After A-Rod, Derek Jeter points finger at GM Cashman for Yankees’ failures

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NEW YORK (Oct. 9, 2025) — The Yankees’ season came to an end Wednesday night after a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 4 of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium. It was another early playoff exit for the Bronx Bombers — but this time, the harshest criticism didn’t come from fans or the media. It came from two of the franchise’s most iconic figures.

During Fox Sports’ postgame broadcast, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez delivered a stinging critique of the Yankees’ front office. Both legends defended manager Aaron Boone, shifting the blame instead to general manager Brian Cashman-led front office and the organization’s roster strategy.

Derek Jeter questions who really runs the Yankees

Jeter, typically measured when discussing his former team, did not hold back. He praised Boone for doing the best he could under difficult circumstances and implied that the Yankees manager does not have full control over baseball decisions.

“Aaron did a good job,” Jeter said during the broadcast. “He’s working with what he has to work with, and he sticks up for his players. I know he takes a lot of heat.”

Then came Jeter’s most telling remark — one that echoed long-standing fan speculation about the Yankees’ structure.

“Look, I’m not saying it from any inside knowledge, but I’m pretty sure Aaron’s not the one that’s calling every move they make throughout the game,” he said.

The Hall of Famer’s statement hinted at an organizational hierarchy where the analytics department and Cashman-dominated front office heavily influence lineup choices and pitching moves. For years, fans have questioned whether Boone is free to manage instinctively or simply follows directives from above.

Jeter’s willingness to criticize the Yankees publicly was rare. His pointed comments reflected the frustration that even the team’s legends now feel toward the franchise’s decision-making process.

A-Rod delivers scathing roster assessment

Before Jeter spoke, Alex Rodriguez had already taken aim at Cashman’s front office on the same Fox panel. The three-time MVP said the Yankees’ 2025 roster was “one of the worst constructions” he had ever seen.

“Honestly, from the entire organization, he’s the one guy I would circle that has the least to be blamed,” Rodriguez said about Boone. “He’s got a lot of talent, but for me, personally, one of the worst constructions of a roster I’ve ever seen.”

"Honestly from the entire organization, [Aaron Boone] is the guy I would circle that is the least to blame."@AROD was critical of the Yankees front office after a disappointing finish to the season. pic.twitter.com/VA7RRVxjPd

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 9, 2025

Rodriguez listed specific issues that plagued the Yankees all season — mismatched personnel and positional redundancies that made the lineup inflexible.

“You have three left-handed catchers, you have five DHs, you have a first baseman in and out,” Rodriguez said. “It’s just a very, very difficult hand for Boone.”

The critique struck directly at Cashman’s roster-building approach. Rodriguez acknowledged the Yankees had talent but argued that the roster lacked balance, speed, and complementary skill sets.

For a team with one of baseball’s largest payrolls, the roster was filled with designated hitters and defensive specialists rather than complete, adaptable players.

Both legends spare Boone from blame

Jeter and Rodriguez were in full agreement that Boone should not shoulder the blame for the Yankees’ postseason collapse. Their defense of the manager stood in stark contrast to fan criticism following another October failure.

Rodriguez called Boone “the least to be blamed,” while Jeter credited him for maintaining player support despite internal constraints. “He sticks up for his players,” Jeter said, praising Boone’s leadership and communication.

Both legends made it clear that Boone’s hands are tied by the front office’s growing influence over day-to-day baseball operations. They implied that Cashman’s analytics-driven structure leaves little room for a manager’s instinct — the kind of feel for the game that guided championship teams in past eras.

The unified message from two of the Yankees’ biggest icons carried enormous weight. Rarely do analysts — much less two franchise legends — criticize their old organization so bluntly on national television.

Cashman bears responsibility for continued failures

Brian Cashman has served as Yankees general manager since 1998, presiding over four World Series championships. But since 2009, the title count stands at zero. The current 16-year drought is the franchise’s longest since the 1980s.

The Yankees’ $300 million payroll ranks among the highest in baseball, yet the club’s postseason performance has consistently fallen short. In 2025, the team exited the playoffs in the Division Series despite strong years from Aaron Judge, Ben Rice, and Carlos Rodón.

Judge did everything possible to keep the Yankees alive. He hit .500 with a .692 slugging percentage over seven playoff games. But the rest of the roster failed to deliver.

The imbalance Rodriguez cited — multiple left-handed catchers, a logjam of designated hitters, and an uncertain first base rotation — created challenges Boone couldn’t overcome. Those issues stemmed from front office decisions rather than managerial execution.

Cashman’s emphasis on analytics and data-driven player models has drawn increasing criticism. Detractors argue that the system has stripped the Yankees of flexibility and chemistry. The team often looks built for statistics rather than for actual playoff performance.

In the modern era, Cashman has defended his methods, claiming analytics provide a competitive edge. But as the Yankees continue to fall short, even former players are beginning to question whether that approach works.

Jeter and Rodriguez echo fans’ frustration

The reaction from Jeter and Rodriguez mirrored what many Yankees fans have been saying for years — that the team’s problems go deeper than the manager or the players on the field.

The organization’s identity has shifted from instinct and aggression to algorithms and over-analysis. Jeter’s subtle comments and Rodriguez’s explicit ones both pointed to a common theme: the Yankees have lost their balance between numbers and intuition.

Jeter’s message was respectful yet piercing. Rodriguez’s was fiery and specific. Together, their criticism painted a picture of a team whose decision-makers are out of touch with what wins baseball games in October.

Pressure builds for change in the Bronx

Owner Hal Steinbrenner has remained loyal to Cashman, who received another extension in 2023. Boone also signed a deal through 2027 and is expected to return next season. But after back-to-back postseason disappointments, the calls for accountability have grown louder.

Fans flooded social media after the elimination, echoing the sentiments of Jeter and Rodriguez. Many demanded front office changes and a new philosophy focused less on analytics and more on adaptability and leadership.

The Yankees have reached the postseason seven times in Boone’s eight years as manager, including a World Series appearance in 2024. Yet the failure to win it all continues to haunt the franchise.

As Jeter and Rodriguez made clear on national television, the Yankees’ problems start at the top. Boone, they said, is playing with the hand he’s dealt — and that hand comes from Brian Cashman.

For a team built on the tradition of excellence, the message from two of its greatest icons could not have been clearer: until the Yankees fix their foundation, their October heartbreaks will keep repeating.

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