Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Could Lose Vital Coach This Offseason

A beloved Yankees coach's time in New York may be ending soon.
Grant Young|
Jun 1, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) (right) talks with third base coach Luis Rojas (67) after the last out of the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
Jun 1, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) (right) talks with third base coach Luis Rojas (67) after the last out of the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

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Much of New York Yankees fans' offseason concerns will be centered around whether superstar slugger Juan Soto re-signs with the team or decides to play for another team.

And rightfully so. Yet, there is another integral part of the Yankees club that may be headed elsewhere: third base coach Luis Rojas.

A September 5 article from the New York Post's Jon Heyman suggested that Rojas may become an MLB manager again this offseason.

"Other manager candidates include Rangers bench coach Will Venable (who’s turned down many opportunities elsewhere), Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, Cubs first base coach Mike Napoli, Yankees third base coach Luis Rojas, Tigers bench coach George Lombard and Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCulloch," Heyman wrote.

Rojas has been an MLB coach since 2019, when he joined the New York Mets' coaching staff as a quality control coach. He was then promoted to the Mets manager on January 22, 2020. The Mets went 26–34 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season under Rojas, then produced a record of 77–85 in 2021 with him at the helm.

Barely one month after the Mets declined the option on Rojas's contract in October 2021, the Yankees hired him as their third base coach.

Rojas — who successfully lobbied for the Yankees to sign former Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman this past offseason — appears to have a great relationship with various Yankees sluggers. He's a part of Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton's signature home run celebrations.

While Rojas getting another opportunity to manage an MLB team would be well-earned, it would also be sad to see him exit the Yankees' third base coaching box.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for On SI. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee. You can follow him on X: @GrvntYoung

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