A look at the Yankees' roster as spring training approaches

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has at times described his position this way: My job is to do better than what I have.

In other words, the Yankees’ roster — really, any big-league club’s roster — is in a constant state of flux. It is not a finished product until the trade deadline in late July/early August, with all kinds of personnel possibilities in play until then.

Roster holes can be addressed in a variety of ways, whether it be via free-agent signings, trades or those one or two surprises who might emerge during spring training to grab a spot. Whatever rosters look like when clubs report for spring training, it isn’t the be-all and end-all.

That said, with pitchers and catchers set to report Feb. 14, what do the Yankees currently have?

An early (very early) look at what the 26-man Opening Day roster in Houston could look like:

ROTATION (5): RH Gerrit Cole, LH Carlos Rodon, RH Marcus Stroman. LH Nestor Cortes, RH Clarke Schmidt

One American League scout, assigned to the Yankees’ organization for at least the last half-decade, synopsized the group perfectly: “A lot could go right, a lot could go wrong.”

Cole, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner and very much in the prime of his career, is a given. From there it’s both tantalizing and potentially troubling.

Rodon was a train wreck in the first year of his six-year, $162 million free-agent deal. But even after going 3-8 with a 6.85 ERA, Rodon is 59-54 with a 3.83 ERA in his career, including a combined 27-13 with a 2.67 ERA in 2021 and ’22. His ability to bounce back — or not bounce back — will be the key to the whole unit in 2024.

Stroman, signed after the Yankees lost out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers), comes with baggage but also with a resume of consistent success in his nine-year career. No one has ever questioned his desire to take the ball in the big spot.

Cortes, plagued by shoulder issues much of 2023, was 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA the year before, and the Yankees are counting on seeing that pitcher in 2024. Schmidt was mostly solid in his first full year as a starter (9-9, 4.64) but is still a question.

Organizational depth in this area is a concern. The Yankees dealt away much of that in trades to upgrade their offense.

LINEUP (9): 3B DJ LeMahieu, RF Juan Soto, CF Aaron Judge, 1B Anthony Rizzo, 2B Gleyber Torres, LF Alex Verdugo, DH Giancarlo Stanton, SS Anthony Volpe, C Austin Wells

The Yankees at last addressed an issue years in the making with their offense: diversifying it. Headlining those moves were trades for lefthanded-hitting outfielders Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo. On paper, the group could be a juggernaut — with Soto and Judge perhaps the best 2-3 combination in the sport — but to reach that level, the Yankees will need significant rebound seasons from Rizzo and Stanton, and improvement from Volpe, particularly when it comes to cutting down on his strikeouts.

BENCH (4): C Jose Trevino, INF/OF Oswaldo Cabrera, INF Oswald Peraza, OF Trent Grisham

The Yankees liked what they saw from Wells late last season after his Sept. 1 call-up and hope the 24-year-old prospect can win the starting catcher’s job. He will have to earn it, though. Trevino’s 2023 season ended in late July when he underwent right wrist surgery, but don’t sleep on his chances. Pitchers generally love throwing to him — Cole first and foremost — and Trevino is among the most respected players in the clubhouse because of his preparation and palpable team-first mentality.

The Yankees like Cabrera’s versatility but he will need to show more ability with the bat than he has. Peraza, a natural shortstop who lost out to Volpe in last year’s competition in spring training, has shown he can play third but, like Cabrera, hasn’t done enough at the plate. Both are potential trade chips.

BULLPEN (8): RH Clay Holmes, RH Jonathan Loaisiga, RH Tommy Kahnle, RH Scott Effross, RH Luke Weaver, RH Ian Hamilton, LH Victor Gonzalez, LH Nick Ramirez

Like the rotation, there is a lot of potential here . . . but also questions. Holmes, Loaisiga, Kahnle, Hamilton and Effross, who by all accounts is healthy after missing all of 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, should be locks to leave camp with the club. That’s also the case with Gonzalez, acquired from the Dodgers early in the offseason, and Weaver, signed to a one-year, $2 million deal that includes a team option for 2025. Ramirez quietly had a solid 2023, posting a 2.66 ERA in 32 games in multiple stints with the Yankees. But as Cashman often says, “bullpen are volatile,” so don’t be shocked to see some surprises, both good and bad, during spring training.