Aaron Boone 2024 odds: Weekend series could be embattled manager's last at Yankee Stadium vs. rival Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox open a series at the New York Yankees on Friday, which normally would be huge news in a pennant race in August. Yet this series has no national appeal (and little locally with the Giants and Jets in preseason action) because the Yankees are such playoff longshots, and the Red Sox aren't in that much better shape. It may well be the last Red Sox series at Yankee Stadium for which Aaron Boone is the Bombers' manager. SportsLine offers odds on his future.

New York enters on a five-game losing streak and is 60-61. Friday will be the first time this season it plays with a losing mark and it's the latest the Yanks have been under .500 in a season since 1995. Nine of the 26 players on the active roster were not yet born then. Since reaching a season-best 36-25 after beating the Dodgers on June 4, the Yankees are 24-36 (.400). It is their worst 60-game stretch within a season since June-August 1992.

There are a lot of reasons for the team's poor play, but a huge one is a lack of left-handed power. Anthony Rizzo was their main lefty slugger but hasn't played since Aug. 1 due to a concussion. He was in a months-long career-worst slump as it was, largely due to his untreated head injury, and isn't that close to a return. Atlanta started 39-year-old right-hander Charlie Morton on Wednesday to finish the sweep. Facing a lineup with just one lefty, Billy McKinney, Morton threw six shutout innings and whiffed 10.

Since July 4, when they were 10 games over .500, the Yankees are 12-23 and have been outscored by 51 runs. New York is 6.5 games back of the final wild-card spot held by Toronto. If the Jays were to simply play .500 from here out to finish 87-75, the Yankees would have to go 27-14 to catch them. Boston and Seattle are still ahead of New York as well.

Why would anyone think the Yanks could go 27-14? They are 1-9-3 over their last 13 series, with the lone series win coming in a three-game sweep of the lowly Royals last month. That was also the only time the Yankees have won three straight games since they won four in a row from May 27-30. DraftKings has the Yankees at +2000 to make the playoffs for a seventh straight year and -10000 to fall short.

New York's unbelievable run of 30 straight winning seasons, the third-longest in the history of the four major U.S. sports leagues, is in jeopardy. Offshore book BetOnline offers an over/under .500 season winning percentage prop for the Yankees, and the Over is a -130 favorite.

Many Yankees fans wanted Boone and longtime GM Brian Cashman fired after last season's postseason flameout, but ownership stayed the course. Boone does have one year left on his contract, but that's irrelevant as all managers who are fired had a contract. Naturally, he is staying upbeat.

"I've been in this game my whole life and it doesn't always go the way you script it or hope," Boone said. "You gotta keep fighting and that's what we'll continue to do. I get it looks bleak. I don't want to even suggest we're in a position to even talk about that [playoff run]. We gotta fix our own house and get it going. But there's a lot of season left too and we gotta look at it that way."

If the Yankees finish strong, perhaps Boone is brought back and ownership and Cashman (if he even stays) can justify it by blaming the injuries suffered by Judge, Rizzo and the rotation. If not, all signs point to a new voice in the dugout next year.

Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Will Aaron Boone be the Yankees' manager Opening Day 2024?

• No -400
• Yes +300

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