Aaron Boone Adjusting to Winter Without His Players

The Yankees manager usually checks in with his players during the offseason, but he can’t right now due to the lockout.

Aaron Boone has been known to see his players when baseball is out of season.

The Yankees manager made headlines in February 2019 after visiting Gary Sánchez in the Dominican Republic following the catcher’s miserable 2018 season. Boone and his coaches planned a similar trip in January 2020 to see Miguel Andújar. And, of course, there was Boone’s visit to Gerrit Cole’s then-new residence in March 2020 after COVID-19 postponed the MLB season.

This winter, however, a new obstacle could stand in the way of the 2022 season, and it’s already forced Boone to cut off all communication with his big league players. That obstacle, of course, is the MLB lockout, which prevents team personnel and players from connecting.

That means Boone can’t even text or call his guys, let alone visit them in-person.

“I don’t like it,” he said with a laugh last week.

Boone said offseason conversations naturally involve baseball more often than not. The skipper can gather information on how guys are training on their own and the type of shape they’re in.

READ: Yankees' Aaron Boone Explains How Eric Chavez Fits on New York's Coaching Staff

However, offseason interactions are also a way for coaches and players to connect on a more human level. Boone wasn’t fond of not knowing what his players were doing for Christmas or New Year’s, and he said he usually asks about vacations and families this time of year.

“Just those simple things that you communicate, whether it be a phone call or a text message, I certainly miss,” Boone said. “Especially with a lot of our players that we’ve been together now for four years that you have these strong relationships and history with.

“Yeah, it sucks not to be able to communicate with them.”

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