Yankees face age-old issue that could derail their chances

The New York Yankees look poised to make a run in the AL East in 2024 after trading for outfielders Juan Soto, Trent Grisham and Alex Verdugo and signing free-agent starting pitcher Marcus Stroman in the offseason. These key moves added needed depth in the outfield and rotation. 

But as Opening Day approaches March 28 at Houston, one major issue looms for the Yankees: age for key players.

Seven players who will be counted on for big contributions will be at least 32 by the end of April. The hard truth is that older players tend to break down more than younger players.

On Monday, news broke that rotation ace Gerrit Cole, who's 34, will have an MRI on his throwing elbow. 

"He’s just having a hard time getting to that fifth or sixth day, recovering like he’s accustomed to. ... I wouldn’t describe it as he’s in pain,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, per MLB.com.

Meanwhile, bullpen fireballer Tommy Kahnle, who turns 35 in August, is already dealing with shoulder issues and is behind his peers this spring, per Greg Joyce of The Washington Post. 

Newly acquired Stroman turns 33 in May — he has more than 25 starts just once in the past six seasons. Third baseman DJ LaMahieu hits 36 in July, and while he is still dependable, he hasn't topped the .270 mark in batting average since the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. 

First baseman Anthony Rizzo seems healthy in 2024 so far, but he turns 35 in August and is coming off a poor, injury-riddled season in 2023 (.244 BA in 90 games). A return to his 2022 form, when he hit 32 HRs and drove in 75, seems optimistic at best. 

Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton can be a force when healthy, but he must have his playing time managed. He's 34 and has batted only .202 over the past two seasons, and his home run total has declined every year in which he's had significant plate appearances since 2017. He hit only 24 home runs in 2023. 

The youngster of this bunch is outfielder Aaron Judge. The 2022 AL MVP turns 32 in April, but he played in only 106 games last year due to a toe injury. Per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News, Judge thinks this toe issue could creep up again in the future. 

Of these seven, Judge and Kahnle already have long-term health concerns. Plus, Rizzo and Stanton have histories of injuries that involved a significant number of missed games over the years. Stroman can't be counted on to make every start, and LeMahieu's skills have been slowly deteriorating for a few seasons now. 

Cole (15-4, 2.63 ERA in 2023), the reigning Cy Young Award winner, still seems to be at the top of his game, so the news Monday is concerning for the Yankees.  

If these seven players remain healthy for the most part throughout the season, the Yankees will be tough to beat. Unfortunately, counting on seven key 31-plus-year-old players to be healthy and productive seems optimistic. 

The Yankees are picked by many to win the division in 2024, but they'll have to beat Father Time to do it.