The tension between Yankees legends and the current regime has reached a breaking point. After the Yanks’ ALDS loss against the Blue Jays, Alex Rodriguez cited “one of the worst constructions of a roster I’ve ever seen” for the failure. And Derek Jeter continued with his cents, deflecting blame from the skipper, though. “I know he takes a lot of heat. But 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 that they make throughout the game.” But now, Aaron Boone isn’t staying silent.

Talking on Jomboy Media, Boone pointed out the imbalance in the statements. “I know Alex said something about, once we got knocked out, we were really poorly put together, yet three days before he picked us to win the World Series, so that felt a little contradictory there,” Boone exclaimed. Rodriguez’s quick switch from predicting a championship to harsh criticism raises questions about his consistency.

After barreling through the rival Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card round, Rodriguez had boldly predicted a Yankees’ championship. “I think finally, this is the year that big [Aaron] Judge has a signature October. I’m going to go with a rematch of the 2009 World Series. Yankees over Phillies. World Series MVP Aaron Judge. Yankees in six games.” Meanwhile, Jeter mentioned, “I’m sticking with my pick at the All-Star Game: Yankees over Cubs.” While the praise was out there on Oct 5, the criticism made headlines on Oct 9!

With that, Boone even disagreed with the idea that the Yankees rely too much on analytics, saying that “if you look in the American League East, we’re probably the least analytical in-game team there is… I don’t understand the analytic attachment that gets attached to the Yankees over a lot of clubs,” Boone exclaimed, pushing back against the idea that the team’s problems were caused by decisions based on data.

But Boone’s claim may not feel entirely on point when we look at how the other teams use advanced stats to help them win.

The Houston Astros won the World Series in 2017 and 2022, thanks to their use of analytics to find undervalued players and develop them. The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 championship by using data-driven pitching strategies and lineup optimization to keep winning. And probably, maintained that for their 2025 win, too. In the same way, the Texas Rangers used analytics to help them make decisions about which players to draft and trade, helping with their first World Series title in 2023.

Meanwhile, the Yankees finished 94-68 in 2025, placing second in the AL East after holding a seven-game division lead in late May before playing sub-.500 baseball for two months. Their bullpen, ranked 23rd in ERA, struggled despite deadline acquisitions of David Bednar, Jake Bird, and Camilo Doval. Maybe data would’ve helped there!

The backlash grew stronger when the Yankees lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS.

Even though they had the same record of 94-68, the Blue Jays won the division title on a tiebreaker. They won the season series 7-5 to get the first seed and home-field advantage after the Yankees blew a seven-game lead.

Now, Boone is under a lot of pressure as he enters the offseason with two years left on his contract. He has a 697-497 record over eight seasons, with only one World Series appearance and a .584 winning percentage.

But the front office has made a smart choice that fixes one of the organization’s biggest problems while it deals with criticism from franchise legends.

Yankees secure Tim Hill with new deal

The New York Yankees picked up their $3 million club option on reliever Tim Hill. This shows that the team’s management trusts a pitcher who showed his worth during two good seasons. The organization is serious about fixing a bullpen that was one of the worst in the league in 2025.

ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported the move. “The Yankees are picking up Tim Hill’s $3 million club option, a source tells ESPN.”

The White Sox let Hill go in the middle of 2024 because he had a bad 5.87 ERA. This was the start of his journey to becoming a reliable Yankee. The veteran lefty took a chance on New York, and he rewarded their faith by completely changing how he played.

In 2025, Hill’s comeback picked up steam when he became a workhorse in the bullpen.

He played in 70 games, struck out 37 batters, and only walked 16 batters in 67 innings. His 3.09 ERA showed that his turnaround was real and not just a short hot streak. Hill provided consistency during a turbulent stretch, making his $3 million price tag a bargain for proven reliability.