It's been a tumultuous season for the Yankees, who sit precariously as the final wild card team even after their win Friday night against the Cardinals.
The same Yankees that were in the World Series less than a year ago, and have kept the same core of players, have underachieved in 2025 and many believe it falls on manager Aaron Boone's shoulders. But Brian Cashman doesn't.
The longtime GM of the Yankees spoke to the media, including The Athletic, prior to Friday's game in St. Louis, and was asked numerous questions, including what he thinks of the job Boone is doing in 2025 and how he's handling the ups and downs of the season.
"The best he can," Cashman said. “I don’t know how any manager, let alone a manager in a big market like New York, speaking of Aaron Boone, I’ve told him many times, how he does the pre- and postgame and navigates that on a daily basis, that’s not easy. It takes a talent in its own right to try to walk through that without losing your cool or getting emotional. He has stayed level-headed and even-keeled.
"He knows how tough this sport is. He’s invested in these guys heavily, as we all are. Trying to explain away a difficult play or a bad performance for some time while the storm is upon us is not an easy task to navigate or deal with and remain cool, calm and collected. He’s obviously done an amazing job of working through that."
Cashman said he wouldn't be able to do what Boone does in dealing with the media, but in addition to defending Boone with how he handles the large New York market, is how he also manages the players.
“I’m not an advocate of becoming Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage or John Cena from WWE and providing a power drive to finish off the victim — the victim being someone struggling at the plate, struggling defensively, struggling on the mound," he said. "And now you’re hearing it externally, and their family and friends are all hearing it. Then internally, now, they’re getting piled on also. In many cases, you’ve got to understand what the atmosphere is like.”
Cashman said players require more support in a market like New York and that Boone has the skills to help players get through struggles at the plate or on the field.
But the Yankees GM is not overlooking the team's struggles over the last few months, which include losing their grasp on the AL East and fighting for their playoff lives. The Yankees are just 1.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians after Friday's games.
And while that's good to get into the postseason, Cashman is not delusional about how the team is playing and that they need to right the ship sooner rather than later.
“We’re the defending American League champs trying to re-defend that,” Cashman said. “Obviously, right now, we’re not in control of the division. Our first goal is try to win the American League East and automatically punch the ticket that way. If not, we’ll be fighting to punch a ticket a different way. We have a lot of time on the clock, but not enough time at the same time. I don’t want to misrepresent (that) there’s not urgency, because there is.”
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