Yankees’ Shortstops Will All Play Other Positions This Spring
In this story:
The Yankees have a handful of shortstops competing for the team’s starting job this spring. With reps and opportunities to impress in high demand, those fighting for the gig will move around the diamond.
“They’ll play other positions, too,” Aaron Boone told reporters Wednesday in Tampa. “All of them.”
Boone was referring to top prospects Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe and veteran Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the three main candidates for New York’s shortstop job. The manager noted that the uber-versatile Oswaldo Cabrera will spend time at short, among other infield positions, as well, but he is trying to overtake Aaron Hicks as New York’s starting left fielder.
Playing other positions will allow the Yankees’ shortstops to improve their versatility while also getting more regular playing time this spring.
Kiner-Falefa is, on paper, the most flexible of the bunch, as he’s also played catcher, second base and a Gold Glove third base during his career. However, the 27-year-old mostly lined up at short in 2022, his first season with the Yankees. A light hitter, Kiner-Falefa’s defense at short hurt the team at times, and he was ultimately benched for pivotal postseason games.
Now there’s a chance the Yankees trade “IKF” this spring.
Peraza, meanwhile, has played 16 professional games at second, including four in the majors during his 18-game cup of coffee last season, which also saw him hit .306. Otherwise, the 22-year-old hasn’t budged from short.
Volpe, the Yankees’ top prospect, is in a similar boat, though he’s yet to make his major league debut. The 21-year-old has played two games at second and three at third in the minors, and all of those chances came during the 2021 season.
It’s possible to see a scenario – whether it be on Opening Day or down the road – where the two youngsters occupy the middle of New York’s infield. Peraza appears to be a favorite for the shortstop job as camp begins, but Boone said that this competition could linger into the season, especially if it’s determined that the kids need more time.
For now, however, the skipper is happy to let things play out in camp.
“I don’t think there’s any way that I’m hoping it necessarily goes,” Boone said. “You’d like it to declare itself, I guess, on some level, but you like for the guys to continue to make it hard because you feel like they all bring something potentially special to the table.
“We feel like whatever way it goes, there’s a few really good options there."
MORE:
- Yankees SP Frankie Montas Needs Shoulder Surgery
- Yankees' Nestor Cortes Out of World Baseball Classic With Hamstring Injury
- Where Yankees’ Top Prospects With Non-Roster Invitation Stand Entering Camp
Follow Gary Phillips on Twitter (@GaryHPhillips). Be sure to bookmark Inside The Pinstripes and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
