Coming off a disappointing 92-win season and a loss in the AL Wild Card Game, the New York Yankees made some significant staff changes on Thursday.
The organization opted not to renew the contracts of hitting coach Marcus Thames, assistant hitting coach P.J. Pilittere and third base coach Phil Nevin for the 2022 season. The moves come after the Yankee offense plummeted in 2021 and the team had an inordinate amount of runners thrown out on the bases, including more than 20 at home plate.
Even with these decisions, the elephant in the room remains manager Aaron Boone. Boone’s contract is also up, and while he’s posted a winning percentage of .601 over four regular seasons, he’s failed to take the Yankees to the World Series and has consistently confounded fans with poor in-game decision making.
The reaction to today’s news from around the MLB world has many wondering if this is all the Yankees will do, or if more changes are coming.
The first move. https://t.co/VzqlvHifhN
— Michael Kay (@RealMichaelKay) October 14, 2021
Someone was going to fall on the sword for this year’s offense. Thames was instrumental in unlocking Gio Urshela, among others though. I think he deserved better, but results matter. -D https://t.co/S3Cppl5rX7
— Views from 314ft (@ViewsFrom314ft) October 14, 2021
In 1st 3 yrs with Thames/Pilittere as hitting coaches, NYY finished 2d, 1st, 4th in MLB in runs per game, never below 5.25. In ’21, were 19th at 4.39. Even adding Gallo/Rizzo didn’t defib attack. Too many non-competitive ABs, innings, games. Was it players? Coaches always pay 1st
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) October 14, 2021
2/to 3b coach and ask that Boone take on a more veteran bench coach? The staff had been pretty steady in Boone’s 4 seasons, the lone changes were at bench coach (Josh Bard to Mendoza) and pitching (Larry Rothschild to Matt Blake). This will be more of an overhaul.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) October 14, 2021
The Judge send was fine IMO. It was a great play by the Red Sox. The issue was the 20+(!!!) outs at home on Nevin’s sends in 2021. That was one of many reasons why they didn’t host a WC game this year. I still remember the Gio tag up against Baltimore at home in April.
— Randy Wilkins (@pamsson) October 14, 2021
Phil Nevin and Marcus Thames = the first two scapegoats for a disappointing 2021 Yankees season. The still remaining (and unaddressed) question: will significant change in the organization – and most important, how it operates – occur this winter?
— Erik Boland (@eboland11) October 14, 2021
Source: Despite the coaching staff moves today, the Yankees are still undecided (as of this moment) on Aaron Boone’s fate. Part of the equation may be whether he wants to stick w/ the coaching staff the Yankees are going to dictate to him.
— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) October 14, 2021
Been more than a week since they were eliminated. If it you have to spend that long deliberating whether you have the right manager, you don’t have the right manager. https://t.co/QiBxD7qqEz
— Mike Axisa (@mikeaxisa) October 14, 2021
Reading the tea leaves, it seems like Boone will be back, unless he balks at the coaches the Yankees want to put around him. However, if the roster and entire organizational approach to team-building isn’t overhauled, it might not matter who is the manager in 2022.
Assuming general manager Brian Cashman is back–he has one year left on his current contract–the Yankees must get more athletic this offseason while making their lineup more diverse and complementary at the same time.
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