did not agree, and Don Mattingly became the Phillies’ interim manager.
The Phillies’ offer was still on the table at the end of the regular season, but Cora declined Dombrowski again.
He reportedly plans to take a year off from baseball and focus on his family and personal life. However, the WFAN host believes that Cora might change his mind when he hears that his new team will be the Yankees. Jon Heyman of the New York Post also suggested the same.
“One person who knows Cora speculated that if one team could possibly lure him back, that could be the Yankees. But even that person didn’t see that as likely,” Heyman wrote.
Alex Cora and Aaron Boone started their managerial journey at the same time. Former colleagues and close friends, they went to join two historically rival clubs, the Red Sox and the Yankees.
In his 8 years with the Red Sox, Cora won a World Series in 2018 and reached the 2021 ALCS. He holds a 620-541 record and has led the Red Sox to three playoff appearances during his tenure in Boston. However, what sets him apart is the clubhouse culture Cora adopted within the Red Sox organization.
Cora promoted a player-centric, yet highly accountable clubhouse culture.
He built a good rapport with the players, emphasizing open communication and trust. But it was not soft by any means, and Cora pushed to build a highly competitive mentality among the players.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Cora worked to bring more competition during Spring Training. He reportedly used cork boards to track catcher drops, throwing accuracy, number of runs scored, and productive at-bats. He also made a chart of pitchers’ highest two-strike percentages. The system promoted competition as well as accountability.
Cora’s style is in sharp contrast to Aaron Boone’s.
Hired to replace Joe Girardi’s rigidity, Boone brought a player-first philosophy to the Yankees’ clubhouse. The skipper is also known for shielding his players publicly. Though extremely well-received by the pinstripes, Boone’s style has received criticism for the lack of accountability it creates within the clubhouse.
Counting their latest playoff exit, the Yankees have gone 17 years without winning a World Series title. A change within the organization is the need of the hour.
“Something has to change. What it is, I don’t know. I’m not smart enough.
But something has to change,” said longtime Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay on The Michael Kay Show.
“Either the type of player you’re getting, the philosophy that you’re teaching, something has to change. You can’t keep doing this and expecting, ‘Okay, we’ll run into one.’”
Many believe the Yankees will benefit from a more competitive and accountable clubhouse culture, especially after years of playoff disappointment – 6 seasons and second in a row not making it past the divisional series. If Alex Cora changes his decision to take a year off, he is the most suitable candidate in the Bronx. However, the Yankees need to fire Boone first. Boone’s contract runs through 2027.