The New York Yankees will enter the season with far fewer roster battles than in years past, but one infield position still carries early-season importance, as shortstop is a big question.
According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, the Yankees’ approach to the position is already taking shape after the injury setback to Anthony Volpe, who is recovering from left shoulder surgery that is expected to sideline him until May, though it could take longer depending on how things look.
“Shortstop might have seen competition with Anthony Volpe (left shoulder surgery) out until approximately May, but the Yankees seem set to roll with speedster José Caballero in his place. At the back of the rotation, there could be arguments over whether any of the club’s top pitching prospects should challenge Luis Gil and Ryan Weathers, or whether Ryan Yarbrough should get some starts. But aside from that, there’s not much for manager Aaron Boone to ponder,” he wrote.
Caballero’s game is much different from Volpe’s but still aligns with several of the Yankees’ top wants. His speed plays immediately on the bases and he’s a pretty good defender. Most Yankees fans want him to be an every-game starter, but it doesn’t seem like the front office or coaching staff have any plans to give him the nod when Volpe returns, though it could happen if Caballero has an incredible start to the year.
For a roster built heavily around power, inserting a contact-and-speed element into the lineup can help, especially in the early months when weather has an impact. Kuty’s reporting also reinforces that this isn’t viewed internally as an open competition.
Volpe’s recovery timeline places his return squarely in the beginning of the season for the most part, meaning the club will just look for him to get healthy and go from there.
Manager Aaron Boone, as Kuty noted, doesn’t have many major decisions elsewhere on the roster. Rotation depth is a question, at least somewhat, but if the Yankees' rotation is as good as it should be, New York will be fine after the first month or so.