KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Yankees entered the offseason Sunday afternoon unsure of what changes may be coming their way.
But if Aaron Boone stays on as manager, he and some important voices in the clubhouse would like Sean Casey to return as hitting coach, too.
Casey said before Sunday’s regular-season finale that general manager Brian Cashman and Boone had asked him to come back next year — which Casey still needed to talk through with his family — but clarified after the Yankees’ 5-2 loss to the Royals that nothing had officially been offered to him.
“There’s nothing etched in stone, there’s been no offer,” Casey said. “But there have been conversations, talk — if Boonie came back, would I be willing to come back, that kind of stuff. So there’s been no offer made to me from Cash.”
Boone has one year left on his contract and is set to meet with Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner this week in Tampa as the Yankees begin a deep dive into the organization.
The manager indicated that Casey may have been “a little premature” in saying the Yankees had asked him to come back.
The Yankees want Sean Casey to return as their hitting coach. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con“We got a number of things to sort out over the next few days,” said Boone, Casey’s close friend. “I’ve talked about wanting Case to be here and everything and how he’s been. But I think that’s a little jumping the gun there.”
The Yankees hired Casey at the All-Star break after firing Dillon Lawson, agreeing to a contract that ran through the end of this year to give both sides a chance to see how it went before deciding on their future.
In the second half of the season, the Yankees ranked 28th in OPS (.688), 27th in runs (273) and 29th in batting average (.221).
They did have a noticeably more patient approach at the plate and DJ LeMahieu in particular seemed to benefit from Casey’s tutelage during a second-half turnaround.
The Yankees hired Sean Casey over the All-Star break. Getty Images“I think he’s come in here and had an awesome impact on this team,” Boone said before the game. “I know he’s gotta get away and see what’s next for him. Those will all be conversations we have in the upcoming days and weeks of where we want to go with it. Obviously Sean’s gotta have those conversations, too.
“The one thing I can say is he’s been a breath of fresh air for us coming in here. I do think he’s done a really nice job for us.”
Casey, a three-time All-Star who had no coaching experience before joining the Yankees, also has the backing of some key players in the clubhouse.
“Sean’s been great,” Aaron Judge said. “He brings a different philosophy. I think he brings a positive attitude to help guys stay locked in on their at-bats. We got all the numbers, we got all the information, but then it’s just about you stepping in the box and feeling like you’re the greatest hitter on the planet every single time you step in the box. He’s been a great addition. Hopefully he stays. We’ll see what happens.”
While Casey still had to talk to his family about his future and the Yankees have decisions of their own to make, Casey said he relished his time with the team.
“It’s been great, man,” Casey said. “It’s been incredible. It’s been literally some of the best times I’ve had in my life, being here with these guys and being part of the Yankee organization. It’s just been awesome.”
