Yankees likely to name Aaron Boone or Hensley Meulens manager

The Yankees have apparently narrowed their managerial search down to two finalists: ESPN analyst Aaron Boone and Giants bench coach Hensley Meulens, both of whom spent time in pinstripes during their respective playing careers. Bill Madden of the New York Daily News reported the news on Friday evening, while Yahoo’s Tim Brown reported that Carlos Beltran had been eliminated from the search and the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported that Rob Thomson was out of the running.

Boone, 44, is an analyst for ESPN and has never managed or coached at any level. But the 12-year big-league veteran has surely learned something about the profession from his father, Bob, who managed the Royals from 1995-97 and the Reds from 2001-03. He also has a special place in Yankees lore, as he hit the iconic walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS that allowed New York to extend the Red Sox’s World Series drought for one more year.

Meulens, 50, worked as the Giants’ hitting coach from 2010-17 and oversaw the hitters on three World Series championship teams in 2010, 2012, and 2014. He’s set to serve as San Francisco’s bench coach in 2018 if he doesn’t get the Yankees’ managerial job. Meulens has also done an impressive job as the manager for the Netherlands squad during the World Baseball Classic in 2013 and 2017, taking the team to the championship round in both years. He developed a rapport with Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius during this year’s WBC.