The Yankees’ season has ended with heartbreak — but here’s the twist most fans won’t see coming: Firing Aaron Boone or Brian Cashman isn’t the answer.
NEW YORK — Strange as it may sound, there’s no clear villain in the Yankees’ Division Series loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, three games to one. Sure, some fans are demanding Boone’s head. Others are calling for Cashman’s resignation. But neither man was the root cause of the downfall.
In fact, both delivered noteworthy accomplishments in 2025. Boone pulled the team out of an ugly 18-29 midseason slump, steering them to a 34-14 surge and a wild-card win over Boston. Cashman regrouped after missing out on Juan Soto last winter, then boosted the roster aggressively at the trade deadline, though with a mix of hits and misses.
And yet, in Yankee terms, it’s another failed year. Their "championship-or-bust" mantra now rings hollow — 16 seasons have passed since their last World Series win under Cashman’s GM tenure. Boone’s track record includes one Series appearance in eight seasons, last year.
History tells us Torre and Girardi each got about a decade, winning four and one championships respectively before moving on. By that math, Boone’s clock might run until 2027 — assuming no lockout disruption — while Cashman’s reign will someday end, but probably not today.
This year, the regular-season matchup was razor-close. Both the Yankees and Jays finished with 94 wins, but Toronto claimed the AL East via tiebreaker and ultimately home-field advantage. In the DS, the Jays simply executed better.
Aaron Judge, the team’s perennial MVP candidate, was brilliant: 13 hits in 26 postseason at-bats, a .500/.581/.692 slash line, and a clutch, game-tying three-run blast in Game 3. Still, the Yankees failed to even reach the ALCS. Given Judge’s age (34 next April), the fear is that New York is squandering the peak years of its superstar.
Boone considered this his best roster yet — better even than the 2019, 2022, and 2024 squads — but Toronto exposed flaws. Defensive lapses. Underwhelming starts by Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. A fragile bullpen. An offense that stalled, with Trent Grisham hitting 2-for-17 and Anthony Volpe striking out 14 times in his last 19 plate appearances.
Boone admitted, "They took it to us." And while the Yankees avoided the humiliation of last year’s World Series loss to the Dodgers, the Jays still outscored them 34-19 and closed the series with a 5-2 win despite deploying a bullpen game and missing star shortstop Bo Bichette.
Injuries played a role, too — losing Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt to Tommy John surgery is no small setback. But with MLB’s third-highest payroll, sympathy is in short supply. Still, there’s reason for pitching optimism: Fried, Rodón, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, and Will Warren form a strong rotation base, with Cole likely returning midseason.
Beyond the rotation, change is inevitable. Free agency looms for Grisham, Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, Devin Williams, and Luke Weaver. Jazz Chisholm Jr., a 30-30 player, enters his walk year, and questions swirl about a contract extension versus a trade. Volpe’s shoulder injury raises uncertainty, but quality shortstops aren’t plentiful.
Retaining Bellinger could be pivotal; other departures are more manageable. Boone praised the roster’s chemistry, but the Yankees can’t simply run it back. Toronto’s more contact-driven, defensively sharper style might be a model worth emulating — though Boone insists the Yankees have improved defensively, a claim open to debate.
Yet for many fans, frustration with Cashman and Boone endures. They don’t want another lecture on how hard it is to win a World Series, or the reminder that 29 out of 30 clubs finish disappointed. Earlier missteps sparked questions about accountability: Is Boone tough enough on his players? Does Steinbrenner demand enough from Cashman? The late-season rally likely ensures Steinbrenner avoids drastic action — hesitation to embrace change is part of his DNA.
Since taking over in 2008, Steinbrenner has never employed a GM other than Cashman, and clearly values Boone’s rapport with players. Managing egos, as modern baseball demands, is one of Boone’s strengths.
Replacing them would be risky — high-quality alternatives are scarce. Sure, every leader’s time eventually runs out, but that’s for Steinbrenner to decide. For now, losing to the Blue Jays stings, but it isn’t a disgrace. Overreacting could be worse than doing nothing.
Sometimes, even the best teams just lose.
Question for you, Yankee fans: Do you believe loyalty to Boone and Cashman is wise — or do you think Steinbrenner’s fear of change is holding the Yankees back? Drop your thoughts below; the debate is far from over.
