Report: Boone to skipper NYY
MLB owners agree on new posting deal
NEW YORK — The Yankees have picked ESPN broadcaster Aaron Boone to succeed Joe Girardi as manager, a person familiar with New York’s decision told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday night because the decision had not been announced by the team.
Boone, 44, has never been a manager or a coach at any level since retiring as a player after the 2009 season. His 11thinning home run off Boston’s Tim Wakefield won Game 7 of the AL Championship Series in 2003 for the Yankees against Boston.
Boone was a big-league third baseman from 1997-2009 and an All-Star in 2003, when New York acquired him from the Reds at the trade deadline.
Boone was among six people interviewed for the job and won out over Yankees bench coach Rob Thomson, former Cleveland and Seattle manager Eric Wedge, San Francisco bench coach Hensley Meulens, Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward and former Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran, who retired as a player after winning his first World Series this year with Houston.
Boone had never interviewed previously for a manager opening. He had been at ESPN since his retirement as a player.
“I just feel like it’s started to really pull at me,” he said. “Especially the last few years, I find myself managing games all the time and thinking about strategies and how I would handle different situations.”
His dad, Bob, has worked for the Washington Nationals since December 2004 and currently is an assistant general manager.
JAPANESE POSTING: Major League Baseball owners voted unanimously Friday to approve a new posting agreement with their Japanese counterparts, a move that allowed bidding to start for coveted pitcher and outfielder Shohei Ohtani.
Following the deal with Nippon Professional Baseball, Ohtani was put up for bid by the Pacific League’s Nippon Ham Fighters for the maximum $20 million posting fee. That opened a window for the 23-year-old to reach agreement on a contract with an MLB team until 11:59 p.m. EST on Dec. 22.
Under MLB’s new collective bargaining agreement, Ohtani is limited to a minor league contract subject to a team’s signing bonus pool. Texas has the most available at $3,535,000, followed by the New York Yankees ($3.5 million), Minnesota ($3.07 million), Pittsburgh ($2,266,750), Seattle ($1,557,500), Miami ($1.49 million) and the Los Angeles Angels ($1,315,000).
Ohtani was in Los Angeles, a person familiar with his location said. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made. DODGERS: Right-hander Yimi Garcia and Los Angeles agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration.
The 27-year-old Garcia didn’t pitch in the majors last season for the NL champions while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He earned $550,000 last season. COMEBACK PLAYERS: Colorado closer Greg Holland has been voted NL Comeback Player of the Year and Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas has been selected AL Comeback Player of the Year.
After missing the 2016 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Holland was 3-2 with a 3.61 ERA and 41 saves. The 32-year-old right-hander tied with Kenley Jansen of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second-most in the majors.
Moustakas hit .272 with a career-high 38 homers and 85 RBIs in his return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The seasonending surgery happened when he collided with teammate Alex Gordon chasing a foul popup on May 22, 2016.
WHITE SOX: Free-agent catcher Welington Castillo agreed Friday to a $15 million, two-year contract with Chicago.