Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman confirmed several previously reported changes to the Yankees’ coaching staff on Thursday, acknowledging that longtime bullpen coach Mike Harkey and base coach Travis Chapman will not be returning.
Boone added that the Yankees are exploring different roles for assistant hitting coach Pat Roesler, who will be replaced by Jake Hurst.
No one has been terminated, Cashman noted. Instead, Harkey and Chapman were on the verge of expiration and were not invited back. The general manager also said he made the calls that shook Boone’s employees.
“Every year, I’m tasked with making some tough decisions,” Cashman said. “We have good people, and friendships too, but unfortunately, I have to evaluate everything at the moment and where we are headed as we move forward.”
Cashman also called Roesler “a true contributing member of baseball and this organization for a long time,” hence the Yankees’ interest in retaining him after two years on the job. Boone, meanwhile, made sure to note Chapman’s impact on player development during his 13 years in the organization, calling Harkey an “institution” with the Yankees after 16 seasons and two stints as the team’s coach.
Boone also called Harkey “one of my best friends.”
“Those are terrible days,” Boone said of their departure. “Both men I have great respect for. At the end of the day, an organization needs to make tough decisions sometimes.”
Neither Boone nor Cashman offered clear explanations when asked why they didn’t retain Harkey and Chapman after the Yankees were eliminated in the ALDS, but the team’s bullpen and defense struggled all season.
As for Hurst, Cashman said he had an offer to join another major league staff, so the Yankees had to act quickly if they wanted to keep him after a year as the organization’s minor league coordinator. Master hitting coach James Rawson, a candidate for the Twins’ vacant managerial position, gave Cashman a “blanket” endorsement of Hurst ahead of the promotion.
Hurst first joined the Yankees in 2018, serving as hitting coach for the club’s Gulf Coast affiliate before doing the same in High-A and Double-A. He was also assistant hitting coordinator before becoming captain.
Hurst worked with most of the Bombers’ young homegrown players in the minors, including Jason Dominguez, Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, Ben Rice and Spencer Jones, as well as several former Yankees who went on to become major players elsewhere.
“He has already had a lot of success in our organization and earned this opportunity,” Boone said. “I’m excited that we’ll be adding Jake to the staff, to our hitting group.”
Aaron Boone has confirmed that former Somerset batting coach Jake Hurst (’22-’23) will join the team @yankees‘ MLB staff as assistant hitting coach in 2026!
In Hurst’s two years as the Pats’ hitting coach, he led SOM AA with 402 HR and posted the highest HR rate (1.47/game) in @milb. pic.twitter.com/imeSzkREWT
– Somerset Patriots (SOMPatriots) October 16, 2025
More decisions, one way or another, come to the Yankees’ staff, as pitching coach Matt Blake and major league fielding coordinator/director of catching Tanner Swanson have options for the club. Bench coach Brad Ausmus and third base coach Luis Rojas, two former managers, were close to completing deals but could return if they don’t get promotions elsewhere.
Rojas, the former Mets captain, has already interviewed for the Orioles’ managerial opening. There has been no known interest in Ausmus, who previously captained the Angels and Tigers, but with more than a few teams looking for managers.
Speaking of managers, Cashman also offered a lengthy endorsement of Boone, who will return for a ninth season despite not having a championship on his “resume.”
When asked why Boone remains a good fit for the position, Cashman cited his process, ability to manage different personalities and people he surrounds himself with, and his work ethic.
“I think he’s a good manager,” Cashman said. “I think he’s one of the best managers. And I think in this environment, if he were in now, he’d get a job very quickly. But I also know, because of our environment, he’s someone you can guess 10 million times over. And I don’t care who you hire, it’s going to be the same for whoever else is going to be there.”
“I trust him. I think he’s a good guy. I think he’s doing his best. I think he’s got good people helping support him, and he’s got good players.”