Yankees, Aaron Boone to Talk Contract Extension in 'Near Future,' Steinbrenner Says

Aaron Boone may not be leaving the New York Yankees' dugout anytime soon.

Yankees chairman Hal Steinbrenner signaled Thursday he'll weigh an extension for Boone "in the near future."

"There's no huge rush to it, but I will have those discussions as to what we should do next," he said, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.

Boone's future was a storyline throughout the 2024 MLB campaign because his contract allowed for the Yankees to make a clean break this offseason if the team fell short of expectations. The team simply could've declined his 2025 option and launched a search for a new manager.

With New York winning its first American League pennant since 2009, it became pretty clear that Boone would return. The absence of a long-term extension, however, means everybody could be right back in the same position.

In a media call earlier this month, the 51-year-old told reporters his representatives had yet to open negotiations with the Yankees.

"But I think that said, there's a lot going on after the season with just, throughout the organization, contracts being up and there's a lot of work to do that you don't necessarily get to attend to when you're going through the playoffs and the World Series," he said. "So, I know there's a lot of loose ends to tie up organizationally. So, we'll see what unfolds, but either way, I'm prepared and ready to go and excited for 2025."

A portion of the fanbase probably won't be thrilled in the event the Bronx Bombers make a firm commitment to Boone beyond 2025. For them, losing the World Series in five games to a depleted Los Angeles Dodgers squad only reinforced the idea he's not the guy to get the franchise over the hump.

But having Boone be a lame duck for another year may not work to anybody's benefit because it will only heighten the sense of unease the moment the Yankees go through their first rough patch.

Giving Boone an extension seemingly wouldn't preclude ownership from making a managerial change next fall, either, if New York's fortunes take a nose dive.