TAMPA — Changes on the Roster

The captain is heading out, and a significant portion of the expected opening day roster is set to follow. Let’s hope the Yankees can regain their momentum from earlier.

Aaron Judge and several teammates who are participating in the World Baseball Classic wrapped up their preparations on Saturday before flying out to their respective national camps. Some players are due back in around ten days, while others, including Judge himself, may take two weeks or more to return. This means they might be back just a week before Opening Day, which is a bit concerning for the Yankees as they keep an eye on their most crucial player from a distance.

“Honestly, I’m excited for them,” manager Aaron Boone remarked after Saturday’s 5-1 victory over the Blue Jays at Steinbrenner Field. “I’m looking forward to seeing how everything unfolds. It should be a fantastic tournament. You want them to get what they need, of course. And ideally, we avoid injuries during this time.”

“The reality is that something might happen to someone during the tournament, but that could happen here too. Yet, I believe everyone is well-prepared. Life comes with risks. They came in ready and checked a lot of important boxes this winter, preparing for this moment. Overall, it’s a good thing for baseball.”

“There might be moments where you hold your breath a bit, but it’s all good.”

In addition to Judge, the Yankees will be missing their starting catcher, Austin Wells from the Dominican Republic, as well as their double play duo, Jazz Chisholm Jr. from England and Jose Caballero from Panama. Also absent are top relievers David Bednar from the U.S., Camilo Doval from the Dominican Republic, and Fernando Cruz from Puerto Rico, along with important bench players Paul Goldschmidt from the U.S. and Amed Rosario from the Dominican Republic.

Judge mentioned that he told teammates returning to camp that they can reach out if they need anything. He has also stepped into the captaincy for Team USA, a role he hopes to embrace during his time there.

“I wear many hats,” Judge noted. “Being the Yankees captain is one of them. I’m going to stay grounded, and with my USA teammates, I plan to soak up the experience, enjoy it, and give them all my support.”

Having participated in several Grapefruit League games this spring, Judge appeared in his fifth exhibition game on Saturday. The two-time AL MVP has been looking forward to this tournament since he was the first player to officially commit to Team USA last April. The experience has been growing in importance among the game’s top talents. However, things didn’t go as planned during the last WBC in 2023, where the U.S. lost to Japan in the finals.

“It’s our moment to change that narrative,” Judge said. “Playing in intense competition, fighting for your country—it really is something special.”

The Yankees hope participating in high-stakes games early in March will benefit many of the players and help build momentum for the beginning of the regular season. Players expressed interest in learning from their new teammates and discovering what makes them successful.

“Before this, I didn’t know much about professional baseball beyond the Yankees, so I’m eager to engage with different players and bring back valuable insights,” Wells commented.

However, despite the Yankees’ careful planning in strengthening their WBC roster early this spring, participating also entails an injury risk.

“It’s the same risk as anyone else,” general manager Brian Cashman acknowledged. “This is part of the journey every year. There are always unexpected twists and turns, from injuries to performance declines and other challenges that arise. You have to consider everything as you prepare for a shot at the championship. But we wish them all the best.”

“If we have talented players that other countries want, we lose a lot of that talent. It really reflects how many good players we have.”