Yankees want an ex-colleague from ESPN to join the team

The New York Yankees have been eyeing manager Aaron Boone’s background for the position of bench coach after Carlos Mendoza left the team to take over as manager of the New York Mets.

The Athletic claims that David Ross, a former player and manager of the Chicago Cubs who also dabbled in media, was “approached” by the Yankees. However, if Boone returns to the game, his 2017 ESPN colleague would rather manage. The Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, and San Diego Padres all have openings right now, but it’s unclear if he’s a candidate for any of them, according to The Athletic.

The Cubs surprised the baseball world by hiring top free agent manager Craig Counsell, who has long been regarded as the front-runner for the Mets position, after firing Ross, a two-time World Series champion catcher who played for seven teams. Ross was fired on November 6. Ross finished on the rise with an 83-79 team in 2023 and helped the Cubs make it to the playoffs in 2020 with a 262-284 regular-season record in four seasons.

“A lot of people worked really hard alongside me,” Ross said to Tallahassee Democrat following his termination. “I am truly appreciative of the four years I had, as I went from having no coaching experience to having the opportunity to oversee such an amazing organization, which has had a profound effect on my life. There are wonderful people there. To be really honest, I don’t have many bad things to say.

The Athletic reports that the Yankees are considering former manager Brad Ausmus, third-base coach Luis Rojas, and pitching coach Andrew Bailey, a New Jersey native who pitched for the Yankees in 2015, as potential bench coaches.