Is Judge Finally Getting Fed Up With Boone?

He’s the mouthpiece. That’s why the Yankees love him. Cashman has publicly praised Boone for controlling the clubhouse and specifically cited his temperament when explaining the organization’s faith in him. The Yankees rewarded Boone with a contract extension through 2027. But there’s one enormous problem with having your manager serve as the organizational mouthpiece:

The mouthpiece has to know when to shut his mouth. Why announce that Judge has a “moderate” strain when just days earlier Boone himself declined to reveal the severity of that exact injury?

That’s another part of this story that shouldn’t be ignored. When Judge initially went on the IL, Boone specifically wouldn’t provide the severity and wouldn’t predict a return date. “I don’t have a timeline on him,” Boone said. “I’m not going to predict anything.”

Great. Then don’t.

Yet days later we’re suddenly getting “moderate” from Boone. And Judge is wondering why. So am I.

Look, that’s my question. If you haven’t watched Judge throw, don’t announce how he’s going to throw. If you’re not going to reveal the severity of his calf injury, don’t suddenly characterize its severity. If the player believes he can return and you believe he can’t, maybe figure that out behind closed doors before everybody starts talking to reporters.

This is the manager of the New York Yankees. He’s been doing a lousy job since 2018 and at this point we all know Judge is the leader here. I mean how many communication mulligans does Boone get? And how many times are we going to hear Aaron Judge publicly question something his manager has said before we’re allowed to acknowledge that maybe there’s something happening between these two?

I’m acknowledging it. I think there’s something there. I think Judge is frustrated. I think Boone talks too much. And I think Judge‘s carefully chosen words are becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss.

Does that mean they’re screaming at each other behind closed doors? I have no idea. Does it mean Judge hates Boone? Nobody outside that clubhouse knows. But a feud doesn’t have to begin with somebody flipping a table. Sometimes it starts quietly. A comment. A contradiction. A little public pushback.

“I don’t know why he said that.”

Then a year later:

“I don’t know why he used those words.”

That’s enough for me to start asking questions. And here’s the biggest one: How long before Aaron Judge stops wondering publicly why Aaron Boone keeps saying these things and starts wondering privately why the hell he’s still his manager?