Aaron Boone reveals Yankees had interest in Mets’ $4.25M pitcher this winter

Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees are set to host the New York Mets on Saturday for Game 2 of the Subway series. Griffin Canning will be on the mound for the Mets, and he is a player that Boone and the Yankees hoped to sign this past winter.

Speaking to SNY prior to the game on Saturday, Boone discussed the fast start from Canning for the Mets. Not only did he comment on the pitcher's great start, but described what the Mets have done to help Canning have success.

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"I feel like we noticed him, and he's pitched some good games against us over the years. I think the Mets have done a good job with him of just tightening up the arsenal, and kind of optimizing him," Boone said.

Canning signed a one-year deal worth $4.25 million with the Mets this offseason, choosing them over Aaron Boone and the Yankees. Boone mentioned that in his remarks, and also noted that he's not surprised by his success:

"He's a guy that we had interest I know this winter, and spoke with him. I'm not overly surprised by the success he's having. I feel like he's flashed some of that the last few years out in LA."

Entering the game on Saturday, Canning is 5-1 with a 2.36 ERA for the surging New York Mets.

Aaron Boone discusses avoiding eye contact with Mets superstar Juan Soto

Aaron Boone and the Yankees were able to pick up a 6-2 win over the Mets in the series opener. That game marked the return of Juan Soto to Yankee Stadium, and the fans of the home team were there to greet him with boos.

Aaron Boone spoke after the game about the return of Soto, and also discussed why he avoided making eye contact with him.

"I just tried to avoid eye contact with him during that at-bat when he was walking up there," Boone told reporters after the game. "I mean, you know, despite having a pretty comfortable lead, it almost got uncomfortable there. And obviously, it wasn’t necessarily the plan to bring Weave in today.

"But it’s also fun to see two really good competitors go at it there in the end — Juan and Weave."

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Aaron Boone has the New York Yankees sitting at 26-18 to begin the year, but the manager knows that his team would be better with Canning and Soto on the roster.

About the author

Ryan Burks is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda with over 7 years of experience in the field, writing for publications such as Knup Sports. Ryan graduated from Elmhurst College in 2009 with a degree in Communications.

Ryan is a huge Chicago Cubs fan and enjoys their storied history and traditions. His favorite sporting moment was when the Cubs won the 2016 World Series, breaking a championship drought that dated back to 1908.

His favorite player was Ken Griffey Jr., as Ryan grew up during his prime and he was the coolest player in league history. Greg Maddux also deserves a mention, as he was truly amazing on the mound.

When not working or watching sports, Ryan coaches basketball and baseball, loves fishing, and spends time with his family.

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Edited by Rajdeep Barman