Fire Aaron Boone (Again)
- E.J. Fagan
- Apr 26
- 2 min read
by EJ Fagan
April 26, 2025
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NOTE: The following comes from EJ Fagan's substack page and is shared with permission.
Please check out EJ's substack page for more great articles.
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Why was Devin Williams in the game last night?
Here is what Williams has done so far this season:
He’s been absolutely awful. He’ll probably be fine eventually, but clearly something is wrong that needs to be fixed.
You know what the worst possible time to see if Devin Williams has figured it out yet? The 9th inning with a 1-0 lead against a division rival the day after an off day. Fernando Cruz, Mark Leiter Jr. or freaking Luke Weaver all give you a better chance to win the ballgame than Devin Williams. Predictably, he had nothing.
We all know why Devin Williams was in this game. It’s the same reason why Cody Bellinger has been batting 3rd and 5th all season. It’s the same reason why Jasson Dominguez didn’t get a start (or a pinch hitting chance!) against a right-handed starter despite batting .313/.365/.500 against them in 2025. It’s the same reason why Paul Goldschmidt isn’t going to sit against righties at all this season despite barely managing a .700 OPS against them.
It’s also why Alex Verdugo was playing all throughout the playoffs last year and DJ LeMahieu managed to amass 228 plate appearances with a .527 OPS and Anthony Rizzo played all the way to the World Series.
It’s why Yankee fans are dreading DJ LeMahieu getting close to returning, because they have good reason to expect that Boone will run out there for months even if he’s the worst hitter in the major leagues. Ditto for Giancarlo Stanton taking Ben Rice’s spot in the lineup.
It’s all because Aaron Boone thinks it is more important to give veteran players their due than to try and win the ballgame. Even if everyone in the park, probably including Boone himself, knows that they are not the best choice to try and win the ballgame. He grew up in a baseball clubhouse and has deeply internalized the pecking order.
You know what we call managers that don’t try and win the ballgame? A loser. Aaron Boone ishould have been fired a long time ago.
It is amazing, more and more, one reads that Boone just isn't a good manager. I was against the hiring from the start, but even people who have defended him for years are starting to say, "You know, he's just not a good manager."
But, to Alan's point, if the Yankees get a new manager, they have to let that new manager, manage. If the person comes in just to do that the GM says and to say whatever the GM wants, then changing the manager makes no sense.
Of course, I think Boone has more autonomy than some say...
I have also wondered, if Boone, is just a figurehead, why he serves in that role. At some point, …
Cashman wanted a certain type of manager. When Coney wanted the PC job after they put Rothschild out of his misery, he withdrew from consideration when he was told how they expected him to coach. Oh yeah, Boone was not there for that meeting, only Cashman and newly hired Director of Pitching Sam Briend. Outside of appeasing the fan base, what do you EJ, expect to change in reality? This is why I could never realistically be the Yankees manager while Cashman is still in charge.
i agree completely with the spirit of your argument!! Williams should have been put into lower leverage scenarios during the week. why wait almost a week from the last blow up. dont let him throw a single pitch and then throw him back into a 1 run game?
if his next appearance is in a closing role and Hal has even a third of a brain both Boone and BC get fired.
you probably cannot sit Goldy vs all the RHP but your point is valid. he should get some days off. and that was probably the answer yesterday. sit Goldy and let JDom DH
Belli was on base 2x on Weds and 3x yesterday. his ABs have been lookin…
If I owned the Yankees, I would have called the dugout to fire Boone before Vlad touched home plate.
everyone has an opinion, as far as I can ell.
the worst possible time to demote Devin Williams is before the time where Williams can not deny that the demotion has been earned.
when you're scheduled to fight 162 battles, the field general must always work to win the war