Yankees insider: "IKF’s days are numbered with the Yankees"
The New York Yankees have the making of a championship team. Manager Aaron Boone enters his sixth season with the club with the backing of ownership and some new pieces to work with. Carlos Rodon is the headline addition to a roster that re-signed Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo in the offseason. There is also a plethora of young talent working their way up the minor league ladder.
The Bronx Bombers won 99 games last season but fell just short of the World Series. Boone will make adjustments this offseason in hopes of finding a winning formula. One of the major talking points surrounds the shortstop position. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe are all potential candidates for the starting role.
Yankees insider and columnist Randy Miller gave his two cents on who starts in 2023:
"IKF’s days are numbered with the Yankees. Eventually, the shortstop position is going to go to Peraza or Volpe"
Millier touched on the topic in his latest piece for NJ.com. He believes the role is Peraza's "to lose" after a strong showing by the young Venezuelan last year.
.@JackCurryYES: "I love the idea of (Oswald) Peraza being your opening day shortstop." https://t.co/6OD0TCNLkS
".@JackCurryYES: "I love the idea of (Oswald) Peraza being your opening day shortstop." - YES Network
Although Peraza has played in just 21 games for the organization, he has been impressive on both the offensive and defensive side. He finished with a .306/.404/.429 slash line in the regular season and recorded his first home run in a 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers.
The 22-year-old seems to have the edge on the defensive side as well. Analysts rate him highly after he proved himself last season with the Yankees AAA affiliate. Kiner-Falefa was a liability on the field last season. He produced 15 errors at shortstop in 2022. Volpe, while an asset with the bat, is yet to play a game in the majors.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone faces a difficult decision at the shortstop position
Since the departure of All-Star Derek Jeter, the organization has had trouble finding consistency in the shortstop position. The Yankees resisted bids for big-name infielders like Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson and Xander Bogaerts during the offseason, choosing instead to promote from within.
Anthony Volpe has been named MLB's #1 shortstop prospect with the expectation that he'll play in the big leagues this season https://t.co/APtEm6oXlY
"Anthony Volpe has been named MLB's #1 shortstop prospect with the expectation that he'll play in the big leagues this season" - Talkin Yanks'
Kiner-Falefa will need to start the season strong if he hopes to retain his starting spot. Peraza looks the part and Volpe is highly regarded by the organization and especially the fanbase. It will be interesting to see which of these three infielders is able to stake a claim to start in 2023.