With spring training just days away, the Yankees are set to begin another title quest.
They returned to the World Series for the first time since 2009 just a few months ago, but the Bombers lost the Fall Classic to the Dodgers in five games. Some poor fundamentals, especially in a season-ending Game 5, haunted the Yankees in that series and throughout the 2024 season, but they believe an offseason full of change — headlined by Juan Soto’s record-setting defection to the Mets — will improve some of their struggles in the field and on the basepaths.
Of course, the Yankees’ new-look roster isn’t perfect. While they’re the best team in the American League on paper, there are still some questions and concerns with pitchers and catchers reporting on Tuesday.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the biggest storylines surrounding the pinstripers before things pick up in sunny Tampa.
THE INFIELD SITUATION
What the Yankees will do at second and third base has been a talking point all offseason. Jazz Chisholm Jr. can play both after learning third base on the fly midway through last season. So can DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza, but having them start or platoon is less than ideal for a club with championship aspirations. As of now, that’s the Yankees’ plan, though.
Aaron Boone recently said that he planned on Chisholm playing second “right now.” More recently, Brian Cashman told the YES Network that he was comfortable with Chisholm at either position, and that he could move around depending on who is pitching. Either way, Chisholm is going to be an everyday starter.
As for LeMahieu, he’s owed $30 million over the next two seasons and has shown signs of decline while battling injuries the last few years. The Yankees have publicly expressed hope that he can bounce back with good health, but there’s been no recent indication that LeMahieu is anywhere near the hitter who won batting titles in 2016 and 2020.
Peraza has yet to show that he can hit big league pitching. The talented defender will be exposed to waivers if he doesn’t make the Yankees’ roster out of spring training. Cabrera might be the best candidate of the three to start, but his value is tied to his flexibility.
If all else fails, Cashman did say “there’s always the marketplace,” but options are currently limited after the Yankees were linked to numerous infielders all winter. That could change in the coming days and weeks, though.
STROMAN’S FUTURE
With more starters than open rotation spots, Marcus Stroman has been the subject of trade rumors all winter. The righty, currently positioned as the Yankees’ sixth starter, struggled in the second half last year and didn’t pitch at all in the postseason.
But trading Stroman has proven difficult, as he’s set to make $18 million in 2025. He also has a 2026 option for the same amount of money, which will vest if he throws 140 innings this season. Further complicating matters: more than a few veteran starters are still free agents, and they can likely be signed for less than what Stroman is due.
It’s always possible that the Yankees keep Stroman, as injuries pop up in spring training. So far, Boone and Cashman have talked as if the pitcher is going to impact the team, and they’ve argued that he’s better than his second-half numbers last season. Cashman also said the Yanks’ poor defense hurt Stroman more than most in 2024, but the general manager initially responded, “We’re going to have to see how it plays out,” when YES asked about the Long Island native.
Regardless of why Stroman faltered last year, he’s not projected to be in the Yankees’ Opening Day rotation. Trading him would save the team money — they’d have to eat some of that $18 million — with the Yankees’ projected payroll already over the highest luxury tax threshold.
With Tim Hill’s deal accounted for, Cot’s now has the #Yankees‘ projected 2025 CBT payroll at $304,795,667.
The highest CBT threshold is $301 million.
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) February 4, 2025
A TALENTED PITCHING STAFF
With Stroman on the outside looking in, the Yankees have one of the league’s better rotations. They quickly pivoted to Max Fried following Soto’s departure, landing a true No. 2 behind Gerrit Cole. Fried could take some pressure off Carlos Rodón following a relative bounce-back year, while Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt will continue to develop at the back of the rotation following strong 2024 seasons.
The Yankees continued to double down on pitching when they acquired Devin Williams, one of baseball’s best closers, from the Brewers. With him finishing off games, Luke Weaver can return to the fireman role that he shined in last season before taking over the closer’s role from Clay Holmes.
The Yankees also re-signed Tim Hill and Jonathan Loáisiga and traded for Fernando Cruz, giving their pen more variety and strikeout stuff than it had at the start of last season. There are still one or two spots open in the Yankees’ bullpen, but this should be one of the more dominant groups in the game, especially during the late innings.
NEW-LOOK LINEUP HAS SOME QUESTIONS
With a beefed-up pitching staff and some fresh faces in the field, the Yankees made run prevention a priority over the offseason. Run creation could be more challenging in a post-Soto world, but the team is hoping that some decorated veterans can turn back the clock and assist Aaron Judge while still-developing youngsters take steps forward.
Center fielder Cody Bellinger and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt were the biggest additions on offense, but the former MVPs are not the players they once were. Hal Steinbrenner recently said the duo could make up for “a good deal” of Soto’s offense, but that’s a tall task.
Bellinger’s left-handed swing should benefit from home games at Yankee Stadium, while the 37-year-old Goldschmidt is coming off the worst season of his career but a solid second half.
The Yankees also don’t have an obvious leadoff man. Cashman recently said Boone has someone in mind, and Boone previously talked briefly about Jasson Domínguez as an option. Getting on-base may also be harder for this lineup.
A PIVOTAL SEASON FOR VOLPE
Volpe is one of the youngsters who needs to post better offensive numbers as he preps for his third MLB campaign. A hard-hitting postseason left the Yankees encouraged, but his first two seasons featured extended slumps and short-lived bursts of success after he tweaked his swing last winter.
In Year 1, Volpe flashed some pop as he joined the 20-20 club, but he hit .209 with 167 strikeouts. Last year, Volpe only hit 12 home runs, and he still struck out 156 times. Some early-season batted ball luck and his speed helped his average improve to .243, but he still finished the year with a sub-.300 on-base percentage for the second straight season.
While Volpe offers Gold Glove defense at shortstop, the Yankees could use — and expect more — from his bat.
JASSON GETS HIS SHOT
After two straight September call-ups didn’t go quite the way the Yankees wanted them to — one due to injury, the other performance — the plan is for Jasson Domínguez to be the team’s left fielder.
The natural center fielder will have to show that he can handle the position after flailing in left last season, but the real hope is that Domínguez’s bat lives up to the hype after he failed to supplant Alex Verdugo before the postseason last year.
If so, the 22-year-old could be a viable option in the leadoff spot, as the top prospect has speed, pop and consistently reached base in the minors.