Yankees' Steinbrenner Defends Aaron Boone, Says Players 'Didn't Live Up to Their End of the Bargain'

New York Yankees chairman Hal Steinbrenner directed blame toward players, not general manager Brian Cashman or manager Aaron Boone, for his club's ALDS elimination.

Steinbrenner expressed faith in Boone in a Wednesday press conference during which he confirmed an upcoming extension for Cashman.

"I thought Boone managed a good season, especially with the pitching staff," Steinbrenner said (h/t SNY Yankees).

Steinbrenner continued, "He got us to the playoffs, and the bottom line is, the players didn't live up to their end of the bargain in the playoffs."

The Yankees were eliminated from the postseason Oct. 7 after getting swept from the divisional series by the Tampa Bay Rays.

The run marked the club's second consecutive ALDS elimination, and the third straight season during which the Yankees have won more than 90 games but fallen short of a title.

Steinbrenner said Wednesday he felt the blame for that early exit could be directed toward an offense that batted a combined .130 with a dozen hits and five total runs in three games against the Rays.

"I don't think you can pin the season, and the unacceptable end to it, on Aaron," Steinbrenner said. "I don't think you can pit it on [Cashman] based on the roster he put together.

"Again, the offense, not the pitching but the offense, had a big part, in my opinion, of why we didn't get— and I don't mind saying it— where we strive to get every year."

Steinbrenner concluded , "I absolutely believe we had a team that was capable of winning a championship."

Cashman, who has served as general manager of the Yankees since 1998, said Wednesday he was finalizing an extension with the club.

Steinbrenner said as of Wednesday he had not discussed a similar contract with Boone, although the Yankees had held an internal "weeklong conversation" about the managerial position.

He added he did not see Boone as "a huge part of the problem" and was willing to consider an extension going forward.

Boone is currently heading into the final season of his contract in 2027, per MLB.com's Brent Maguire .

Steinbrenner concluded he ultimately refused to look at the season as "a complete failure" despite not returning to the World Series, in which the Yankees last competed in 2024 before suffering elimination at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"Winning 93 games is not a failure. Playing in the division series is not a failure," Steinbrenner said. "It became a failure because we did not do well."

The Yankees still succeeded in attracting fans last season despite the club's continued lack of postseason success. Listed in March as the most lucrative team in baseball with an $8.5 billion valuation by Forbes , the Yankees ranked second only to the Dodgers in average attendance this season by drawing crowds of more than 41,700 to the Bronx.

Steinbrenner named Ben Rice as a "bright spot" but said he would overall be looking at his offense from "top to bottom."

"This has been twice, now, where the offense just hasn't lived up to their end of the bargain," Steinbrenner said.

Those comments could potentially offer some insight into how Cashman plans to approach the 10 players he has hitting free agency after this disappointing end to the 2026 season.

It seems likely the Yankees could prioritize retaining pitcher David Bednar over players like Trent Grisham and Jazz Chisholm, who could potentially be walking should the Yankees look to overhaul their offense this winter.