Yankees roster projection 3.0: Anthony Volpe or Oswald Peraza? IKF trade?

In 10 days, the Yankees will host the Giants on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. Before Gerrit Cole throws the first pitch that afternoon, general manager Brian Cashman and his front office will have answered the two most burning questions of spring training: Who’s the starting shortstop? And who’s the left fielder?

But why wait until then? Let The Athletic provide you with its 26-man roster projection as spring training races to a close.

Lineup (9)

1. DJ LeMahieu, 2B
2. Aaron Judge, CF
3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
4. Giancarlo Stanton, RF
5. Gleyber Torres, DH
6. Josh Donaldson, 3B
7. Aaron Hicks, LF
8. Jose Trevino, C
9. Oswald Peraza, SS

Kuty: Not many surprises here, likely to the chagrin of Yankees fans who wanted wholesale offensive changes this offseason (not that we blame them). We project that Oswaldo Peraza will emerge in the so-called shortstop competition over veteran Isiah Kiner-Falefa (more on him below) and hotshot prospect Anthony Volpe. Peraza would bring a blend of defense and offensive upside that the Yankees haven’t seen at the position since Didi Gregorius in 2018. Torres will end up with the majority of the reps at second base, but he started on the bench last year in deference to LeMahieu, so it could happen again this season.

With Harrison Bader (oblique strain) on the injured list, the Yankees would prefer not to play Judge in center field to ease his workload — especially after signing a $360-million, nine-year deal. But Judge is undoubtedly their best all-around option there, and the move would open right field for Giancarlo Stanton, who says he feels better at the plate when he’s also playing defense compared to when he’s just a designated hitter. Aaron Hicks has gotten the overwhelming majority of spring action in left field compared to Oswaldo Cabrera, who was thought to be his primary competition at the position. The Yankees have repeatedly said they believe Josh Donaldson is due for a bounce-back from his awful offensive 2022 (.682 OPS) and that he provides such strong defense that he deserves another chance to start.

Bench (4)

• Kyle Higashioka, C
• Oswaldo Cabrera, UTIL
• Estevan Florial, OF
• Rafael Ortega, OF

Kirschner: The two notable omissions here are Kiner-Falefa and Volpe. In Kiner-Falefa’s case, it’s always hard to predict trades because most of the time, they come together very quickly or not at all, no matter how much dialogue there is surrounding a particular player. If Kiner-Falefa remains on the team, it’s clear the Yankees have been preparing him for a utility role. He played in center field on Friday and does have the flexibility to play second, short and third base. If they do trade him, the Yankees could likely add some starting pitching depth. Someone like Seattle’s Chris Flexen, who may not make the Mariners’ rotation, could make sense for the Yankees. If Kiner-Falefa is with the Yankees on March 30, I would not expect him to be in the lineup as the starting shortstop….