Three questions the Yankees are facing before the start of spring training

New York Yankees, James Paxton
Sep 14, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees starting pitcher James Paxton (65) looks at his cap during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

With spring training just a few days away (FINALLY), the New York Yankees are already facing injury concerns and supplementation requirements. With James Paxton expected to miss a minimum of three months after having a cyst in his lower back removed, manager Aaron Boone will need to manipulate the starting pitching rotation to fill the void.

That leads us to our topic of the day.

Three questions the New York Yankees face this spring:

1.) Who will slide into James Paxton’s role?

Paxton was projected to be the No. 3 starter behind Gerrit Cole and Luis Severino in the rotation, and losing him will force Masahito Tanaka up one slot and J.A. Happ as well. Jordan Montgomery, who pitched two sub-4.00 ERA seasons in his first seasons in the MLB, will likely take over the 5th spot. This is the most logical move, considering Monty was in line to feature as a bullpen arm after Boone advocated for Happ as the last man in the rotation a few weeks ago.

Once Paxton returns, which will be in the April-May range, Montgomery will slide back into a relief role unless he proves to be more consistent than Happ in the first quarter of the year.

2.) Where will Miguel Andujar play?

Andujar will feature as the reserve third baseman for now, as Gio Urshela stole his spot in 2019 after suffering a torn Labrum. Boone announced that Andujar would earn reps at first base and in left field to hopefully find a better use for the young stud than as a designated hitter.

To maximize Miggy’s value, left field makes the most sense, as it would allow Boone to mitigate injury concern for Giancarlo Stanton. Both players will be returning from season-ending injuries. If Andujar and Stanton can rotate in left field and as the DH, it would allow the Yankees to incorporate their offensive capabilities without risking more injuries.

3.) Is the bullpen deep enough?

The loss of Dellin Betances and Nestor Cortes Jr. may seem like a lot, but the Yankees realistically have plenty of talent in the bullpen to hold down the fort. With Zack Britton, Tommy Kahnle, Chad Green, Adam Ottavino, Jonathan Loaisiga, Ben Heller, and more, there shouldn’t be any concern over lack of talent in the bullpen.

Factor in youth options like Michael King and Deivi Garcia as reserve options and the Yankees remain settled with one of the best relief units in baseball, not to mention flame-throwing Aroldis Chapman.