Derek Jeter backs Boone, Sabathia want Yankees to keep Judge at any cost

Thursday October 27, 2022

NEW YORK – Derek Jeter thinks it would be great if Aaron Boone managed the Yankees again. However, he wants the team to forget about the 2004 American League Championship Series and didn’t agree with the strategy to watch the videos of that series where the Red Sox made a remarkable comeback against the Yankees.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday in Tampa, Hal Steinbrenner announced that he was not going to sack manager Boone, who had five seasons with the Yankees so far. After the Yankees were eliminated in the AL Wild Card Game in 2021, Boone agreed to a three-year deal.

Commenting on it Derek Jeter told:

“Good for Aaron. I like Aaron. I played with Aaron. Sometimes when you’re in a situation like that, it’s almost like you’re in a no-win situation unless you win, right? He puts them in a position every year to have that chance to win. Ultimately, it comes down to the players.”

The former Yankee great was speaking at Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation‘s annual dinner on Wednesday. His foundation strives to promote good change and raise crucial money for the foundation’s signature initiatives that nurture leadership development, academic excellence, and healthy lifestyles among young people.

Jeter laughed on Wednesday when he was asked about the Yankees watching videos of the unlikely 2004 Red Sox comeback to win the last four games to reverse the Astros’ 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven ALCS.

“I don’t know what it means, do you understand what I mean?” Jeter said. “Still, I don’t like talking about it. So even now, when I think about it, I feel sick.”

Before Game 4 of the ALCS, Chad Bohling, the club’s director of mental conditioning, sent a four- to five-minute video to some coaches and players. The plan didn’t work, and the Yanks lost 6-5 at Yankee Stadium. This sent Houston to the World Series, where they will face the Phillies.

During his career, Jeter and his agent, Casey Close, made two big deals with the Yankees. The first was a 10-year extension worth $189 million that was signed in February 2001. The second was a three-year deal worth $52 million that was signed in December 2010. During those talks, Jeter gave up a valuable bargaining chip. Judge, on the other hand, doesn’t seem likely to do that.

“We see a lot of the same faces year in and year out, which gives us hope that we’re doing something well,” Jeter added.

It’s still not clear if Aaron Judge will be in Boone’s Opening Day lineup or not. After hitting an amazing 62 home runs and breaking Roger Maris’ 61-year-old American League record, the slugger is going to try his hand at free agency. Before Opening Day, Judge turned down a seven-year, $213.5 million extension offer from the Yankees.

“When a homegrown superstar goes up for the free agency, you have to find a way to keep them,” said CC Sabathia, Judge’s teammate from 2016 to 2019. “He recognizes this place. He just had the best baseball season ever while playing for the Yankees. There’s nothing to say to him.”

Steinbrenner also acknowledged in the same interview that he and general manager Brian Cashman have had preliminary talks about the 2023 team, which suggests that Cashman will soon get an offer to come back. Cashman’s five-year contract ends when the World Series is over.

Do you favor keeping both Cashman and Boone or didn’t agree with Jeter?