Yankees manager Aaron Boone talks expectations, new acquisitions, the pressure of managing in New York and much more in a Q&A session with Post columnist Steve Serby.

Q: How painful was it losing to the Red Sox in the ALDS for you last year?

A: Very. Because I felt this way last year, I certainly feel this way as we get ready to head into spring training, but I feel like we have potentially a great team, and our goal is to win a championship ultimately. And when you have an excellent regular season and you get into the postseason and you get through that one play-in game, that can be difficult obviously, to get an opportunity and because even though we were up against obviously the world champions and a great club in the Red Sox, we still feel like when we take the field, we can play with anyone. So our expectation was to move on. When that comes to an abrupt halt after — including spring training — seven, eight months of grinding it out, the ending is abrupt, and it hurts. But I also think, not that you need much fuel to the fire when you’re a major league player, or certainly when you play for the New York Yankees, but I think there is a little added fuel to the fire when it doesn’t end the way you want it to. And hopefully that added a little extra to our preparation.

Q: How do you think you’ve closed the gap on the Red Sox?

A: That remains to be played out. … I feel like we’ve had a really good offseason from the standpoint of roster tweaking and player acquisition … hopefully continuing to do things in the offseason that allow us to be more efficient and better. As I talked about improving on the margins, hopefully things that we’re doing and working on this winter that we’ll be able to hopefully apply now going into the season hopefully make us a little bit better and allow us to close that gap a little bit more.

Q: The expectations for a Yankees manager are World Series-or-bust every year, correct?

A: Sure. We’re chasing the prize.

Q: How do you remain so calm?

A: I guess because in part, I love what I’m doing. I believe in what we’re doing, and I believe we have the people and the players to be able to climb to the top of the mountain. And I think that probably breeds some confidence. I feel like we have one of the handful of teams that can truly say we feel like we have a realistic chance of being a championship club. But as we sit here in February, that’s a long way to go before we get there, but I think the confidence that I have in our group maybe allows me to evolve that vibe, I guess.

Q: How beneficial will one year under his belt playing in New York be for Giancarlo Stanton?

A: I think it will be. He was such s good pro last year, I think that’s one thing that stood out to me about him, I was just incredibly impressed from Day 1 how immersed he got into our culture … what a pro he was … the consistency in the kind of person and the kind of player he was day in and day out no matter what was going on— whether he was mashing, whether he was going through a rough patch, dealing with all the expectations that come with being an MVP coming to play in this market. I thought he handled everything so well. But I think there’s no question that you’re still kind of getting to know the city, getting to know the team, getting to know your teammates and in a new league. So hopefully now a year under his belt, he can come in and be that much more settled in and I think it will make a difference for him.

Q: How driven do you sense Aaron Judge is?

A: He’s one of those great, elite athletes that I think is driven to be great. And the thing about Aaron, anytime we talk about the game, or anything around baseball, it’s about winning for him. And he understands that that’s what he’s here to do. … Certainly he wants to be great, and I think he’s driven by that. I think he knows that a lot of times [that] can be tied to winning. He just wants to win, and he wants to win big here as a New York Yankee as really the face of our club.

Q: What are the expectations for Gary Sanchez?

A: I think he’s gonna have a really big year. I think last year, obviously dealt with some nagging injuries, had some ups and downs, obviously. But I think the talent is undeniable. I think he’s in a great frame of mind as far as his focus. I think he’s really hungry, and I think he’s gonna go out and have a great year for us on both sides of the ball.

Q: What kind of confidence do you have in the rotation?

A: I think our rotation matches up favorably with anyone in the game. I think the key for us is — just like it is for most all those other teams — remaining relatively healthy. If we can get our guys to take their turns in the rotation because they’re healthy, I think the results will follow.

Q: Describe new starter James Paxton, acquired in a November trade with the Mariners.

A: I thought that was one of the really great moves of the season. Obviously we had to address and shore up things within our rotation, and that was kind of the first strike that Brian [Cashman, general manager] made, and to be able to get a guy of his caliber, who I think, as good as he’s already been, I think his best days are still even ahead of him, and I think has a chance to have those with us. But to be able to get him early in the offseason, I think allowed us to be a little methodical and patient, and then to be able to bring J. A. Happ back and what he was able to do, to re-sign CC. … I think Paxton, as we’ve seen really in his career when he’s been healthy, he’s a guy that can match up with other elite starters.

Q: How big of a difference will it make adding Adam Ottavino to the bullpen?

A: Really excited about him. He brings not only a dynamic reliever with great stuff and a high-leverage back-end type reliever, but helps give us some different looks, too. He’s a guy that’s incredibly tough on right-handed hitters. The way he throws, he’s a little bit different than Dellin [Betances] or [Zack] Britton and his sinkerball, and obviously Chappy [Aroldis Chapman] and his power, and [Chad] Green and his ability to pitch at the top of the strike zone, especially against left-handed hitters. He’s not only dynamic but I think he gives us a different look with some of our other elite guys.

Q: What can Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar do for an encore after impressive rookie seasons?

A: Hopefully they just continue to grow. I think both of those guys have had a really good offseason as far as just preparing themselves physically, working on the different parts of their game. They’re really gifted and talented players, and hopefully we’ll see another year of growth in every area of their game. But they’re two guys that look like they’re gonna be impact players in this league for a long time.

Q: What is the plan to replace Didi Gregorius while he recovers from Tommy John surgery? Gleyber may have to move to short, is that right?

A: We brought Troy Tulowitzki in, we believe he’s healthy. I think the question with Troy is, assuming health, is how much is he able to bounce back day in and day out. Even if Troy is completely healthy, there’s gonna be some significant playing time I think for Gleyber at shortstop until Didi does come back.

Q: Do you have a timetable for Didi?

A: Anywhere from June to August. We’ll kind of let the process play out and see how the healing goes, and when he’s ready he’s ready. We know he’s gonna work, we know he’s disciplined, he’s tough, so when the time comes, he’ll be ready.

Q: How would you define the Yankees’ culture right now?

A: I think it’s great. I think it starts with the Steinbrenner family, on down to Brian Cashman and his staff and on down into our clubhouse. And I feel like we have a core of players that not only are very talented and good at what they do, but I feel like do a great job of setting a great tone and a winning culture, and I feel like the people we’ve brought in over the past year, whether it be through trade, whether it be through free agency, are all people that I feel like to this point have really contributed to strengthening that culture.

Q: Why would Aaron Boone the player enjoy playing for Aaron Boone the manager?

A: I don’t know. … Hopefully I’m part of creating an environment that a player feels like he can come in and be himself. It’s a place that one of my expectations and hopes is that no matter what’s going on in the course of a season — between the lines good, bad, indifferent, no matter what’s going on, maybe personally in somebody’s life — that hopefully we create an environment that people can’t wait to get into, can’t wait to come to the ballpark every day, and I feel like that’s one of my biggest jobs is trying to create that environment. And I think we do a pretty good job of that.

Q: What is the biggest lesson you learned about being the manager of the New York Yankees last season?

A: I don’t know if I take away a giant lesson, or learning, because every single day of the job is truly a learning experience. You’re constantly evaluating trying to get better, trying to help also the team get better and improve on the margins all the time, and then that work continues into the offseason, where you’re planning and trying to tighten up every area that you possibly can as you get ready to spring training and then spring training as you evaluate and implement things. It’s a constant learning. I don’t know if there’s something that I necessarily step away from and say, “All right, this is my takeaway.” It’s sort of a living organism, you’re just kind of in it, living it and trying to continue to get better and better each day.

Q: What areas do you feel you need to get better at?

A: It’s gonna be corny, but everything. I think we’re trying to improve on the margins all the time, so where can we be a little bit better? Where can we make a little bit more of an impact in every single area that we touch as coaches or as manager or trying to set a tone with our culture? So I don’t know if there’s any one area I’m saying, “Oh I gotta get better at this.” It’s everything. It’s baked in the cake in a lot of ways what we are. Now where you can improve as a club is I think improving in every facet on the margins where you get a little bit better at this, a little bit better at that, a little bit better … the communication between myself and coaches in how we interact and how we communicate efficiently in the course of a game. That’s one specific area that I would say I felt like we were good at from the get-go, but I feel like is something that I want us to continue to get better at and be great at to where we know how to officially communicate with one another within the course of the game.

Q: How will your message to the team when you greet them be different than it was a year ago?

A: I don’t think it’ll be too much different. I don’t really prepare things necessarily. I have some ideas that I want to make sure I get across to our guys. But then when I stand up in front of our guys, whenever I do that — whether it’s at different times during the season, or certainly at the start of spring training — I want it to be from the heart, and unscripted.

Q: What are your thoughts on Bill Belichick?

A: I think he’s probably putting himself on his own list, maybe the best coach in American sports … maybe ever. The impact he’s had has been undeniable.

Q: What is your message to Yankees fans about this team and this season?

A: Buckle up, because I think it has a chance to be a special season and hopefully we’ll share it with the greatest fans in baseball.