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Aaron Boone returning to Yankees shows how dire Astros' pre-lockout manager market really is

Astros are already running out of options.
ByJordan Campbell
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Oct 5, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone looks on during the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game two of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Oct 5, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone looks on during the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game two of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the worst-kept secrets in baseball this season was that Joe Espada was going to lose his job by the time October rolled around. Even with the Astros making the playoffs, it still felt like a formality. The problem is that the Astros may have picked the worst possible time to be in search of a new manager.

The latest confirmation of that was the decision the New York Yankees made on Monday. Despite speculation that the Yankees could move on from Aaron Boone this offseason, the team confirmed that he will be returning the final year of his contract.

Aaron Boone's Yankees return exposes a brutal reality for Astros' manager search

The Yankees' decision matches a familiar trend across baseball. The New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox all decided to simply remove the interim label from their respective managers after the season. In fact, the only other managerial change made this offseason was the Seattle Mariners firing Dan Wilson immediately after the season concluded.

The reality is the looming lockout on December 2 likely threw a wrench in the offseason plans for teams looking to move on from their manager. Assuming there's a lockout, teams are unable to have any form of offical communication with players on their 40-man roster. Short of social gatherings, where talking shop is strongly discouraged, managers can't have any form of coaching for their players this winter.

Those aren't ideal circumstances for a first-year manager. That is why the Astros may have shot themselves in the foot with Jim Crane waiting as long as he did to invoke a regime change. Reminder, the Astros don't just have to replace Espada, they still have to find a new general manager.

The list of potential candidates is already becoming dire for the Astros. Former catcher Martin Maldonado was expected to be a candidate, but he has since taken up a role on AJ Hinch's coaching staff with the Detroit Tigers.

Alex Cora, believed to be the best managerial candidate available, has also already confirmed that he will not be returning to baseball in 2027. There simply aren't many options for the Astros to consider. It would seem that the next manager will have some form of connection to Crane, but if they do look for a voice outside of the owner's circle of trust, perhaps former Cubs manager David Ross is someone they call.

Ross was the manager of the Cubs during the shortened 2020 season and the last time there was a lockout. That experience could make him a worthwhile option for Houston this winter.

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