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While a good number of players have already reported to Tampa, Tuesday marks the official beginning of spring training for the New York Yankees. As any other club, the Yankees have several areas of uncertainty which they hope will be resolved by April.
Who rounds out rotation?
Success in the game begins with pitching and the Yankees have two rotation roles to fill this season with many of the competitors vastly inexperienced. The Yankees will look at Luis Cessa, Chad Green, Bryan Mitchell, Luis Severino and Adam Warren to claim two spots. When the dust settles, I expect Severino and Cessa to grab the final two spots.
Who fills remaining bullpen spots?
The Yankees could easily transfer the remaining three hurlers from the starting pitcher competition into the bullpen. However, I believe Mitchell (as the swingman in an effort to aid his innings increase) and Warren slot into the bullpen along with Tommy Layne, Tyler Clippard, Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman. The Yankees will want Green to be ready to fill spot starts at the onset of the season and the Triple-A squad has enough depth to compensate for injuries. That leaves one spot with a multitude of options for the Yankees to choose from.
Who wins the first base competition?
The Yankees continue to stress that they want Greg Bird to be the primary first baseman. However, they have demonstrated their confidence level is not 100 percent, considering the signing of veteran slugger Chris Carter. Carter's deal also showed the club's lack of faith in Tyler Austin who was anticipated to be a competitor for the role. If Bird is healthy, and does not show a ton of rust, I believe he will open the season as the first baseman against right-handers, while Carter takes at-bats against southpaws.
Will Aaron Judge break camp with club?
The Yankees want Aaron Judge in right field when the season begins. The question is whether or not he will demonstrate he made the necessary adjustments from his short big league stint last summer. Provided Judge displays more contact (he had a 44.2 percent strikeout rate in 95 plate appearances with the Yankees in 2016) and the requisite power, he should nail down the job. However, if Judge's performance is not up to snuff, the Yankees could start him at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre just like they did with Gary Sanchez last season in hopes that the extra time fulfills Judge's development. If Judge opens in Triple-A, it could be to the benefit of Austin or Aaron Hicks.
Is the youth movement for real?
The answer relies on the young players' production in the spring as well as how manager Joe Girardi allows them to acclimate to their prospective roles. If the Yankees are truly going to use this season as a way to measure the current aptitude of their young players, then the club must allow a significant amount of rope. However, if the team becomes more concerned about its place in the standings, it will be interesting to see if veterans (think Carter at first base, Hicks in right field and Warren as a starter) grab prominent roles out of spring training.
What will the Opening Day roster look like?
Here is my stab at the Opening Day roster, assuming good health across the board.
C |
Gary Sanchez |
SP |
Masahiro Tanaka |
1B |
Greg Bird |
SP |
CC Sabathia |
2B |
Starlin Castro |
SP |
Michael Pineda |
3B |
Chase Headley |
SP |
Luis Severino |
SS |
Didi Gregorius |
SP |
Luis Cessa |
LF |
Brett Gardner |
RP |
Aroldis Chapman |
CF |
Jacoby Ellsbury |
RP |
Dellin Betances |
RF |
Aaron Judge |
RP |
Tyler Clippard |
DH |
Matt Holliday |
RP |
Adam Warren |
Bench |
Chris Carter |
RP |
Tommy Layne |
Bench |
Aaron Hicks |
RP |
Bryan Mitchell |
Bench |
Ronald Torreyes |
RP |
Richard Bleier |
Bench |
Austin Romine |
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Related: More 2017 player expectations for key Yankees - Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird & Tyler Austin, Starlin Castro, Didi Gregorius, Chase Headley, Matt Holliday, Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury, Aaron Judge & Aaron Hicks, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda