Yankees to retain manager?

Yankees brass has yet to conduct their annual end-of-season press conference since the schedule concluded on October 1. General manager Brian Cashman is still expected to meet with reporters at some point before the offseason gets underway, although that still hasn’t been scheduled.

Some hints about the direction are beginning to emerge, however. Most notable is the future of Aaron Boone, who appears likely to return for a seventh season as manager. Andy Martino of SNY first reported last week the Yankees planned to retain Boone. Martino indicated that Boone would take part in meetings between organizational higher-ups scheduled for last week in Tampa. As part of a reader mailbag this morning, Brendan Kuty of the Athletic also shot down the possibility of the Yankees firing Boone.

Owner Hal Steinbrenner confirmed to Newsday’s Neil Best that Boone and Cashman were among a little over a dozen team officials participating in last week’s meetings, which spanned three days. As part of a panel, Steinbrenner told reporters those discussions got “heated at times” but called them “constructive” and “healthy.” The owner alluded to some pending changes in the organization’s operating philosophy but didn’t elaborate further beyond saying that “some (would be) more subtle than others.”

Martino reiterated this afternoon those changes aren’t expected to include a dismissal of Cashman or Boone. In a separate article at SNY, he noted the Yankees have yet to determine whether to make a public announcement about Boone’s return. The manager is already under contract for next season on a deal that also includes a ’25 club option. As a result, the Yankees could simply retain him without firmly addressing his future in a media session.

In any event, all signs point towards the organizational leadership remaining in place. That includes Steinbrenner, as the 53-year-old reaffirmed during the panel discussion that his family has no plans to sell the franchise (link via Ronald Blum of the Associated Press). The Steinbrenner family has owned the Yankees since 1973. Hal Steinbrenner pointed to a desire to continue involving his son, niece and nephews in ownership to a large extent moving forward but made clear there’s no especially notable ownership change coming in the near future.

While the Yankees seem primarily focused on internal operating procedures at the moment, the attention will turn back toward the roster in the coming weeks. The offseason begins in a little under a month, with the outfield, third base and starting rotation among the questions facing the front office.

South Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee is among the more intriguing free agents in a weak class for hitters. Kuty noted within today’s mailbag that the Yankees have scouted Lee during his time in the KBO, though the extent of their interest is unclear. The left-handed hitter turned 25 in August and is a career .340/.407/.491 hitter over parts of seven seasons with the Nexen/Kiwoom Heroes. He’s coming off a relative down year, posting a .318/.406/.455 line in 86 games before undergoing ankle surgery in July.