Yankees manager Aaron Boone: 'We're hell-bent' on winning World Series
Outside of the Los Angeles Dodgers — who added Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Teoscar Hernandez — the New York Yankees have had the busiest offseason in Major League Baseball, and their manager is embracing that reality.
"We're hell-bent on being a champion," Boone expressed to the New York press core Wednesday. "And we understand very well that last year was not anything anyone in this organization wants or demands or expects, and I would say we have poured into that from ownership to the front office to the coaches and staff, all the way to the players that I do feel like we have prepared properly. We are ready to roll, but again, we gotta show ya. I'm gonna talk to you guys every single day, and anything I say now, next week, next month, into the season, we gotta go prove it.
"I think we have a chance to be a really special team; that's all it is right now. We gotta go show the world that we're as good as we think we can be."
The Yankees went 82-80 last season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and posting their worst winning percentage since going 76-86 (46.9%) in 1992, which led to a lively offseason.
New York pulled off a blockbuster trade in December, acquiring outfielder and three-time All-Star Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres. It also acquired outfielder Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox and signed right-handed starting pitcher Marcus Stroman — who boasts a career 3.65 ERA — to a two-year, $37 million deal.
The Yankees will be getting back left-hander Nestor Cortes (shoulder) and Anthony Rizzo (head) this season, while superstar outfielder Aaron Judge missed extensive time last season due to a toe injury.
As for its competition in 2024, New York resides in a stacked AL East. The Baltimore Orioles won an AL-best 101 games last season, have a homegrown core across the board and acquired 2021 Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers earlier in the month.
This browser does not support the Video element.
While they haven't won a playoff game since 2021, the Tampa Bay Rays have made the playoffs in each of the past five seasons. Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays have won 89-plus games in each of the past three seasons.
Boone is entering his seventh season as New York's manager. The Yankees are a combined 509-361 in the regular season and 14-17 in the postseason under Boone. They haven't reached the World Series since last winning the Fall Classic in 2009.
[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]