Aaron Boone’s Winter Exercise
Aaron Boone knows all too well that the landscape can change — and usually does — before Opening Day, so the winter ritual of pondering lineups is little more than a fun exercise. However, with Dominican Juan Soto now on his roster, the Yankees manager couldn’t resist.
On more than one occasion, Boone has pulled out a pen and paper to jot down possible batting orders for the 2024 season. There have been some attractive ones, the foreman says with a smile.
“Oh yeah, I’ve done it plenty of times,” Boone said. “I have several that I can imagine. A lot depends on some of the other guys too. I’m definitely excited for the winter that DJ [LeMahieu] has had and where it fits [Alex] Executioner. Possibly for the first time in a long time, we will have the opportunity to have three, four, five lefties or righties on any given day. Being able to alternate them would be pretty cool.”
The arrival of Soto, acquired in a trade with the Padres on December 7, gives the Yankees one of the most powerful and patient hitters in the Majors. Verdugo, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and catcher Austin Wells are also projected to provide power from the left side, something the Yankees have lacked in recent seasons, despite the short distance down right field at Yankee Stadium.
“If we combine it with reasonable health [de Soto] and some guys getting back into shape, there’s a chance it’ll be a special lineup,” Boone said. “The left-handed presence… you know how much I obsess sometimes about balance, especially when we haven’t had it. It definitely gives us that, along with others. “I think it could be a tremendous combination.”
Biggest question to resolve before spring training
How can the Yankees strengthen their pitching now that Yoshinobu Yamamoto is no longer available? Even while negotiating with Yamamoto, the club was evaluating alternative plans, such as a meeting with Jordan Montgomery or the Dominican Francellis “Frankie” Montás; a trade for Corbin Burnes from the Brewers; or the creation of a “superbullpen” with flamethrower Jordan Hicks. Shōta Imanaga is another attractive option. New York’s pitching staff had a solid 3.97 ERA last season, but it was less impressive (4.20) if you subtract the contribution of Gerrit Cole. Cole is coming off a season in which he won the American League Cy Young Award, but those of Cuban Néstor Cortés and Carlos Rodón were marred by injuries.
Player ready to have a revelation season
It may seem strange to see a player who has been called to three All-Star Games and won Silver Bats in this space, but Soto is ready to elevate his game further. The 25-year-old slugger only hopes his talent shines even brighter in New York, especially since he will be in his final season before free agency, after which his value could skyrocket. FanGraphs projects that the Dominican will have an offensive line of .284 / .425 / .558 with 39 homers, wRC + of 171 and WAR of 6.8 in 2024. All of those numbers represent an improvement compared to what he put up in 2023 with San Diego. The Yankees would love that, although it won’t reduce the cost of keeping him.
Prospect to follow in 2024
Will Warren will arrive at spring training with a real opportunity to earn a spot on the big team’s roster. Considered the Yankees’ No. 8 prospect by MLB Pipeline, the 24-year-old right-hander is coming off a season in which he went 10-4 with a 3.35 ERA in 27 games (25 starts) between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Warren combines a high-velocity fastball with an improving sweeper that has become his main weapon, gaining speed and life in the organization’s pitching laboratory. Warren could follow a similar trajectory to Clarke Schmidt, who began his career as a reliever before securing a spot in the rotation.
A forecast for the new year
With Soto’s protection in the lineup helping him, Aaron Judge will once again try to set a record for home runs for a single season in the American League, with the goal of surpassing the 62 homers he hit in 2022. Despite the fact that he spent 51 games on the list of injuries in 2023, the 37 home runs that Judge hit placed him in fourth place in the Young Circuit. In this way, he joined Mark McGwire as the only players in Major League history to have hit at least 37 home runs in a season in which they played 106 games or fewer. (McGwire accomplished the feat in 1995 as a member of the A’s.)