Joe Girardi Wonders if Yankees Players Are Taking Accountability

The New York Yankees fell in the American League Division Series to the Tampa Bay Rays, being swept by their division rivals.

It was a tough ending to the year for the Yankees, who were playing the series without star slugger Aaron Judge due to injury. New York had enough to win against the Rays, but once again, the team lacked the discipline needed for the postseason.

This has been a common issue for the Yankees over the last few playoffs, with opposing teams taking advantage of mental mistakes. However, the Yankees haven't done much to address the problem over the offseason, or at least it hasn't looked like it on the field.

With how the series ended, it has brought back many questions around the team, with media members questioning the Yankees again. Much of the talk has been about whether the team should bring back manager Aaron Boone, but there may be a larger question at play.

Former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who wondered whether the players were taking accountability for the mistakes. The players on the team all say the right things, but the continued issues every postseason show a different story.

The Yankees problem hasn't been talent over the years, but rather, the team beating itself with self-imposed mistakes. This could come down to the coaching staff not putting guys into a position to succeed, but at some point, the players do need to do their jobs.

New York has continuously made mistakes on the base paths or in the field, leading to teams scoring runs. This has doomed them come playoff time, and it's something that the Yankees will need to get corrected this offseason.

The Yankees last won the World Series in 2009, which is a lifetime ago for this historic franchise. The fans in New York have started to get impatient with how the team has operated in recent years, and there is a lot of tension around the organization as the offseason begins.

New York has some work to do this offseason, bringing in the right players or even staff members to help correct these ongoing issues. If the Yankees want to truly win the World Series in 2027, addressing these problems will need to be the biggest priority this winter.

It remains to be seen if Boone returns next season, but if he does, this could be the last straw for the veteran manager if the team falters again.