Inbox: Will Yanks 'let the kids play' in 2023?

It has been a busy offseason thus far for the Yankees, who have re-signed Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo to new contracts while bringing Carlos Rodón and Tommy Kahnle into the fold. General manager Brian Cashman says there is still more to do, and we'll look ahead to what's next in a new edition of the Yankees Inbox.

Do you think the Opening Day left fielder is on the current roster? -- Nick V.

No. Phew, that was easy! If the Yankees’ season began today, their most likely choices in left field would be Aaron Hicks or Oswaldo Cabrera, since they're continuing to view Giancarlo Stanton mostly as a designated hitter to keep his bat in the lineup. Cabrera may see time in left field among his duties as the Yanks' jack-of-all-trades utilityman, but as of now, he's not being penciled in as a starting outfielder. The same is true for Hicks, who seems to be a prime candidate for a change of scenery; he said as much late in the season, questioning his future in pinstripes.

Now, if it's not Cabrera or Hicks, then whom? With Andrew Benintendi off the board, published reports have connected the Yankees to Bryan Reynolds of the Pirates, Max Kepler of the Twins and free agent Michael Conforto. The asking price will be extremely high for Reynolds and more reasonable for Kepler, though Conforto could be looking for only a short-term contract to rebuild value after missing all of 2022 following shoulder surgery.

If the rookies play well enough, do you think the Yankees will make a run at Shohei Ohtani in the offseason? -- Reese M.

Remember when the Yankees drafted Gerrit Cole, lost him to UCLA, then tried to trade for him again once he'd reached the Majors with the Pirates? Cashman called Cole his "white whale," and Ohtani could be the same. If Ohtani reaches free agency, every serious team should be knocking on his door; he’s a unicorn talent. But there's a personal connection for the Yanks, who have had eyes on the two-way star since dispatching then-assistant general manager Billy Eppler to Japan in 2012.

They fully intended to sign Ohtani, too, with Cashman and assistant GM Jean Afterman even flying to Japan to see him pitch and hit while the Yankees were in the middle of a pennant race. Ohtani eventually crossed the Yankees off his list, saying at the time that he didn't want to play in a large market like New York, but the Yankees need to find out if that stance has changed.

Will Anthony Volpe be the Opening Day shortstop next year? -- Joshua W.

The Yankees' shortstop competition might be what I'm looking forward to most this coming spring. It figures to be fascinating, with managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner outlining his vision of having Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe in the middle infield -- if not on Opening Day, then soon after. To me, it's probably between Peraza and Isiah Kiner-Falefa coming out of camp, since this will be Volpe's first big league camp; he's 21 and has only has 99 plate appearances at Triple-A. Peraza will get a real chance to win the job, and if he does, they'll have to trade Kiner-Falefa. He's earning $6 million this year, which is too much to keep him on the bench as a fill-in.

What's the likelihood that DJ LeMahieu's toe will not be an issue next year? -- Bobby L.

It's impossible to say that the injury won't flare up again, but for now, the Yankees are encouraged that it looks like LeMahieu will avoid surgery. LeMahieu has been performing baseball activities in Tampa, Fla., including running, hitting and fielding.

The issue was a fractured sesamoid bone in LeMahieu's right big toe that led to ligament damage in his second toe; surgery would be a complicated procedure with a lengthy recovery period, likely knocking him out for the start of the season. Boone spoke with LeMahieu recently, noting, "I felt like it was the first time where he was a little optimistic about [what] he was experiencing."

Are the Yankees going to stick with Clay Holmes as their closer, or is there a possibility of them trading to get a new one? -- Steven R.

Cashman recently said that he believes the Yankees have their closer in Holmes, noting that doesn't necessarily mean they won't look into other choices. Cashman pointed to the December 2015 trade for closer Aroldis Chapman, whose arrival bumped Andrew Miller into a setup role.

"I feel really good about Clay Holmes being our closer, but it doesn't preclude us from entertaining any outside players via trade or free agency, if it makes us better," Cashman said. "I’ve done that before. At the time [of the Chapman trade], there was no perceived need for a closer. There was an opportunity that presented itself, so we’re always open-minded.”

The shoulder issue that affected Holmes late last season has resolved, according to Cashman, who said that Holmes will be coming to Spring Training as a fully healthy player.