Jeter offers defense of Boone amid Yankees’ slump

During an appearance on FS1’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” program, New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter was asked if manager Aaron Boone being a “little (too) buddy-buddy with players” is to blame for the club’s summer swoon.

“I wouldn’t necessarily buy that,” Jeter responded, as shared by Jimmy Hascup of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. “You have to be a players’ manager to be successful, especially in this day and age. The great thing about Aaron: Aaron played the game. He understands that you’re going to have struggles throughout the course of a six-month season. You play 162 games and you’re going to struggle. I think he’s done a great job. Ultimately, it falls on the players. Those are the ones that are on the field, playing the games, actually.”

Boone guided the Yankees to the playoffs each year from 2018 through 2022 before the 2023 edition of the club missed the postseason and finished with an overall record of 82-80. Players such as All-Star slugger and team captain Aaron Judge backed Boone last fall, and the Yankees ended June 14 of this year at 50-22.

However, the Bronx Bombers cooled off amid the summer heat en route to limping into the All-Star break at 58-40. The 58-38 Baltimore Orioles ended Sunday’s MLB action sitting atop the American League East standings.

“But I would say I haven’t paid much attention to the criticism, and criticism is part of playing in New York, especially when the expectation level is where it is,” Jeter added about some Yankees fans calling for team owner Hal Steinbrenner to fire Boone. “But if he is getting heavily criticized, I think it’s a bit unfair because ultimately the players are the ones that play.”

Boone is in the last guaranteed year of a contract that includes a club option for 2025, and there’s no indication ahead of the All-Star Game that he’s in danger of losing his job before the season comes to an end. Yankees players such as Judge will look to silence chatter regarding Boone’s immediate future when New York opens a four-game home series versus the Tampa Bay Rays (48-48) on Friday.