Before the New York Yankees make any roster changes for the 2022 MLB season, the organization needs to make a decision about its manager. Aaron Boone’s contract is up, and the Yankees have not announced whether or not he’ll be back in the team’s dugout for a fifth season.

Immediately following a disappointing loss to the Boston Red Sox in the 2021 AL Wild-Card Game, it was unclear if Boone would return. As the playoffs have moved along, however, the chances of Boone staying on as the Yankees’ manager appear to have increased.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner seems inclined to retain Boone, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney. Steinbrenner reportedly likes Boone and doesn’t blame him for another early postseason exit.

Entering the season with the American League’s highest payroll as favorites to win the pennant, the Yankees finished eight games out of first place and failed to reach the ALDS. It marked the second straight year and the third time in Boone’s four seasons as Yankees manager that New York fell short of the ALCS.

The Yankees have not been back to the World Series since winning the championship in 2009. There have been loud calls by Yankees fans to find a new manager. Some members of the organization privately complain about Boone for the way he handles the media and manages the bullpen, Olney reports.

Boone is the overwhelming favorite to be the Yankees’ manager in 2022. Bovada, an online sportsbook, gives the former MLB third baseman -400 odds to be back with New York next season.

There is a real possibility that Boone won’t be back, especially considering New York hasn’t made any announcement about the coaching staff nine days and counting since its season ended.

Who has the best chance of replacing Boone? The betting odds suggest former Yankees manager Buck Showalter and ex-Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez are at the top of the list. Showalter is given +500 to be the next Yankees manager. A-Rod comes in at +950.

Showalter has taken three different franchises, including the Yankees, to the playoffs as a manager. The 65-year-old is a popular choice among Yankees fans.

Rodriguez, on the other hand, probably isn’t a realistic option. When the Yankees last had a managerial opening in 2017, Rodriguez said he had no interest in the job. The feeling is likely mutual for New York. If members of the organization don’t like the way Boone addresses the media, it’s hard to imagine the team hiring someone who was a disaster when it came to dealing with the press during his playing days in the Big Apple.

Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada is reportedly viewed in MLB circles as a top candidate to replace Boone. Espada was the Yankees third base coach from 2015-2017 and interviewed to be the team’s manager before Boone was hired. Espada is given +1800 odds to replace Boone.

Former Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran is on the list with +2800 odds. Beltran was a finalist for the job in 2017 and was eventually hired to be the New York Mets manager for the 2020 season.

The Mets fired Beltran before he ever managed a game because of his role as a player in the Astros’ cheating scandal.

Aaron Boone New York Yankees
Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees reacts after CC Sabathia #52 hit Jesus Sucre #45 of the Tampa Bay Rays by a pitch in the sixth inning on September 27, 2018 at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida. Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
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