In a moment that has instantly become one of the most controversial in New York Yankees history, manager Aaron Boone delivered a thunderous public statement targeting veteran pitcher Carlos Rodón — and now, the fallout is gripping the entire MLB.

“If Carlos Rodón doesn’t resign WOKE, I’m going to kick him out of the Yankees,” Boone declared to stunned Yankees fans during a postgame fan forum in the Bronx.

The quote, raw and unexpected, came just hours after a disappointing loss to the Red Sox, but the issue at hand had little to do with pitching and everything to do with ideology. According to sources close to the team, tensions have been building behind the scenes over locker room culture, player activism, and Rodón’s alleged refusal to align with the team’s evolving “values directive.”

Boone’s comment — whether a serious threat or rhetorical warning — instantly lit up social media and sports radio.

But it was Carlos Rodón’s response that truly shook Yankee Stadium to its core.

“Resign WOKE? I don’t even know what that means. I came here to throw strikes, not to pass some social purity test. If Boone wants me gone for that, let him do it. I’m not changing for anyone.”

Rodón’s statement, shared in a midnight press release issued through his agent, was defiant, direct, and immediately viral. In less than 12 hours, #RodónGate and #WOKEYankees were both trending across social platforms, as fans and media figures clashed over where baseball should draw the line between performance and politics.

Inside the clubhouse, sources report a growing divide between players who support Rodón’s “baseball-first” stance and those aligned with Boone’s call for a more unified cultural direction. One unnamed player told The Athletic: “I respect Boone, but this? This feels like something out of a PR seminar, not a baseball dugout.”

Meanwhile, Yankees fans are split down the middle.

Some have flooded social media with messages of support for Rodón, calling him a “real one” and saying they “don’t care what he believes as long as he wins games.” Others are backing Boone, praising him for “putting team chemistry and values ahead of ego.”

Amid the chaos, Yankees GM Brian Cashman has reportedly been pulled into emergency meetings with ownership to evaluate the escalating conflict. Whether this leads to disciplinary action, a media retraction, or a full-blown trade scenario remains to be seen.

To add another layer of surrealism, Red Sox fans — always eager to pour salt in Yankee wounds — are posting memes of Rodón in a Boston jersey with captions like: “Come where woke is optional — and pitching is everything.”

As it stands, the most storied franchise in baseball is now in the middle of a culture war.

Will Rodón stay? Will Boone double down? Will the Yankees collapse under the weight of their own expectations?

This is no longer just a controversy.
This is a defining moment for the 2025 Yankees.

And the whole baseball world is watching.

More updates as this story continues to develop.