Yankees Reportedly Make Changes to Aaron Boone's Staff After 2025 MLB Playoff Exit

Aaron Boone's future as the manager of the New York Yankees remains unclear, but if he does return, there will be some changes to the coaching staff.

According to Andy Martino of SNY and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Yankees won't be retaining bullpen coach Mike Harkey or first-base coach Travis Chapman.

"Had a great 16 years and I'm very grateful for the opportunity I had with the Yankee organization!" Harkey told Martino. "I wish them nothing but the best!"

Other changes could follow. As Kirschner noted, "Pitching coach Matt Blake and catching coordinator Tanner Swanson have club options, and bench coach Brad Ausmus' and third-base coach Luis Rojas' contracts expired."

Harkey had two stints as the Yankees' bullpen coach, first between the 2008-13 seasons and later between 2016-25. The bullpen was a major weakness for the team, however, with a number of players taking a step back in their roles, most notably Devin Williams.

Chapman held a number of roles in the team's farm system before joining the MLB staff in 2022 as both the infield coach and first-base coach. Kirschner noted that he was "lauded [internally] for his ability to pick up tells from opposing pitchers and relay that information to batters," though New York's infield defense regressed in 2025, highlighted by Anthony Volpe's rough season at shortstop.

As for the team at large, the Yankees reached the playoffs for the seventh time in eight seasons under Boone but failed to win the World Series yet again. The 2025 season was marked by major bouts of inconsistency, while the pitching staff was undressed by the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS.

Boone's seat feels hot, and it's a bit peculiar that the Yankees haven't either fired him or publicly expressed confidence in him since being eliminated from the postseason last week. Either way, changes are happening to the team's coaching staff.