The New York Yankees roster will enter the 2024 season with multiple issues that must be addressed to maximize their potential. To begin, the Yankees need to solve the issue of whether to play their new baby bombers or continue to let them season. Second, the Yankees need to work around aging players and their lengthy contracts. Third, the rotation is a big mystery going forward. Lastly, the team needs to decide if they’re going to promote analytics over player feedback. All these questions will need answers because at the end of last year the team showed great potential.
Yankees Roster Questions
The Baby Bombers and the Roster
Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole were among the first players to push for Anthony Volpe to join the Opening Day roster. The two team leaders believe that the best players should be playing regardless of age or experience. One could argue Volpe may have been overmatched in the beginning, but he matured quickly as the season progressed. He is a finalist for the American League Gold Glove award and is favored to win. This would not have been possible if the Yankees had held Volpe back in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The same can be said of Jason Dominguez, who began his season in Double-A Somerset where he struggled early on. Once he found his groove, Dominguez turned into a monster. He only played a week with the RailRiders before being fast-tracked to the Major Leagues.
Making An Impact Right Away
Upon his debut, Dominguez was as advertised hitting his first MLB career homer against Justin Verlander on his first swing. He was on fire hitting four homers in eight games before his untimely injury. This would not have been possible if the Yankees had elected to keep Dominguez in the minors. The Yankees made a smart choice to bring up these two phenoms early. In the past, the team would have kept players like these in the minors rotting away, like Miguel Andujar and Jackson Frazier. When the Yankees play their youthful home-grown talent it has produced some of the best results for the franchise. The last dynasty in the 90s was built on homegrown talent as was every single one before. So why detract from what makes you great?
Depreciating Values
The Yankees roster features five 34+-year-old players who have a combined $78.5 million in annual salary including Aaron Hick’s salary. That is a significant amount of money allocated to players who are already showing signs of declining. The players are Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton, D.J. LeMahieu, and Tommy Kahnle. These players have trouble staying healthy and have each experienced extensive spells of inconsistent play, which will only become worse as time progresses. The Yankees should try to find trades so the payroll can be free of depreciating values and allow the baby bombers a chance to prove themselves.
A Star-Studded Rotation
The Yankees arguably have the best pitcher in Cole and he will more than likely win the 2023 AL Cy Young Award. What the team needs to do now is find another pitcher who is akin to the Yankee ace. The team should focus on acquiring a player who not only has exceptional talent, but is a workhorse. The most underrated and under-talked-about skill in Cole’s arsenal is his ability to stay healthy. Since joining the Yankees, he has pitched more innings than any other starter in the MLB. His ability to continuously take the mound is what makes him such a formidable force. He gives the Yankees at least 33 starts a year and in theory 33 chances to win a game. The problem is he is just one pitcher and there are another 129 games to play including the playoffs.
Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes Jr, and Luis Severino were supposed to lead a vaunted rotation with Cole. None of them were able to stay healthy and were at times ineffective when they were healthy. Severino despite being a fan favorite for years will probably leave in free agency after a difficult year in pinstripes. Cortes has been great in the past, but can his smaller frame hold up for a full season? Rodòn was at times brilliant and at other times disastrous, but most of the time injured. What the Yankees should do is develop more in-house starting pitchers or look outside the organization for workhorse-type pitchers. A couple of names that come to mind would be Japan’s best pitcher and soon-to-be MLB free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Jordan Montgomery. Cole cannot be the sole star pitcher.
Organizational Philosophy
The Yankees must now declare that with a new generation of baby bombers arriving they will stick by the analytical approach to baseball or let the players decide for themselves. If they go the analytical route the players have to be fully onboard with what they’re being taught and how they’re being coached. If they go with a more personal approach the players will continue to develop and play as they have up to this point in their careers. What should the Yankees do? Objectively the Yankees should let the players do what makes them great, but also let them see the analytical data to help improve their games. A balance has to be found to achieve the best success, as we are witnessing with the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies.
Final Thoughts
The Yankees roster doesn’t need a drastic overhaul with huge signings and trades. They must answer the big questions about the roster and how the team will play its brand of baseball going forward. If the organization can address these issues the team will have a definite bounce-back year in 2024.
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