Mo softens on Boone thoughts

Mariano Rivera now says he’s OK with Aaron Boone coming back as Yankee manager.

After video of him from earlier in the week speaking in Spanish saying “If I’m the owner [Boone] wouldn’t stay” was posted by ESPN on Wednesday night, the Hall of Fame closer told the Associated Press on Thursday that he was giving a “generic” comment.

“I said when a team like this, the New York Yankees, is expected to win, the season they had, and they don’t make it to the end, [it’s] always the manager [that’s] the one that always ends up paying.”

He added, “I don’t have to change [the manager]. Who am I to say?”

The Yankees haven’t fired a manager while under contract since Bucky Dent was let go during the 1990 season and replaced by Stump Merrill. Every manager since then — Buck Showalter, Joe Torre and Joe Girardi — were all dismissed after their contracts were up.

Boone was given a three-year extension following last year’s wild-card loss to the Red Sox and led the Yankees to an AL East division title and the ALCS, where they were swept by the Astros.

The lopsided result in the series, as well as some questionable decisions, led some to wonder if Boone was in jeopardy.

But managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner told the AP on Wednesday that Boone would return for a sixth season.

“As far as Boone’s concerned, we just signed him [to an extension last offseason] and for all the same reasons I listed a year ago, I believe he is a very good manager,’’ Steinbrenner said. “I don’t see a change there.”

Rivera went on to tell the AP, “Although the manager doesn’t hit, the manager doesn’t pitch, the manager doesn’t run, the manager doesn’t do [anything] but manage and make sure everybody’s ready to play, unfortunately they never fire the whole team, they always fire the manager. I was giving a generic estimation. And obviously they took it out of context.”

Rivera’s latest comments came after Rivera’s former manager, Torre, and ex-teammates Derek Jeter and CC Sabathia, spoke well of Boone’s return on Wednesday night.

General manager Brian Cashman’s contract expires at the end of the month and his fate remains up in the air, although he is expected to be back.