After another October heartbreak, MLB writer Ken Rosenthal believes the New York Yankees don’t need to start over—at least not yet. In his postmortem column for The Athletic following New York’s ALDS loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, Rosenthal argued that while the Yankees “need to make some changes,” manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman shouldn’t be among them.
Rosenthal pushed back against the immediate calls for firings, writing that the Yankees’ downfall wasn’t rooted in poor leadership. “There is no obvious finger to point, no one to truly blame,” he wrote. For all their flaws, both Boone and Cashman earned high marks in his view. Boone for rallying a faltering roster at midseason, and Cashman for retooling effectively after the Juan Soto era and making key deadline additions.
It’s been 16 years since the Yankees last won a World Series, a drought that now defines the Cashman era. Still, Rosenthal emphasized that consistency and credibility carry weight. “Cashman has guided the Yankees to 27 straight winning campaigns,” he wrote, adding that Boone “kept his club together when it could have splintered.”
That stability, Rosenthal noted, has value—even if it doesn’t satisfy a fan base that expects parades, not patience.
A Wasted Year, But Not a Broken Team
Rosenthal acknowledged the bitter reality: another wasted season with Aaron Judge in his prime. The Yankees matched Toronto’s 94 wins in the regular season, beat the Red Sox in the wild-card round, and still fell short. “The Blue Jays were simply the better team,” Rosenthal said, pointing to Toronto’s dominant pitching and balanced offense as the difference.
He reminded readers that postseason baseball often punishes good teams. Even with Judge’s brilliant .500 postseason average and dramatic Game 3 home run, New York never truly looked like a complete contender. Poor starts from Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, along with a sputtering offense and defensive miscues, buried their chances.
Rosenthal stopped short of labeling the season a failure, instead calling it “dispiriting, but not a disgrace.” The Yankees, he said, “didn’t embarrass themselves like they did in last year’s World Series loss to the Dodgers.” They just couldn’t keep pace with a hotter, sharper Blue Jays team.
Looking ahead, Rosenthal believes the Yankees’ rotation remains a strength. With Fried, Rodón, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, and Will Warren, the staff still offers a strong foundation—and Gerrit Cole could return in the second half of 2026. The bigger question lies in the lineup, with multiple free agents looming: Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, Trent Grisham, and relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.
Rosenthal suggested the Yankees prioritize keeping Bellinger, while evaluating Anthony Volpe’s shoulder and Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s contract status. Chisholm enters his walk year after a 30-30 season, and Rosenthal floated that a trade “might be within the range of possibility” if New York doesn’t extend him.
He also argued the Yankees should evolve stylistically— “more like the Blue Jays, more contact-oriented, better defensively.” Boone praised his team’s chemistry, but Rosenthal pushed back, writing that good vibes alone don’t fix structural flaws.
Stability Over Overreaction
Rosenthal closed with a familiar but firm stance: stability trumps overreaction. He argued that Boone’s player relationships and Cashman’s long-term vision still give the Yankees the best chance to stay competitive. “The industry is not exactly teeming with quality executives and managers,” he noted, warning that firing either man could make things worse.
To Rosenthal, the Yankees’ 2025 season didn’t collapse because of Boone or Cashman, it unraveled because of baseball’s cruelty. “Sometimes, you just lose,” he concluded.
That final line summed up his message: while others scream for change, Rosenthal believes the Yankees’ leadership deserves at least one more chance to get it right.
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