With Spring Training nearly here for the New York Yankees, the team is shaping up nicely for the start of the season.
It has been a hectic offseason for the Yankees, who had to pivot to their backup plan after losing out in the Juan Soto sweepstakes. However, a lot of credit has to go to Brian Cashman for a job well done so far this winter.
In the starting rotation, he signed southpaw Max Fried to a lucrative long-term deal. By adding Fried, New York will now have an elite one-two punch at the top of their rotation alongside Gerrit Cole.
For the bullpen, the Yankees acquired star closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade involving Nestor Cortes. This move will give New York a shutdown closer in the ninth inning.
While the two pitchers were great additions, how the Yankees were going to fix their lineup without Soto was the big question this winter. They addressed that need with a trade for Cody Bellinger to come in and play the outfield. They also signed Paul Goldschmidt to provide an upgrade at first base.
Currently, the team is looking strong heading into 2025, but they still have a need in their infield.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently predicted what the lineup would look like for New York on Opening Day, and he believes Brendan Rodgers will be the one to fill the hole.
Due to the positional flexibility of Jazz Chisholm, the Yankees can pursue either a second baseman or third baseman. Currently, New York has three in-house options at third base they could look to use, but none of them inspire much confidence.
Signing Rodgers to play second base and keeping Chisholm at third base could be the best course of action for the Yankees to ensure they have a bit more talent, and at very worst, depth in their infield.
The second baseman won’t provide New York with much power, but he is a lifetime .266 hitter and has an OPS of .726 in his career. Defensively, he won a Gold Glove in 2022, which is always a good thing to add to a team.
While Rodgers might not be a star, he could provide some stability toward the bottom of the lineup in 2025.
