The biggest news out of Yankees manager Aaron Boone’s spring opening press conference is that Gio Urshela is currently the team’s starting shortstop, and the biggest takeaway is Boone’s statement to Yankees fans upset about the team’s lack of movement compared to the cross-town Mets:
“The winner is crowned at the end of October,” he said, adding that “we can win now with what we have.”
Here are five other notes from Boone’s first presser of 2022:
THE LOCKOUT WAS "AWFUL"
Baseball fans league-wide hated the 99-day lockout, and so did Boone, who said it was “awful.”
“I hated it. Even just checking in with guys around the holidays, whether it’s through a text,” he said. “But certainly not being able to keep up, our hitting guys and pitching guys not being able to really be involved and help map out programs where guys are…it was awful.”
Boone hated it so much that he was ready to roll the moment a deal was announced.
“The day it broke, I’m sitting there chomping at the bit to start calling guys. I’m sitting in my basement texting Cash, ‘Can I call yet?’ He said, ‘(The new CBA) has to be ratified and official,’” Boone said. “I started to get a couple of texts from players around 3, and then after 7 I sat in my basement and probably talked to 20-25 guys in the first couple hours just to touch base with them, to hear their voice and see how they’re doing, but also kind of try and get a feel of where they’re at physically.”
Listen to New York sports talk now on Audacy and shop the latest Yankees team gear
ARMS RACE
The Yankees are likely to use a lot of minor-league call-ups early in the Grapefruit League season, especially on the mound, where there are only six non-roster additions to the 20-some healthy hurlers on the 40-man roster.
“We’re still evaluating exactly where our pitchers are,” Boone said. “I think for the most part we’re doing pretty good, but I don’t really have an update yet. Hopefully I’ll have a little more concrete information when we have the physicals, evaluations are done and we start to lay out the next few days.”
Minor-league camp has been in progress for a bit, so those on the other side of the street at the Yankees’ complex are a little more built up versus the 40-man roster players who haven’t been officially working out until this weekend.
“Those guys are pretty built up and obviously have been competing already in camp, so we have people that can fill in. Especially early on, we want to make sure with our pitchers even though a lot of them to varying degrees have had throwing live sessions and bullpens and feel like they are in a pretty good spot.”
Good news on two of the Yankees’ starters, though: Jameson Taillon, who had ankle surgery in October, is doing “really well” and will throw a bullpen Sunday, while Luis Severino threw one Saturday and is completely healthy.
WILL THE GARDNER BE BACK?
For the first time in 15 years, Yankees camp opened without Brett Gardner, who remains a free agent. Gardner signed on the eve of camp last year, and while Boone hasn’t spoken to the veteran since before the lockout, he noted that he’ll never say never on Gardy in pinstripes.
“I would never say (the door is) closed. Not just me, but I know our front office and Cash, still really value him as a player, certainly the person and what he’s meant to this organization,” Boone said. “I wouldn’t rule anything out, but I just think there are so many other things going on right now trying to explore different options and deals, so we’ll see how it all plays out.”
The Yankees have six outfielders on the 40-man roster (plus Miguel Andujar) and invited three non-roster outfielders to camp – Ender Inciarte, Michael Beltre, and Blake Perkins – and according to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, Tim Locastro, who was lost on waivers to Boston after last season but was non-tendered by the Red Sox, was also in Tampa on Sunday.
MIGGY MADE IT, OTHERS DIDN'T
As always, there will be a few players who don’t make it to camp on report day – but Andujar, who was recently robbed at gunpoint in the Dominican Republic, made it on time.
“I saw him this morning and he was good. Obviously very scary, and I asked him right away how his heart was, but he looks great and seems good,” Boone said. “Obviously something we’ll talk to him more about and support him as he needs, but this morning he seemed ready to go.”
Countrymen Albert Abreu and Estevan Florial will be a little late due to visa issues, but other than that, Boone expects everyone to be in Tampa by Monday.
“Abreu will be a little late, but he’s got a visa appointment set up I believe (Monday), and Florial could be a couple of days late, potentially,” Boone said. “One of the things we’ve been dealing with is there were some flight delays, especially coming from outside of the country, I know some guys got held up a little bit, so we could have some guys that are scrambling in here (Sunday night) and trying to get physicals finished up. But outside of Abreu and potentially Florial, we should have everyone certainly by some point (Monday).”
VACCINATION AND THE 6IX
Finally, Boone says the Yankees still “have a few guys at least” who are unvaccinated, which could become an issue when the Yankees head to Toronto, as they will be unable to play due to Canada’s restriction on unvaccinated persons entering the country.
“It’s a concern. It’ll be interesting to say the least to see how that situation unfolds,” Boone said. “We’ll be monitoring that situation closely and see how it plays out.”
The Yankees’ trips to Toronto this season are scheduled for May 2-4, June 17-19, and September 26-28, the latter of which is the final road trip of the year.
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
