There was a significant crowd for the Yankees’ first spring-training session this week, and not one of the fans was in Tampa to see Aaron Boone.
Bringing in a first-year manager for a team with World Series expectations normally would be the predominant storyline. But the Yankees are not a normal team, and Boone’s arrival has been overshadowed by the acquisition of Giancarlo Stanton and his pairing with fellow slugger Aaron Judge.
Adding the reigning National League MVP has pushed the Yankees from contender to American League co-favorite (with the Astros), and if those expectations are not met, Boone will not remain a secondary figure for long.