Spring Training is supposed to bring optimism to a potential World Series contender like the New York Yankees. Unfortunately, Giancarlo Stanton's latest injury has the potential to torpedo the franchise's hopes of ending their World Series drought before the season ever begins.
The veteran slugger's elbow injury was the biggest piece of news emanating from the team's preseason complex this week but it wasn't the only noteworthy nugget. Manager Aaron Boone's future is a hot topic at the moment with one year left on his current contract. Most Yankee fans will be happy to hear that there's a significant amount of optimism on that front.
The team also continues to make moves on the fringes of their roster to encourage competition during the spring. It's impossible to know when a seemingly minor transaction can turn into an important move for a team's hopes of making a lengthy postseason run.
New York fans who want to know what's going on with the Yankees this week should pay the most attention to the following storylines.
Giancarlo Stanton's injury is a big problem
Stanton has never been the posterchild for perfect health during his time with the Yankees. That makes the news that he's currently shutting down all of his baseball activities due to elbow pain a major red flag for Cashman and the team's front office.
An uptick in Stanton's health was something the Yankees were hoping could help mitigate the loss of Juan Soto in free agency. Now it seems that he's not going to be in Boone's Openin Day lineup. There's no telling how many games Stanton will need to miss to manage such a nebulous injury.
The long-range ramifications of this injury are even more troubling to the Yankees. Stanton's contract continues to look worse and worse as he gets older. It might become necessary to offload him in the near future to increase payroll flexibility. The more he suffers with injury the harder it's going to be for New York to find a taker for an overpaid designated hitter.
This elbow malady might not be the thing that ends his tenure with the Yankees but it's a thought that has surely crossed Cashman's mind at this point. His flashes of greatness might not outweigh his extended absences in the Bronx for much longer.
Aaron Boone is ready to commit his long-term future to the franchise
Boone does not have universal support from the team's passionate fan base but he's been a good, if not great, manager on the whole of his tenure with New York. That's why most fans should welcome the news that an extension for the affable skipper might be announced before Opening Day.
Aaron Boone’s extension could be announced before Opening Day, Brian Cashman said.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) February 14, 2025
Critics of Boone underestimate how hard it is to manage a clubhouse with such big personalities. He does a splendid job of drawing attention on to himself and away from his players. That's not an easy task in a hotly scrutinized media market like New York City.
Yes, he's made some questionable on-field decisions that merit criticism. That's something that can improve over time though. He's earned the chance to work under a new deal and show that he can finally help the Yankees end their World Series drought. Getting him signed to a long-term deal should be a priority for Cashman. Boone can give the team a strong sense of stability into what could be a crucial 2025 regular season.
3. The franchise is building around Max Fried
The Yankees moved quickly to sign Max Fried after Soto's high-profile departure. Signing the talented southpaw wasn't a one step fix for the issues that plagued New York last year. The team followed up their marquee signing by building a better defensive infield behind him to maximize Fried's effectiveness.
Of course, having a starting pitcher with a devastating curveball that MLB hitters only hit .154 a year ago is a great place to start. The Yankees doubled down on Fried's strengths by letting Gleyber Torres walk in free agency. His inconsistent fielding at second base would have been a big issue playing behind a marquee starter who thrives on producing soft contact on the ground.
The one question remaining is who will line up at third to support Fried. The battle between DJ LeMahieu and Oswaldo Cabrera is somethin Yankees fans should monitor in Spring Training. Fans can be confident that each player's defensive play will be a key factor in who gets the starting nod on Opening Day.
4. Cashman lands another intriguing bullpen option
The idea that the Yankees could sign a reliever who pitched to a 1.17 ERA in 2024 might be expected to generate more excitement. The problem for southpaw Rob Zastryzny is that it only took place in a little over seven innings pitched last year.
The Yankees added Zastryzny to their Spring Training squad on Monday and he'll have a chance to make the big league club as their second lefty out of the bullpen. The odds are stacked against him breaking Spring Training with the big league club but stranger things have happened. At the very least, it's a worthwhile gamble by Cashman and the front office to unearth a hidden bullpen gem for Boone to leverage this season.