The countdown commences.
Today is thirteen days until Yankees pitchers and catchers report to Tampa for spring training, and seventeen days until their first full-squad practice; those competing in the World Baseball Classic will arrive even earlier.
That means position fights will soon determine which 26 players the Yankees will bring to The Bronx for Opening Day on March 30 against the Giants.
Despite the fact that potential injuries in camp could derail the Yankees’ best-laid plans, and the possibility of a trade or late-season free agent signing still exists, here is our first forecast of the 26-man roster prior to the start of spring training.
Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Severino, Nestor Cortes, and Domingo German comprise the rotation.
Due to right shoulder discomfort, Frankie Montas will begin the season on the disabled list and miss the first month of games for the Yankees, leaving the fifth starting position available. Most indicators indicate that German will win. Last season, the 30-year-old right-handed pitcher made 14 starts and posted a decent 3.61 ERA. Clarke Schmidt is the Yankees’ alternative starting option, but he spent most of last season in the bullpen and, unlike German, retains a minor league option, which works against him in this instance.
Clay Holmes, Michael King, Wandy Peralta, Jonathan Loaisiga, Tommy Kahnle, Ron Marinaccio, Lou Trivino, and Albert Abreu are the eight members of the bullpen.
GM Brian Cashman stated in November that he was comfortable with Holmes as the Yankees’ closer, and he did not make any offseason moves that would have altered that plan. Kahnle was the sole outside addition, and he joins a healthy strong group. The Yankees anticipate King’s return after he fractured his elbow in July. The valuable right-handed pitcher is already pitching from a mound.
If King remains on schedule to be ready for Opening Day, only one bullpen place should be available. We chose Abreu for the time being since he is out of minor league options, but do not ignore Greg Weissert for that position if the Yankees believe he improves them. Jimmy Cordero and Schmidt are other possibilities, although Schmidt would likely be more effective as a starter in Triple-A.
Two catchers are listed: Jose Trevino and Kyle Higashioka.
Trevino was not acquired by the Yankees until the last days of last year’s spring training, so nullifying all roster projections, but he starts this spring as the incumbent starter. He and Higashioka are a formidable duo, especially because Higashioka heated up in the second half of the season while Trevino cooled off. Ben Rortvedt will provide depth as a third catcher in the event of injuries, but it would be surprising if he shown enough in camp to contend for a roster spot.
Infield (six players): Anthony Rizzo, DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Gleyber Torres
This group may be the most intriguing because to the shortstop competition, LeMahieu’s health, and the chance of a Torres deal, which are all at least partly interconnected. Kiner-Falefa, Peraza, and Anthony Volpe will all vie for the starting shortstop position. Peraza would appear to have an advantage against Volpe based on his September performance last year, but he will have to prove he is ready for a full-time job in order to displace Kiner-Falefa to a bench/utility duty.
Last week, hitting coach Dillon Lawson told Dan Martin of The Post that LeMahieu is healthy after missing the conclusion of last season with a fractured foot. The Yankees will scrutinize his every move in camp to assess how big of a workload he can handle at second base, third base, and first base when necessary.
The Yankees have publicly supported Donaldson despite his poor performance at the plate in 2022, but his contract ($27 million remaining) makes him difficult to sell. Torres, on the other hand, will earn $9.95 million in his second year of arbitration and may be traded if the Yankees are satisfied with their infield depth without him and receive the appropriate return.
We will keep Torres on the roster for the time being because the remainder of the Yankees’ infield must be in good health before Torres can be released. That is perhaps wishful thinking.
Aaron Judge, Harrison Bader, Aaron Hicks, and Giancarlo Stanton comprise the outfield.
Judge, under his new $360 million contract, and Bader will play right field and center field, respectively, while Stanton will primarily serve as a designated hitter with occasional outfield appearances. Left field is far more questionable, but Hicks may have to be the answer, at least for the time being, as the Yankees hope for a bounce-back season from him. If he fails to demonstrate this in the spring, Oswaldo Cabrera could emerge as the starting left fielder, though he may be more valuable in a varied role.
This could be Estevan Florial’s final opportunity to press his claim to the position. He is still only 25 years old and had one of the best minor league seasons of his career last year. However, he has been unable to translate his talent in limited major league outings and is out of minor league options. If he fails to make the Opening Day roster, he may be traded.
Oswaldo Cabrera has utility (1)
Cabrera emerged as a vital contributor late in the 2016 season after being promoted from Triple-A, playing six different positions and displaying offensive pop. This is likely his greatest version for the Yankees, as a player whom manager Aaron Boone can shift around the field to replace others on any given day.
Now batting…
How would a possible Opening Day lineup look with this roster? Here is one man’s opinion:
1. DJ LeMahieu, 2B
2. Aaron Judge, outfielder
Anthony Rizzo, catcher
4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
Fifth, Josh Donaldson, 3B
The LF Aaron Hicks
7. Harrison Bader, CF
8. Jose Trevino, C
9. Oswald Peraza, SS
Whom could Torres be traded for?
Gleyber Torres has been the target of trade rumors throughout the offseason, although he is currently still on the roster.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Two of the teams who appeared to be the most logical landing locations for Torres entering the offseason have since acquired other second basemen, which is one of the reasons why he remains in this roster projection. In early December, the Mariners acquired Kolten Wong from the Brewers, and in January, the Marlins acquired Luis Arraez from the Twins.
Who remains as a potential suitor for Torres?
The White Sox remain in need of a second baseman. They plan to enter training camp with Leury Garcia, Romy Gonzalez, or Lenyn Sosa playing the position. However, they do not appear to be an ideal trade partner for the Yankees, who need a left fielder. The anticipated White Sox outfield consists of newly-signed Andrew Benintendi, Luis Robert, and Gavin Sheets. The Yankees attempted to sign Benintendi, but not for the five-year deal he received. Oscar Colas is one of the White Sox’s top prospects, and it would be difficult for them to trade him unless the Yankees offered more than Torres.
If not, would the White Sox be willing to part with Garrrett Crochet, a left-handed reliever who is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery and won’t be ready for the start of the season?
Oscar Colas may look fantastic in left field for the Yankees, but they are unlikely to offer the White Sox all they desire for the coveted prospect.
Another scenario, albeit a remote one, would be trading Torres for Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds. To clarify, however, a deal would require much more than Torres, possibly including at least two elite prospects.
Chili for breakfast?
This year, the Yankees’ Sunday morning game will be broadcast on Peacock. The Yankees will play the Reds at 11:35 a.m. (ET) on May 21 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, according to the “MLB Sunday Leadoff” schedule released this week.
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