KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A critical Yankees offseason is officially underway.
An underwhelming season that began with championship aspirations ended on Sunday with a 5-2 loss to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
While 12 other teams will now move on to the postseason, the Yankees (82-80) will watch from home as they undergo a deep dive into the organization in hopes of returning to the playoffs next year.
“We need to be playing this time of year,” manager Aaron Boone said. “So that’s the first thing. But again, take a little bit of solace in how these guys continued to show up, continued to prepare, continued to compete all the way till the end. Played well down the stretch when it wasn’t necessarily an easy thing to do. So I’m appreciative of that, but we know we need to be playing this time of year, and that’s ultimately the takeaway.”
Michael King had the worst of his eight straight starts to end the season — giving up four runs, including a career-high three home runs, across four innings against the Royals (56-106) — but he still showed enough for Boone to say he expects King to be part of the rotation next season.
“I feel like he’s got a chance to be a really outstanding starter in this league,” Boone said. “Looking forward to seeing that happen next year.”
King said Boone gave him that same message after he was pulled on Sunday as he finished the season with a 1.88 ERA in eight starts and 38 ⅓ innings since transitioning from the bullpen.
“It means a lot,” King said. “Obviously it’s not how I wanted to go out, but it’s nice to hear from your manager. I got a ton of respect for him and I really appreciate him giving me the opportunity.”
Aaron Judge played the final two months of the season on a less-than-100 percent healthy toe after tearing a ligament in it on June 3.
But he said Sunday he is not planning on having surgery.
“We’re going to knock a couple things out early in the year once this season is over with,” Judge said. “I’m planning on a regular offseason. The ligament’s healing up. I think the biggest thing is I haven’t stayed off it, so it’s not fully healed. Once I get off it for a week or two, I think we’ll be good.”
Boone got choked up talking about former Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who died Sunday at the age of 57.
“Just kind of brokenhearted over that,” said Boone, who will forever be linked with Wakefield after hitting a walk-off home run against him in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. “Just praying for their family and thoughts to all the Red Sox organization, but around baseball where Tim was beloved. Obviously a sad day.”
Rookie catcher Austin Wells went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
After going 3-for-29 (.103) in his first eight big-league games, he hit .317 (13-for-41) in his last 11 games., including nine extra-base hits.