This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch’s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Aaron Boone understands that the landscape can -- and usually does -- change before Opening Day, making the winter ritual of filling out lineup cards little more than a fun thought exercise.

Yet, with Juan Soto on his roster, the Yankees' manager hasn’t been able to help himself.

More than a few times, Boone has broken out a pen and paper, scribbling out prospective batting orders for the 2024 season. There have been some attractive ones, he says with a grin.

“Oh yeah, I’ve done that a lot,” Boone said on Thursday afternoon. “I’ve got a handful that I could envision. A lot depends on some other guys, too. I’m certainly excited about the winter that DJ [LeMahieu] is having, and where [Alex] Verdugo slots in. Potentially, for the first time in a while, we have a chance to have three, four, five lefties or righties on a given day. To be able to alternate them is something that would be pretty nice.”

The addition of Soto, who was acquired from the Padres on Dec. 7, provides the Yankees with one of the game’s most potent and patient hitters. Verdugo, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and catcher Austin Wells also project to provide left-handed pop, which the Yanks have lacked in recent seasons, despite their inviting right-field porch.

“If we couple it with reasonable health around [Soto] and some guys returning to form, then it’s got a chance to be a special lineup,” Boone said. “The left-handed presence; you guys know how much I obsess on the balance sometimes, especially when we haven’t had it. He certainly gives us that, with some others. I believe it has a chance to be a tremendous fit.”

Biggest question to answer before Spring Training
How can the Yankees upgrade their pitching now that Yoshinobu Yamamoto is off the board? Even while negotiations with Yamamoto were underway, they were considering Plan Bs -- a reunion with Jordan Montgomery or Frankie Montas, a trade for the Brewers’ Corbin Burnes or building a super bullpen with Jordan Hicks. Shōta Imanaga is another appealing option. New York's staff had a solid 3.97 ERA last season, but it was a less-impressive 4.20 without Gerrit Cole’s contributions. Cole is coming off an AL Cy Young season, but Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rodón had injury-marred campaigns.

One player poised to have a breakout season
It may be odd to see a three-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger in this space, but Soto is ready to take his game to another level. The 25-year-old’s star only figures to become brighter in New York, especially as he enters a contract year after which his asking price figures to be sky-high. FanGraphs projects Soto to slash .284/.425/.558 with 39 homers, a 171 wRC+ and 6.8 WAR in 2024 -- all improvements over his ’23 numbers with San Diego. The Yankees would be thrilled with that, though it won’t ease the price tag to keep him.

Prospect to watch in 2024
Will Warren will come into Spring Training with a legitimate chance to crack the roster. The Yanks’ No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, the 24-year-old righty is coming off a season in which he was 10-4 with a 3.35 ERA in 27 games (25 starts) between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Warren combines high-90s heat with an improving sweeper that has become his best weapon, having gained velocity and life in the organization’s pitching lab. Warren could follow a career track similar to Clarke Schmidt, who got his feet wet as a swingman before securing a rotation spot.

One prediction for the new year
Helped by Soto’s protection and mindful of any 1960s-era concrete barriers ringing the outfield, Judge will make another run at the single-season American League home run record, looking to eclipse the 62 he belted in 2022. Despite missing 51 games on the injured list in ’23, Judge’s 37 homers ranked fourth in the AL, joining Mark McGwire as the only Major Leaguers to hit at least 37 homers while playing in 106 games or fewer (McGwire achieved that feat in 1995 with the Athletics).