Aaron Boone, the manager of the New York Yankees, was recently speaking on YES Network’s Yankees Hot Stove. He had a blank lineup card in his hand and expects to fill it based on the players’ performance during the spring training.
When asked who will play left field for the Yankees on the first day of the season, he didn’t tell anything concrete and responded, “We’ll see, I think we have good choices.”
“We still have a few weeks to go before we even report, so you never know what the final composition of your roster is heading into spring and then into the regular season,” Boone said. “And that’s always a fluid situation.
A lot can happen between now and March 30, 2023, when the Yankees play the San Francisco Giants in their home opener. But the tone will be set during the spring training, which for the Yankees starts on February 16 for pitchers and catchers and on February 20 for the whole team.
The Yankees missed out on Andrew Benintendi, who was an All-Star for the Royals in 2022 and arrived for three ranked pitching prospects. But he went through a slump and then got hurt, but he’s still a good left fielder who is only 28 years old. So, the White Sox gave him $75 million over five years. That was too much for the Yankees, who would have preferred a reunion that took less time and cost a lot less money.
For now and maybe all through spring training, the Yankees will let four or five players compete for the starting left field job. This includes a high-priced veteran who hasn’t lived up to his high salary, two young players, and one or two free agents who signed with the minor league team.
Aaron Hicks probably is ahead of all. His old starting spot in center field is now held by Harrison Bader, who was traded from the Cardinals in the summer of 2022 and is the best player at that position. But if Hicks has a good time this spring, it could be the start of a good year for him after a few years when he didn’t do much. That would be great because he still has three years and $30.5 million on his $70-million contract.
Aaron Boone is also optimistic. He said:
“I feel like Aaron Hicks has a chance to really bounce back.”
Oswaldo Cabrera, another switch-hitter, is a strong possibility to start on the left. Perhaps he will earn the starting position and then provide a spark offensively and defensively last season after receiving his first big-league call-up.
Aaron Boone is also excited to consider him.
“We saw what Oswaldo Cabrera can do when we threw him into a lot of different scenarios playing the outfield really for the first time and handling himself so well. We’re really excited about him.”
The Yankees have another option in Estevan Florial, who isn’t a top prospect anymore but still has five skills. He has no more chances to play in the minor leagues, so this could be his first and last real chance with the Yankees. He will either be on the team when the season starts, or he will be traded to someone else in late spring.
According to manager Aaron Boone:
“Estevan Florial, we all know about his talent and what he’s capable of. Can he take advantage of opportunities when they’re presented?”
Will the Yankees secure a depth charge?
Willie Calhoun is a recent veteran who is not on the roster. He is a long-shot candidate with a lot of power on his left side. Last year, he only played 22 games in the majors (with the Rangers and the Giants), and he has only played 126 games since 2020. But the Yankees are interested in Calhoun because he showed promise in 2019. As a rookie with Texas, he hit .269 and hit 21 home runs in 309 at-bats.
Aaron Boone told:
“We’ll have some interesting guys, too, in spring training, guys with big-league experience … bringing in a guy like Willie Calhoun, who showed a lot of promise as a young big-league hitter.”
Rafael Ortega is another to be in the spring season. In the last two seasons, he has played in more than 100 games for the Cubs and hit. In 2021, he hit 291 and hit 11 home runs in 296 at-bats. Last season, he hit .241 with seven homers in 316 at-bats.
Someone who isn’t on the roster yet is another option for the starting job on the left. There are rumors that the Yankees are interested in Jurickson Profar, a switch-hitting outfielder who is now a free agent. Last season, he played 152 games for the Padres and hit .243 with 15 home runs.
The Yankees could trade for Pirates switch-hitter Bryan Reynolds, who a lot of Yankees fans want. But unless the Pirates drop their asking price by a lot, which may not happen, he’ll probably stay put because Pittsburgh isn’t desperate to get rid of a star player with three years left on his contract, even if he wants to leave.
This spring, all of the candidates are likely to get good locks. The Yankees will then make a decision, which may or may not stick.
“We’ll shake it out, see where it plays out here over the next couple of months, and hopefully be in a good spot to make a good decision heading into Opening Day,” Boone said.
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