Cole, Rodón could appear in Grapefruit games before spring ends

TAMPA, Fla. -- The lineup cards that Aaron Boone carries to home plate this season are likely to look familiar, and that’s by design. Call it a “run it back” year if you want, but the Yankees are confident the core that just played in October is ready to go deeper.

“This is what this team was built for,” second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “We’re running it back because at the halfway point, we thought we built a team that was going to go to the World Series. And we still believe that wholeheartedly. I don’t see a problem running it back with four MVPs on your team.”

Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt and Giancarlo Stanton will soon be back in the same room. On Wednesday, it was the Yankees’ pitchers and catchers filling the hallways of George M. Steinbrenner Field, where Boone covered a variety of topics in his first media session of the spring.

AL East chatter

Now with the Red Sox, Isiah Kiner-Falefa added fuel to the rivalry this week, saying the Blue Jays hoped the Yankees would defeat Boston in the AL Wild Card Series because “we thought it was a better matchup for us the other way.”

Boone called the comment “a little surprising” coming from Kiner-Falefa, but said: “I guess he was right.”

Kiner-Falefa and Toronto eliminated the Yankees in a four-game AL Division Series before moving past the Mariners in the AL Championship Series, then falling to the Dodgers in a memorable seven-game World Series.

“I feel like I sit up here every year and talk about the AL East, and for good reason,” Boone said. “There’s no question that it’s going to be tough. … The division is real. We think we’re one of those teams that can go out and win it. But again, it’s February. All of us and them have a long way to go.”

Health updates

Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole were playing catch on Field 2 of the complex, notable since both are recovering from surgery and targeting first-half returns -- Rodón in late April or early May, and Cole shortly after that.

Boone said there have been no hiccups, and both could appear in Grapefruit League games. He said there were no other medical surprises as pitchers and catchers went through their physicals.

Anthony Volpe is also in Tampa as he recovers from left shoulder surgery; Boone said Volpe could resume swinging a bat in about a week.

“He’s doing well,” Boone said. “The strength is all there in the weight room. That’s the thing that took a little while. His range of motion is tremendous, and I think he’s about at the point where he’s doing all the ground-ball work and full-on in the weight room.”

Stanton’s status

Tennis elbow in both arms delayed Stanton’s debut until June 16 last year, though he remained a productive force, belting 24 home runs in 249 at-bats.

Boone does not expect limitations on the 36-year-old this spring, and even suggested Stanton may see some defensive innings in the outfield. Stanton has previously described his elbows as a pain management issue that will not completely heal.

“He’s had a good winter. He’s ready to roll,” Boone said. “I usually slow-play him into games in the spring, so you might not see him that first week. We’ll talk about how much outfield we mix in. Probably the biggest thing is keeping it available so that when things do come up, we’re in a position to pop him out there if we have to.”

The “young pups”

General manager Brian Cashman has highlighted the organization’s pitching depth, including top prospects Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange, who seem to be knocking on the big league door.

Though the season-opening rotation appears largely set while awaiting the returns of Rodón and Cole, Boone suggested battles for the final bullpen spots could stretch into the regular season.

“One of the things I’m really excited about this year is some of the depth, and to some degree, the competition,” Boone said. “Obviously, you’re getting Carlos back and Gerrit back at some point. If we’re healthy and guys are performing, you could bump some guys into that bullpen mix and end up with guys that not only give you length, but could turn into a leverage situation down there.”

Powering Austin

As Austin Wells enters his second full season as the Yanks’ starting catcher, Boone noted that early scouting reports questioned whether Wells’ defense would hold up in the Majors.

That work has improved, and Boone said he now expects more production at the plate from Wells, who batted .219/.275/.436 with 22 doubles, 21 homers and 71 RBIs in 126 games.

“When you take his defensive ability and what he’s done offensively, you’d sign up for that from your catcher,” Boone said. “There should be more in the tank. He knows that. So hopefully [with] him and some others, we can find more consistency offensively, because we do still really think that he could be a front-line offensive catcher as well.”