New York Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, has a surprising plan for Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the 2023 MLB season.
Bronx Bombers are looking too desperate this season to end their left-field woes. After messing up the entire fiasco in free agency, the team wanders into the existing bullpen to find answers. Firstly, the management decided to back Aaron Hicks for the left field role as they thought it was the best available option. However, considering Hicks’ form from the past two seasons, the faith faded a little too early.
Moving on, the New York Yankees are looking at more options and will use spring training to experiment with the field position. Yesterday, Yankees manager Boone confirmed the reports of Aaron Judge moving into the left field on a trial basis. Furthermore, according to the latest developments, the Yanks’ front office has come up with another mind-boggling plan which includes starting shortstop candidate Isiah Kiner Falefa.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa To Move Outfield If Need Arises, Says Aaron Boone
Underfire shortstop candidate Isiah Kiner-Falefa is fighting for a place on the starting roster this spring training. He is competing with Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza for the role. Isiah played starting shortstop last season and failed terribly. Hence, this season, the Yanks decided to hold auditions. However, the odds of Isiah making it as the shortstop are much lower, considering the potential of the other two prospects. Moreover, the Bombers’ top brass also has a soft corner for Peraza. Hence, according to MLB pundits, Oswald Peraza is most likely to make the cut as the starting shortstop this season.
But where does that leave Isiah Kiner-Falefa? Well, Aaron Boone has a backup plan for Isiah. Since the trade seems highly unlikely, considering his high payroll, Boone is likely to make a desperate attempt to fit Isiah in the starting roster. According to the latest report, if Oswald Peraza starts as a shortstop, Kiner-Falefa could be asked to move outfield to the left. While the shortstop candidate is flexible enough to switch positions, pushing him to the outfield is too big a risk for the Yankees at this stage. However, Boone is on a mission to end the team’s left-field woes and looks like he would go to any lengths to help his cause.
Aaron Boone Banking High On Giancarlo Stanton
New York Yankees’ aggressive DH, Giancarlo Stanton, is set to make a comeback this season. The slugger hit .211 in 398 at-bats, with 31 homers and 78 RBIs in 2022 before his season ended due to a calf injury. Nonetheless, the skipper Aaron Boone has laid high hopes for the DH. Boone said if Staton manages to stay healthy for the whole season, he has the capability to produce big things.
Boone added that Giancarlo is a far better player than he was in 2018. He is highly polished and has shown great maturity in his gameplay. The skipper also explained the reason for the slump in Stanton’s numbers last season. He said that DH wanted to try out new things, which clearly did not work out and resulted in a fall in overall numbers.