Aaron Boone Has Decisions to Make with Loaded Lineup

By Ryan Ribeiro 2/19/2018

New York Yankees rookie manager Aaron Boone will have plenty on his plate as the team begins Spring Training in Tampa, Florida. One of the biggest decisions Boone will have to face is finding a replacement for recently departed Todd Frazier at third base.

Courtesy of Creative Commons

The front-runner for the position appears to be in-house prospect Miguel Andujar, who played in five games for the Yankees last season. Boone is optimistic about the 22-year-old’s future with the club and in major league baseball.

“We have to see how he does this spring and how he looks,” Boone said. “But what I’m excited about is the skill set is there for him to be really good down there at the hot corner. He’s going to be a really good player.”

Another decision Boone will have to make is the Opening Day starter in April. Looking at the rotation, the three favorites for the spot seem to be Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, and Luis Severino.

Boone has yet to commit to a pitcher, but views the issue in a positive light due to the talent the staff bolsters. He also discussed the factors that go into making such a key decision.

“A lot that goes into [the decision] will be where these guys are physically, how we want to build in rest and off days as we look at the first month or two of the season, and we’ll look a little bit how they match up maybe against some teams,” Boone said.

With the lineup now flaunting the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez, and Aaron Judge, not only will the light be shined on the pitching staff, but the offense is expected to produce runs at a record pace.

As spring training is now upon the Yankees, Boone understands and is even embracing the championship hopes being put on the team.

“We understand the expectations,” Boone said. “Last year was great, but one of the things that stands out about being in that room right now is that each guy I’ve spoken to, that hunger is there. There’s no satisfaction in what they accomplished last year.”

Stay tuned to webn.tv for more Spring Training coverage throughout the week.