This raises a question I feel has been little examined in Yankees world…is 13 pitchers and 12 position players really the best construction for the roster?

For several seasons running now, the Yankees have defaulted to using the last roster spot for a pitcher. It was taken as a given this spring when Stephen Tarpley was given a roster spot early, leaving Tyler Wade to miss out to Mike Tauchman. But why was the debate Wade vs. Tauchman when it could have just as easily been Wade vs. Tarpley?

Ostensibly, the Yankees seem to be worried about “running out of pitchers”. In today’s game where starters are only expected to pitch into the 5th or 6th, it is certainly rational to be concerned about the wear and tear on bullpen arms, and the possibility for a bad start leaving the manager in a bind.

And right now, after the latest injury that will see James Paxton moving to the IL for at least a couple weeks, I totally understand the rationale of maintaining eight bullpen arms rather than a fourth bench player. Jonathan Loaisiga, the expected replacement, has been good in the big leagues but has hardly shown a propensity to go deep in games. He has yet to exceed 5.1 IP in a major league start. To protect against fatigue, keeping bullpen arms like Tarpley and Joe Harvey on the roster is a perfectly defensible and rational move.

What happens when the team gets healthier?

But when Paxton returns, and especially once Luis Severino and Dellin Betances (hopefully) come back this season, I believe it is high time for the Yankees to evaluate the marginal benefit of a pitcher holding the last roster spot. Currently, last resort bullpen arms Tarpley, Jake Barrett, and Harvey have accrued just 13.1 IP between them. That’s barely one outing per every three games played.

For the sake of the argument, let’s play out a worst case scenario where the bullpen is forced into significant work on consecutive days and the proverbial last man is out of gas and the bullpen is running on fumes. Barrett, Harvey, Tarpley, and Chance Adams are all on the 40-man roster and have minor league options available. Let’s fire back up the Scranton Shuttle and shift these guys back and forth between AAA and the majors.

The 10-day rule dictating that a player must remain in AAA at least 10 days after being demoted provides a slight hitch. But the probability that all four of these options will be exhausted within a 10 day span is exceedingly low. In that disaster scenario, Domingo Acevedo and Albert Abreu are also on the 40-man roster, and could be used as last resort options.

Depth on the bench

Now we come to the counterfactual, which is the use of a fourth bench player rather than an eighth bullpen arm. Is that fourth player really more valuable than a guy like Tarpley, or Harvey, or Barrett? With a healthy roster, the position player on the bubble is likely Clint Frazier, Gio Urshela, or Wade. I would argue that all three provide significantly more value, even if only used in a part time capacity.

Wade could be employed as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. Ditto for Urshela, who could cover for Andujar late in games or be used to reduce stress on his injured shoulder. And Frazier could be used in rotation with Gardner as well as allowing the big bashers in the outfield to rotate through the DH spot.

No matter how you cut it, I’m frankly disappointed in the Yankees seeming paranoia with the eighth bullpen arm. For a highly analytic organization, this seems like an inefficiency that is not being exploited by their “nerds in the tunnel”. Every team in the AL besides the Houston Astros is currently employing a three man bench. But, on average, the last man in the bullpen has pitched only once in the last week or not at all!

It’s time for the Yankees to break this convention and look to make better use of their final roster spot. If Chad Green can return to form, Dellin Betances gets healthy, and there are absolutely no other injuries in between, then there is a legitimate argument that the last bullpen arm provides more value than the extra bench player.

But until that unlikely day comes, I am a staunch advocate for breaking unspoken AL rules and adding an extra position player to the major league roster. It seems like a no brainer low-risk, high-reward move that could reap dividends over the course of the season.

The post What’s more valuable: An extra bench player or bullpen arm? appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

But that initial dread has quickly been transformed to excitement as this motley crew has continued to grind out wins and helped propel the team to a 9-1 record in its last 10 games. There was a collective gasp at Oracle Park today when Urshela, anonymous to Yankee fans this time last month, had to leave the game after being hit on the hand by a pitch. With hustle, grit, and an impressive quality of play, these players have done justice to the pinstripes they wear and begun to win over the fanbase with their hard nose play.

As fun as this run has been, many of these fill-ins will soon be forced back into anonymity with the return of the regular squad. If all (hopefully) continues to go according to plan, fans can expect to see Miguel Andujar, Troy Tulowitzki, Aaron Hicks, and Clint Frazier back with the team in coming weeks.

My colleague Tom touched upon the tough decision the front office will have with Urshela once Andujar rejoins the active roster. Today I want to take a more comprehensive look at the current active roster, and determine which players are expendable and which may have staying power with the team even as the starters return to health.

The Band-Aids

There are certain players that make for the most obvious first roster casualties because they are inexperienced at the big league level and have minor league options remaining. Falling into this category are Thairo Estrada and Mike Ford, who have less than 50 career PAs between the two of them and who both have multiple minor league option years remaining.

There are legitimate cases to be made for both of these players staying on the roster. Estrada continues to linger on the Yankees Top 30 prospect list (via MLB Prospect Pipeline) and has always been an intriguing utility alternative to the anti-Tyler Wade crowd. He’s posted respectable offensive numbers throughout his minor league career thanks to a low strikeout rate and a consistently good batting average. Though he leaves something to be desired in terms of pop and patience, his ability to play solid defense at any infield position has allowed the front office to dream on his flexibility (which we know they love).

On almost the polar opposite end of the spectrum is Ford, who has nothing in the way of flexibility or defensive prowess but provides a coveted lefty bat with pop and a solid approach at the plate. While Ford is tethered to first, he posted a career high 15 HR in AAA last year and has produced impressive offensive numbers driven by his power throughout his time in the minors.

But the hard reality of roster construction is that these guys are the easiest to demote when players need to be removed from the roster. Estrada is the inexperienced and less defensively talented version of Wade, and Ford is replaceable as the backup 1B thanks to LeMahieu. We have already seen Estrada ride the Scranton Shuttle a couple times this season, and don’t be surprised if he and Ford are the first two cuts when Andujar and Tulowitzki return.

Tyler Wade

I’ll admit, for a long time I was a Tyler Wade truther. I believed he’d figure out the offensive component and become a quality 2.0 WAR utility man for this Yankees team. But now, three seasons and nearly 200 PAs into his young career, I feel fairly confident that we know who Wade is.

Let me begin by conceding that there is no doubt value in being able to play more than five positions at a serviceable defensive level. While advance metrics don’t love him as much as the scouts do, Wade has been a roughly league average defender across 2B, SS, 3B, LF, and RF in his brief MLB experience. That is nothing to be scoffed at, and certainly makes the case for why Wade is a better roster component than a guy like Mike Ford.

But the offensive performance is just not there for a guy like Wade to justify his spot on the 25 man roster when guys are healthy. He is a career .182/.254/.248 (36 wRC+) hitter and there’s nothing in the underlying data to show that’s a fluke. He sports a 31.9 K%, .067 ISO, and 18.5 Hard%. According to Statcast, his career xwOBA is just .229, a pathetic number directly in line with his true career wOBA which also sits at .229.

With two minor league options remaining, and having already started the year in AAA, Wade has no business being on this Yankees team when guys get healthy. Given that the current roster features only three true outfielders, I expect Wade to be the guy sent down when either Hicks or Frazier return from their IL stints.

Mike Tauchman

The Yankees, and the projections systems, clearly see something in Mike Tauchman that I just don’t see. He won the opening day roster spot over Tyler Wade after an 11th hour trade despite an abysmal showing last year in Colorado. The projections somehow like him for roughly 1.7 WAR per year the next three seasons though he has a -0.7 WAR in his big league career to date.

Whatever the rationale, I hope and believe that Tauchman will be the roster casualty when the second of Hicks and Frazier come back from the IL. Unlike Maybin, Tauchman still has one option year remaining and he has no established track record as a successful big leaguer.

This year, Tauchman has played in 20 games to the tune of a .186/.294/.407 (86 wRC+) line. He has struggled with strikeouts (30.9 K%) and making high quality contact (.278 xwOBA) much like our good friend Tyler Wade. And while his ability to play center is a virtue especially in the absence of Hicks, Maybin also serves that function and has better advanced metrics as well as a longer track record.

While Maybin is hardly an exciting addition to the team, it’s clear to me that he is a better big league option than Tauchman as the Yankees wait on the return of the true stars Stanton and Judge. With Tauchman still relatively young and with an option year remaining, it makes more sense to stash him in AAA and let him earn another shot than lose Maybin for nothing so soon after acquiring him.

Cameron Maybin

This one is cut and dry. Maybin will stick around up to the day that the Yankees have four regular outfielders healthy and ready to play. As soon as that day comes, he is expendable, especially with Tauchman stashed in the minors and Wade another option in case of further injury.

That being said, Maybin might not be a total net zero in his stint as the replacement outfielder with the Bombers. He comes with an ability to play all three outfield positions well, with a combined 8 DRS and 1.6 UZR/150 across left, center, and right the past two seasons.

His base-running has gone from arguably his biggest asset to a roughly average tool, and he posted a respectable 88 wRC+ and .309 xwOBA across the last two years as well. While fans won’t be blown away by anything he does, he’s a solid big leaguer who can do a more than serviceable job filling in.

But when his day comes, the Yankees will have no trouble axing the career journeyman in favor of their in-house options. While he might outlast Estrada, Ford, Wade, and Tauchman on the MLB roster, he certainly won’t outlast their stays in the Yankees organization. Get well soon Giancarlo and Aaron!

Gio Urshela

Last but certainly not least, we come to the curious case of Gio Urshela. Moreso than any other player listed above, Urshela has capitalized on his Yankees opportunity with actual, tangible production on the field that has benefited the team greatly. His 0.6 WAR over 20 games is currently the third highest of any position player on the roster, and exceeds the combined contributions of the other five guys discussed here. Whereas with Wade or Tauchman you have to squint your eyes to see a big league player, there is no ambiguity with Urshela. While unspectacular, he has justified every day he has spent with the active roster.

But with Andujar returning and no minor league options remaining, he also has the most uncertain future. Urshela, historically valued for his solid defense at third base, has hardly any experience at the other infield positions. He has emerged offensively in a surprising and pleasant way this year, currently touting a .351/.415/.509 (148 wRC+) slash line and strong peripherals like a 13.8 K%, 7.7 BB%, and .383 xwOBA. But no matter how well he hits, there is no possibility he will unseat Andujar as the starter as long as they’re both healthy.

So what to do with a solid player that has no short term path to playing time, but is also the best option to replace the starter who may well go down again due to injury? With no minor league options remaining, it is clear to me that Urshela should be kept on the active roster until forced out by a fully healthy roster (a problem I can only pray the Yankees will one day have). With uncertainty swirling around Andujar’s shoulder and the flexibility of the Yankees other infielders, Urshela should be able to find at bats and provide value even when not starting every game at 3B.

While the Yankees could just as easily cut ties with him in favor of a more defensively flexible piece, I hope he’s allowed the opportunity to prove himself as the backup infielder. His offensive approach is unmatched among the other utility options, and his 3B skills should translate naturally to 2B at a bare minimum. Hopefully Cashman and the front office will see this and not make a rash decisions to cut ties with a grinder who has been nothing but excellent in his short time in pinstripes.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, here is my list of expected transactions in order of expected return date of the current injured starter.

1. Troy Tulowitzki <-> Thairo Estrada
2. Miguel Andujar <-> Mike Ford
3. Clint Frazier <-> Tyler Wade
4. Aaron Hicks <-> Mike Tauchman
5. Giancarlo Stanton <-> Cameron Maybin
6. Gio Urshela…?

While of course it will be exciting to get the stars back, I’ll be sad to see some of these guys go. Though at times it’s been ugly, these guys have consistently battled for wins and it’s clear that none of them take their big league chance for granted. As the season progresses, it’s entirely possible that some will emerge as key pieces as we move toward the postseason and the quest for the 28th championship.

The post How long will Wade, Urshela and the Yankees’ replacements last? appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

It’s bitterly cold outside, and one could be forgiven for feeling as though the baseball season is impossibly far away.

Casual fans might peruse Bleacher Report to find marquee players like Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and Dallas Keuchel still unsigned and reasonably conclude we remain trapped in the doldrums of the offseason. But the reality is that Yankees pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training less than three weeks from today. The 2019 MLB season is right around the corner.

And despite the many superstars that remain on the free agent market, it appears the Yankees business is all but done. While some fans (including myself) still bemoan the front office’s decision to pass on the generational talents available for nothing more than cash, it is hard to envision the Bombers making another big splash. Though it is sadly unlikely that Harper or Machado will be donning the pinstripes in 2019, the Yankees have improved in significant ways from the 2018 edition that fell painfully short against the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS.

Cashman began the offseason with a clear statement of intent, trading top prospect Justus Sheffield in a package to acquire premier starting pitcher James Paxton from the rebuilding M’s. Then, a series of savvy free agent signings that included J.A. Happ, Zach Britton, Adam Ottavino, DJ LeMahieu, and a discounted Troy Tulowitzki helped plug the glaring holes in the MLB roster. Whether you love or hate the individual moves, in sum they leave the Yankees a more talented and deeper team than they were last season.

So what can we expect from the 2019 Yankees? What areas of the roster grade out as strengths, and where does a lack of depth leave the team vulnerable in case of injury to a key player? Let’s break down the entire 40-man roster as we approach spring training, and examine where the team might still have room to improve through minor transactions or midseason trades.

The Starting Rotation

Projected Opening Day Starters:

Luis Severino, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, CC Sabathia

40-Man Roster Options: Luis Cessa, Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisiga, Chance Adams, Jordan Montgomery (DL)

The top of the Yankees rotation projects to be among the very best in the league next year. Severino and Paxton both can and have been ace-like starters with the potential to dominate games for long stretches of the season.

In the next tier, both Tanaka and Happ have established track records and are wily veterans with the ability to eat innings and churn out quality outings on the mound. Last but not least, Sabathia’s reinvention as a crafty southpaw suggests quality production as long as he can stay on the field. On paper, those five pitchers each carry significant upside and the potential to anchor the team’s rotation for most of 2019.

That being said, each one comes with their fair share of risk. Severino experienced a season of extremes in ’18, producing a Cy Young worthy 2.18 ERA through June before cratering to a 5.20 ERA from July through September. Whether caused by increased fatigue, a loss of confidence, or his much-discussed tipping of pitches, the Yankees need Severino to be his first-half self for the entirety of 2019. If he can be, the Yankees have one of the few legitimate aces in the league taking the ball on every fifth day.

For Paxton, his extensive injury history serves as the point of worry. While most of his injuries have been one-offs and he’s avoided dreaded surgeries to his throwing shoulder or elbow, the fact remains he has averaged fewer than 20 starts per season since breaking into the league. He set his high water mark at 28 starts last season, and hopefully health troubles are behind him as his career progresses.

Finally, Tanaka, Happ, and CC simply have huge variability in their performance. Tanaka has flirted with both ace status and replacement level production. Happ is 36 years old and despite being the model of consistency in pinstripes last year, the drop off could come at any moment given his age. Finally, Sabathia’s persistent health issues leave him unlikely to exceed 150 IP, and the possibility of a significant injury sidelining him this season appears to be high.

Given the outsize possibility of injury to one or more starters, depth in the rotation will be crucial to the team’s success this season. Anticipating intermittent injuries to CC, Happ, and Paxton, it is conceivable that there will be upwards of 20 starts that need to be handled by pitchers not slated into the opening day rotation. In this regard, the Yankees depth grades out as both a strength and a weakness.

There is no shortage of options to choose from, with a stable of Quad-A types providing cover in case of key injuries. That being said, none of the above options inspire particular confidence if you are a fan. German showed flashes of brilliance but was largely unable to put the pieces together to become a serviceable MLB-caliber starter.

In a similar way, there are things to like about young starters Jonathan Loaisiga and Chance Adams, but neither seems prepared to immediately step in to the rotation for a team competing with the defending champion Red Sox for the AL East title.

The most intriguing option is Jordan Montgomery, who has pitched to a 3.84 ERA (4.19 FIP) in his career to this point. Coming off Tommy John surgery and with his timetable still uncertain, it is hard to expect any major contributions from Gumby in 2019. But should he come back strong, he would give the Yankees a legitimate sixth starter option and an added level of depth not currently available entering the year.

Starters: A-
Depth: B

The Bullpen

Projected Opening Day Bullpen: Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, Zach Britton, Adam Ottavino, Chad Green, Jonathan Holder

40-Man Roster Options: Tommy Kahnle, Stephen Tarpley, Joe Harvey, AAA Starters

By almost any metric, the Yankees will have four of the best 25 relievers in baseball entering next season. Indeed, the six locks for the opening day bullpen will collectively comprise one of, if not the best bullpen ever assembled by an MLB team. There is a legitimate argument that Chapman, Betances, Britton, and Ottavino would all be closing on almost any team in the league, and Green and Holder are versatile relievers that posted sub-3.00 FIPs last year.

Not much more really needs to be said about this bullpen. The depth and quality of their six top relievers is supplemented further by potential bounce-back candidate Tommy Kahnle, who was dominant in 2017 before spending much of 2018 toiling in Scranton. Even if they receive nothing but replacement level production from the remainder of their bullpen options, this collection of arms can sustain injuries and slumps better than any other team in baseball.

At full strength, Boone will have the ability to consistently end games after just 5 innings, relieving stress on the starting rotation and further strengthening the team.

Yes, relievers are notoriously fickle, and yes questions persist about Chapman’s control issues, Britton’s continued recovery from severe injury, and Ottavino’s adjustment to the American League. But I remain more confident about this relief unit than I am in any other aspect of the Yankees team, and any other bullpen in the rest of baseball. These guys are going to be fun to watch in 2019.

Starters: A+
Depth: B+

The Infield

Projected Opening Day Roster: Luke Voit, DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar, Troy Tulowitzki

40-Man Roster Options: Greg Bird, Tyler Wade, Thairo Estrada, Didi Gregorius (DL)

While the roster appears set, the configuration remains anything but at this juncture of the offseason.

After bringing in LeMahieu and Tulowitzki to provide cover for the ailing Didi Gregorius, there would seem to be a legitimate battle for starting places set to take place in spring training. While it would be a shock to see Gleyber, Andujar, or the recently added LeMahieu relegated to the bench, where they will appear and how frequently they are rotated remain open questions for 2019.

Unlike the starting rotation, which has a certain boom-or-bust feel to its success in 2019, the infield appears to have something of a low ceiling but high floor for production. With five quality major league options, each with a degree of versatility, making up the opening day roster, this is not a unit that looks susceptible to being compromised by a single injury. Especially once Didi returns from surgery around (hopefully) midseason, there will likely be regular rotation and the ability for Boone to ride the hot hand throughout this year.

Each player is projected to produce around 2.0 WAR this season, which jives with my anticipation of steady but unexceptional production from the infield positions in 2019. Should Andujar transition from a woeful to simply average defender, or if Tulowitzki can stay healthy and produce at anything approaching his career averages, the upside for this unit ticks north in a significant way.

Even more tantalizingly, if Gleyber can sustain his early season production from 2018 when he slashed .325/.380/.663 in the month of May, the potential for this unit to exceed expectations remains a distinct possibility.

But, in my mind, the question marks in the negative column nearly cancel the positives and lead to my uninspired projection for the Yankees’ infield. Andujar could just as easily regress offensively as progress defensively. A healthy and productive Tulowitzki is perhaps even less likely than a reduced Didi upon return from injury. And the massive unknown that remains Luke Voit and Greg Bird as the first base unit could be a drag on overall infield production, much as it has been since Mark Teixeira’s last elite season.

While I hope that every player outperforms their projections, I am realistic and cynical enough to think that 1.5-2.0 WAR production from each position would be a success for this infield. Thankfully, they don’t have to be the superstars of this team but rather just do their respective jobs since there is more than enough firepower in the outfield to compensate for shortcomings on the diamond.

Starters: B+
Depth: B+

The Outfield

Projected Opening Day Roster: Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner

40-Man Roster Options: Jacoby Ellsbury, Clint Frazier

Maybe more than any other part of the team, the performance of the outfield will dictate whether 2019 is a success or failure for the Yankees.

The reason is obvious: three of the team’s four best position players were in this unit last year (Judge 5.o WAR, Hicks 4.9 WAR, Stanton 4.2 WAR). The only infielder to make the cut was Didi at 4.6 WAR, and as mentioned above he will be out for at least half the season as he recovers from surgery.

Simply put, the Yankees best position players are outfielders and their health and performance will drive this team in 2019.

Even more encouragingly, I would argue the outfield is more likely to outperform its 2018 production than underperform it. Judge was on pace for a second consecutive monster year before a midseason injury derailed much of his second half. Stanton was incredibly streaky, much to the ire of many fans. While the calls to trade him and sign Harper were loud in the wake of his pathetic postseason performance, he is just one year removed from an NL MVP campaign in which he slashed .281/.376/.631 (159 wRC+).

Regression to the mean for Stanton would imply improvement, as his wOBA and ISO declined despite a career high in hard hit rate. It is not hard to envision Judge and Stanton’s combined WAR jumping from an already high 9.2 in 2018 to a stratospheric 12.0+ in 2019.

After titillating fans for the better part of two season, Hicks finally broke out in a big way last year and established himself as one of the premiere centerfielders in the game. After health issues and inconsistency defined the early part of his career, last year marked the moment when Hicks put together his contact, power, baserunning, and defense to become a legitimate five-tool player.

Some fans perplexingly still believe his performance was a fluke, but as he hits his prime and plays in a contract year I think 2018 Hicks is a good marker for who he truly is as a player. Health questions remain, but it is entirely likely Hicks will round out the top three Yankees position players again in 2019.

But there is no question this outfield unit is remarkably top heavy. I don’t dislike bringing Gardner back on a one-year deal, but at 35 he looks set to be serviceable at best and replacement level at worst.

Clint Frazier will attempt to rebound from a season derailed by concussions, and while I continue to love his tools, the health concerns overshadow much of his potential to be a significant contributor in 2019. And I have absolutely no expectations regarding Jacoby Ellsbury, the $22 million traffic cone who did not see the field last season.

The combination of a top heavy outfield with shallow and unpredictable depth is a scary prospect, and major injuries to Judge, Stanton, or Hicks could derail the season. Hopefully, Gardner can battle Father Time, and Frazier can become a productive contributor in 2019. But I remain both delighted and terrified of the Yankees outfield makeup entering the season.

Starters: A
Depth: B-

Conclusion

I know, I know, where is catcher?! No, I didn’t forget, I just don’t think it’s necessary to devote an entire section to a single position that is also the hardest to predict for the Yankees in 2019.

I continue to believe Gary Sanchez is among the best catchers in baseball, and will return to form in 2019 as the elite baseball player he is. But that is far from a sure thing, and injuries could also force Austin Romine and Kyle Higashioka into significant roles throughout the year.

Ultimately, this is a team that has one of the largest collections of talent in the MLB. That bodes well for a successful season, and hopefully a successful postseason run, too. But significant weaknesses in quality outfield and starting pitching depth could leave the team vulnerable to key injuries and force the front office into midseason moves.

Hopefully, the wealth of options Aaron Boone can draw from will keep players fresh, healthy, and at their best throughout the year. If he plays his cards right, Cashman has handed the manager a nearly unparalleled collection of weapons to deploy in an effort to end 2019 the way Yankees fans expect: with World Series title number 28.

Overall starters grade: A-
Overall depth grade: B+

The post Grading Yankees starters and depth at the end of January appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

I know our readers need no reminder, but the Wild Card game is now just four days away. On October 3, the Yankees and A’s will square off for a date with the Red Sox in this year’s ALDS. While the Yankees spot is locked in, significant intrigue still exists around several key factors for the playoffs. Who will start the Wild Card game? What will their lineup be? Who will even be on the playoff roster?

Several of my colleagues have explored this first question in some depth. I encourage you to read their pieces arguing for J.A. Happ, Masahiro Tanaka, and Luis Severino as the play-in game starters. I have previously examined what the Yankees best lineup might look like. Today I am here to discuss who should make the 25-man postseason roster and suit up for the Yankees in the 2018 playoffs.

For the purposes of simplicity, this analysis will focus on the scenario in which the Yankees win the play-in game against the A’s and advance to the ALDS. Rosters are allowed to be reshuffled before each round of the playoffs, which leads to some oddities in Wild Card Game rosters. Since it is only a one game series, you don’t need to carry the usual 12 or 13 pitchers, and so extra spots are usually given to position players. Once the ALDS rolls around, the rosters tend to be more fixed.

Without further ado, let’s examine who’s earned a spot on the Yankees playoff roster.

The Shoo-ins

C (2): Gary Sanchez, Austin Romine

IF (5): Luke Voit, Gleyber Torres, Didi Gregorius, Miguel Andujar, Neil Walker

OF (5): Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton, Brett Gardner, Andrew McCutchen

SP (4): Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, JA Happ, CC Sabathia

RP (5): Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, Chad Green, David Robertson, Zach Britton

These 21 players are fairly straightforward picks for the postseason roster. Most of the position players listed above have been regular starters, and there’s no reason to believe they will not continue to be when the postseason rolls around. Of the 12 listed here, the only non-starters are Austin Romine, Neil Walker, and one of McCutchen or Gardner.

Romine has clearly established himself as the backup catcher, with some continuing to argue (wrongly, in my humble opinion) that he should start in the playoffs. Walker, after an abysmal start, has been a solid contributor since the All Star break. His versatility, and ability to play multiple infield positions functionally is also valuable to the team. Given Greg Bird’s meteoric fall from grace, he will also serve as the de facto backup first baseman. And Gardner, while scuffling, is still a leader and crucial clubhouse presence. There’s no doubt in my mind that he will make the playoff roster despite some struggles at the plate.

On to the pitchers. Sevy, Tanaka, and Happ are no brainers and are all in the mix for Wild Card game starter, as mentioned before. CC has been nails for this team, and is an easy selection for fourth starter. He also continues to cement his pinstripe legacy after forgoing a $500,000 bonus to defend his teammates against the Rays.

The five relievers listed constitute the stud arms that most fans think of when talking about the infamous Super Bullpen. While each of these pitchers has struggled at some point in the season, they are all legitimately elite relievers who form the backbone of the Yankees late inning staff. It doesn’t hurt that all of them, save Chapman, have largely been excellent since the start of August.

Ultimately, I feel that everyone listed about has a fairly easy case for being on the roster and should be no brainers when it comes time to submit the playoff roster. It would be a genuine shock if any of these 21 Yankees did not suit up in the postseason, barring (God forbid) a late injury.

The final four

Well, that leaves us with just four remaining spots that are somewhat more contentious to finalize the roster. To this point, we already have 12 position players — the typical regular season position player quota — and nine pitchers. Who’s left with a legitimate argument?

Let’s begin with the pitchers. Among remaining eligible, I think Chance Adams, Jonathan Loaisiga, Stephen Tarpley, and Domingo German are all easy to eliminate. All are young, raw, and have been inconsistent despite flashes of their talent. They are not the type of players you rely on in a playoff game. Justus Sheffield has a slightly better case since he’s a premier prospect, but he has all of 1.2 IP in the big leagues. No chance the Yankees use a precious roster spot on him.

Of the more established guys, Cessa and Cole have no business being used in a playoff game, even in mop up duty. I will be legitimately enraged if I am subjected to watching AJ Cole get shelled in a moderately close postseason game this year.

That leaves Kahnle, Holder, Lynn, and Gray for anywhere from two to four slots. To me, Holder stands out as an obvious pick with his strong performance throughout the season. Yankee fans will likely never forget his shambolic outing at Fenway, but he has been a legitimately solid reliever all season and deserves a place as the sixth man out of the pen.

I also think it’s likely the Yankees will take one of Gray or Lynn to serve as the emergency reliever/mop up guy to give the Yankees cover in case a starter gets hurt or a blowout takes place. Since his initial demotion in early August, Gray has actually been quite good pitching to a 2.55 ERA and 3.44 FIP since August 3. Lynn, on the other hand, has a troubling top line number (4.60 ERA) but excellent peripherals (2.33 FIP, 25.7% K%, 6.4% BB%) since that same date. I think this is a toss up but will go with Lynn as the long man in the pen.

Ok, stay with me. We now have 23 guys — 12 position players, 11 pitchers — on our potential roster. The remaining contenders for the final two spots are Tommy Kahnle, Greg Bird, Adeiny Hechavarria, Ronald Torreyes, and Tyler Wade. For these final two spots, I think the Yankees will opt for particular tools that could be valuable as plug-ins late in a close game. For that reason, I’m picking Tyler Wade and Adeiny Hechavarria as the final players on the roster.

Wade brings elite speed, something that is largely absent from the Yankees lineup. It is now well known that his offensive skills are below average, but he can play a valuable role as a late game pinch runner as well as defensive replacement. Hechavarria brings elite defensive skills that could critical in allowing Boone to replace Miguel Andujar and his questionable glove at third. These two guys have an obvious path to playing time and could provide clear value to the team in the playoffs.

Conclusion

Ultimately I have come up with the 25 guys I think constitute both the best and most likely players to be selected for the playoff roster. Though I think the Lynn/Gray question is legitimately a toss up, I am otherwise fairly comfortable with every player I have chosen for this team.

Looking back, the Yankees often carry at least 13 position players in the playoffs, unlike their typical regular season roster construction. That 8th reliever becomes even less important with the added days off and more high leverage situations the playoffs brings. I think this year that number will be bumped to 14 since Hechavarria and Wade both have a much clearer value to the team than the shaky Kahnle would.

So there you have it. Hopefully, whoever is ultimately chosen, this 2018 edition of the Bronx Bombers can lead the Yankees back to the promised land and World Series glory.

The post Who should make the Yankees playoff roster? appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

It’s only the first day of April and the Yankees are already facing a budding injury crisis. Before the regular season had even begun, injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury, Clint Frazier, and Greg Bird forced the Yankees to adjust their Opening Day roster plans. Now, early injuries to Aaron Hicks, Billy McKinney, and Adam Warren leave the Yankees facing something of a conundrum.

McKinney was diagnosed with a left shoulder AC sprain after bashing into the wall during yesterday’s game. While X-rays thankfully came back negative, Aaron Boone announced after the game that he will be headed to the DL. Since the injury was to his throwing shoulder, it’s more than possible he could miss significant time.

Coming into spring training, the outfield was arguably the Yankees greatest strength. The wealth of major league talent left many fans eager to see Clint Frazier traded for pitching, or Jacoby Ellsbury and his massive salary dumped. Now, the Yankees are in the unenviable position of having just three healthy outfielders on the 40-man roster.

With the DL growing and the outfield especially thin, it is worth taking an early look at the depth pieces the Yankees have at their disposal moving forward this season.

The Staff

Active Roster: Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Sonny Gray, Jordan Montgomery, Aroldis Chapman, David Robertson, Dellin Betances, Chad Green, Tommy Kahnle, Chasen Shreve, Adam Warren, Jonathan Holder

40-Man Roster: Luis Cessa, Domingo German, Domingo Acevedo, Albert Abreu, Jonathan Loaisiga, Giovanny Gallegos, Ben Heller

Non-Roster Options: Chance Adams, Brady Lail, Cody Carroll, J.P. Feyereisen, Cale Coshow

While minor league reliever Giovanny Gallegos looks set to start the season on the DL with a groin injury, the rest of the roster started the season injury free. That is, until today when swiss army reliever Adam Warren was struck in the ankle by a comebacker. He’s been diagnosed with an ankle contusion, and it remains to be seen whether a DL stint will follow. The Yankees have a bevy of strong, young options in Triple-A to fill in should relievers like Warren go down throughout the year. Heller and Gallegos have both exhibited stuff that plays at the major league level, and are prime Scranton Shuttle^TM candidates. With the embarrassment of riches the Yankees have in their bullpen, they likely won’t have to rely heavily on these unproven young options. While losing front-line starters such as Sevy or Tanaka would be devastating, the Yankees have the luxury of turning high ceiling youngsters to fill in should injuries strike. German and Adams are both highly touted prospects who would likely have broken camp on the major league roster of many teams in the league. While they are unproven, they are significantly more talented than the Quad-A options most MLB teams have at their disposal. The Yankees are blessed with talent on their active roster and depth in their system that is unmatched in the league.

The Infield

Active Roster: Didi Gregorius, Neil Walker, Brandon Drury, Tyler Wade, Tyler Austin, Ronald Torreyes, Miguel Andujar

40-Man Roster: Gleyber Torres, Thairo Estrada

Disabled List: Greg Bird

Non-Roster Options: Mike Ford, Ryan McBroom, Jace Peterson, Abiatal Avelino

There’s no denying that the spring training injury to Greg Bird was a huge blow to the Yankees infield. He looked set to potentially slot in between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton as a big lefty masher and terrorize the short porch. Instead, he will likely miss the first month or two of the season after having surgery to remove a bone spur from the same right ankle that plagued him last year. However, the versatility of nearly every Yankees infielder leaves them well equipped to handle injuries that may be sustained throughout the season. In particular, the ability of Wade, Walker, and Torreyes to play multiple positions gives Boone a variety of options should key starters go down. Beyond the depth in talent the Yankees have on the active roster, top prospects Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres look prepared to prove their worth at the big league level. Andujar’s call-up following the McKinney injury shows that the Yankees front office is ready to give the kids a chance if, god forbid, key starters like Didi or Drury go down. Barring a nightmare scenario, the Yankees seem more than capable of dealing with injuries in the infield.

The Outfield

Active Roster: Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Brett Gardner

40-Man Roster: …yikes

Disabled List: Jacoby Ellsbury, Clint Frazier, Aaron Hicks, Billy McKinney

Non-Roster Options: Shane Robinson, Estevan Florial (?)

The outfield is where things get incredibly dicey for the Yankees in the short term. As things stand, the only true outfielders the Yankees can turn to are Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Brett Gardner. If you squint hard enough, there’s an argument to be made for Wade, Walker, and Austin as emergency fill-ins. Ellsbury is eligible to return from the disabled list later this week after suffering an oblique injury during spring training. However, the Yankees are facing a stark reality as the season progresses. Keeping Judge and Stanton fresh and healthy is vital to their success this year, and that means giving them regular DH time and off days. As the injuries pile up, the Yankees will be forced to either shift their utility infielders to increased outfield duty or risk losing members of the 40-man roster to make room for a depth piece like Shane Robinson. In all likelihood, Tyler Wade will see an increasing amount of time in the outfield to provide Boone with the flexibility he needs while he waits for the outfield to get healthy again.

The post Next Man Up: Examining Yankees Depth Options appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

As Opening Day edges closer, Aaron Boone has set his starting rotation for the beginning of the season.

Manager Aaron Boone announced today that RHP Luis Severino will start for the Yankees on Opening Day, March 29 at Toronto.

Yankees Opening Rotation:
Luis Severino
Masahiro Tanaka
CC Sabathia
Sonny Gray
Jordan Montgomery

— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) March 17, 2018

On Saturday morning, the new skipper announced that Luis Severino will start the season opener. The 24-year-old will take the mound on March 29 against the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Severino is well-deserving of the Opening Day nod. After struggling during the 2016 season, the right-hander had a bounce-back season, posting a 14-6 record with a 2.98 ERA. Sevy was selected to his first All-Star game and finished third in the American League CY Young Award voting in 2017.

Following Severino, the Yankees’ rotation is scheduled to look like this:

March 30- Masahiro Tanaka
March 31- CC Sabathia
April 1- Sonny Gray
April 2- Jordan Montgomery

To finish the Blue Jays’ series, the Yanks will turn to their three veteran arms in the rotation. Youngster Jordan Montgomery is scheduled to pitch the team’s home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.

As Spring Training comes to a close, expect more announcements regarding the 25-man roster in the near future. Continue to follow the Bronx Pinstripes team for all the latest news and updates surrounding the New York Yankees.

The post Luis Severino named Opening Day starter appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

The Yankees have announced several roster moves including placing middle infielder Stephen Drew on the paternity list. By rule, Drew must miss the teams next game this evening as the Yankees take on the Phillies. The Phillies ousted the Yankees 11-8 in Monday’s contest. He may miss no more than three games, stated by the Major Leauge Baseball rules. The rule was implemented in 2011.

On the season, Drew, 32, has a batting line of .190/.258/.389 with 11 homeruns and 24 RBI.

In place of Drew, the Yankees will call up Jose Pirela to take his roster place for the time being. The 25 year-old second baseman is hitting .256 on the season in his time at the big leagues, including a long ball. He has appeared in 18 games at the major leauge level this year. At the start of the season, he was competing with Drew for the starting second base spot and has seen playing time when Drew takes over at shortstop.

Yankees recall Bryan Mitchell and Jose Pirela from @swbrailriders, place Stephen Drew on the paternity list, option Ramon Flores to AAA.

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) June 23, 2015

In addition to calling up Pirela, the team will add bullpen arm Bryan Mitchell to the Major Leauge roster. Mitchell, 24, has made an appearance in the big leagues with three innings pitched allowing an earned run on four hits. He has two punch-outs on the season. Mitchell has shown promise to the Yankees during his time in the minors as he owns a 2.79 ERA in 67 2/3 innings pitched in Triple-A.

The team has also optioned Ramon Flores to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Flores, 23, is hitting .250 with a double in 28 plate appearances in the bigs. Flores has been a part of the revolving outfield door since Jacoby Ellsbury was placed on the DL with a knee injury.

The post Yankees roster moves 6/23/15 appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

With all the moves made yesterday a few tidbits of news went unnoticed. First off GM Brian Cashman feels optimistic about the return of Michael Pineda. It was announced earlier this week that Pineda will start his final rehab assignment this weekend, but there was some speculation about where he would go. Via Bryan Hoch, Cashman said Pineda will make his first minor league rehab start at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. He is still slated to throw around 60 pitches, but the hopes are that he will only need three maybe four starts. “He’s coming back hopefully soon on a rehab assignment to give us more choices in the rotation,” Cashman said.

The team will also have to make some more roster moves today. Esmil Rogers will be activated to the 25-man roster today, and will be available in the bullpen today for manager Joe Girardi. The logical choice would be to option Chase Whitley back to Scranton to make room in the bullpen. David Huff is also a possibility though. It depends on how they decide to use Rogers. For now he will probably be the long man, but he could also be used as starter if needed. He was starting in Triple-A for the Blue Jays, so he is definitely stretched out. Although his numbers don’t exactly jump off the page. In seven starts at Buffalo, he went 2-2 with a 3.14 ERA over 48.2 innings.

They also have to open one more spot for the newly acquired Stephen Drew. That could be a difficult choice, Zelous Wheeler or Zoilo Almonte could be optioned down, but with the influx of infielders now there is an outside shot that they designate shortstop Brendan Ryan. I don’t see why they would DFA Ryan, he can play almost every position and is big clubhouse guy, but if I had to guess it will probably be Wheeler,

Finally Cashman had to address the Rob Refsynder debate once again. He reiterated the fact that Ref will finish the season in Scranton, and continue to work at second base. “I’ve been pretty consistent about Refsnyder, that my intention is to have him play his year out at second base….“I’ve been pretty consistent and reluctant to bring him up, I’d rather him play the whole year out and prepare potentially to take a shot at the roster next year.”  Hopefully that will be the last time we hear anything more about Refsynder this year, I’m sure Cashman feels the same way.

The post Notes on Pineda, Roster Moves and Refsynder appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

It was an eventful day for most teams, then at the very last-minute the Yankees make some moves. First off something we don’t see very often, a deal between the Boston Red Sox and the Yankees. Shortstop Stephen Drew was traded for utility infielder Kelly Johnson, the Red Sox will also throw in $500,000 to get the deal done. The Yankees already have an all-star shortstop by the name of Derek Jeter, so Drew will be the new second baseman. But the fun doesn’t stop there, the Yankees acquired utility man Martin Prado from the Arizona Diamondbacks for slugging prospect C/DH Peter O’Brien and player to be named later. To make room for Prado on the roster, they designated second baseman Brian Roberts for assignment. Prado has primarily played third base this year totaling 99 games, but has also played 253 games in left field throughout his career.

For now Drew, who has never played any other position than shortstop, will be the everyday second baseman, Prado will be in right field, and Chase Headley will stay at third base. Before all this madness went down, the Yankees claimed reliever Esmil Rogers off waivers from the Blue Jays, and the team has announced that he will be in the bullpen tomorrow in Boston. Scott Sizemore was released from Scranton to make room for Rogers. Now for some numbers, Drew has been struggling offensively batting just .176/.255/.328 and .583 OPS. Prado on the other hand is a having an decent year, 270/.317/.370 with a .686 OPS. Neither player is hitting for a lot of power though, just a combined 9 home runs between the two.

Some credits: YES Network’s Jack Curry was first to report the Prado deal and ESPNBoston’s Gordon Edes broke the Drew deal.

The post Yankees Get Stephen Drew, Martin Prado at Deadline appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

The post Alfonso Soriano Designated for Assignment appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Some minor league goings on to report about. First off the young 21-year old pitcher Jose Campos had Tommy John surgery this week. Campos was part of the Michael Pineda and Jesus Montero trade a few years ago. Campos hasn’t been much of a factor since being acquired from the Seattle Mariners. He’s been down in Single-A Charleston since 2012 and has seen his share of injuries already. Campos made 19 starts last season for the RiverDogs, and had a record of 4-2 and a 3.41 ERA over 87 innings. Campos is currently occupying a spot the Yankees 40-man roster, so the organization has to decide what they want to do with that roster spot. It doubtful they send him to the 60-day disabled list, cause that would start his service clock.

Prior to today’s game the Yankees recalled right-hander Chris Leroux from Scranton and optioned Shane Greene back down. Greene made is major league debut in Thursday’s blowout win against the Red Sox. The team also gave lefty Nik Turley his outright release today. Turley hasn’t pitched yet this year due to an arm injury. This move is a bit surprising, seeing how Turley is left-handed pitcher and we all know how valuable a lefty can be. Turley posted a 3.88 ERA with strikeout ratio of 8.9K/9 over 139 innings for the Trenton Thunder last season. The Turley move makes room for Leroux on the 25/40-man roster. Although our sources say they will probably resign Turley, kind of like they did with David Adams last season.

The post Pin Notes – Roster Moves and Campos Surgery appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

In the wake of the the Michael Pineda suspension, the Yankees now have a bigger need for more pitching. This afternoon they made some moves accordingly. The team has optioned SS Dean Anna and relief pitcher Preston Claiborne down to Triple-A Scranton. To fill the empty spots they have signed right handed pitcher Bruce Billings to a Major League contract and activated him to the 25-man roster. They also recalled righty Shane Greene for Scranton. Both pitchers will be in the bullpen for tonight’s game. Some people are a little surprised about the Anna move, but right now it’s a numbers game and last night’s incident didn’t do any favors for the already stretched out bullpen. Im sure we will see Anna again this season, but for right now we need to make sure there is sufficient pitching. Anna was the backup to Derek Jeter, my guess now it will be Yangervis Solarte or platoon of player. Jeter has only come out of a few blowouts that the Yankees have been involved in. We will see who is into play short the next day off Jeter gets.

They also shifted Ivan Nova to the 60-day disabled list. After a third opinion from famed surgeon Dr. James Andrews, Nova has decided to have the Tommy John procedure, officially ending his 2014 campaign. He will go under the knife Tuesday and it will be performed by Dr. Andrews in Alabama.

Quick notes on Pineda. Joe Girardi said this afternoon that they will not appeal the suspension. “Its a good news, bad news situation but now we can put it behind us.” Girardi said on his weekly radio spot. Luckily the way the schedule falls, the team will only need to fill one start. That start will be in Anaheim on Tuesday May 6th. Girardi said he has an idea of who the pitcher will be, but would not say who it will be just yet.

The post Roster Moves and Some Quick Notes on Nova appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Congrats @Dino24Baseball for making the Yanks OD roster!! #LetsGo

— Jedd Gyorko (@JGyorko05) March 28, 2014

Then at around 9:30pm Girardi made it official. They also announced that Zelous Wheeler was optioned to Triple-A Scranton, just leaving Eduardo Nunez and Solarte left.

But the drama didn’t end there, Girardi told both Nunez and Solarte not to pack and just show up like it was a normal day. The team scheduled to ship out for Houston tonight, and the two players told that they were not coming, the rumor mill started spinning once again. Fast forward a few hours later, it was revealed that Solarte has an opt-out clause in case he was not going to make the 25-man roster. But Solarte did say he would be open to staying with the Yankees organization in Scranton if he felt it was his best chance to eventually make the big league team. Meanwhile Nunez said the entire situation was “weird”. He was thought to be the front runner for the final spot, seeing how he was already on the 40-man roster.

After today’s spring training finale was canceled due to rain, the focus was quickly back on the Solarte and Nunez situation. Girardi called Nunez into his office first to break the bad news to him. He had nothing but good things to say bout Nunez. “We all love Nuney,” said Girardi. Nunez left camp without talking to reporters, and he will start the season in Scranton. He was officially optioned this afternoon. Once Solarte was told he won the final roster spot, he was absolutely smitten with joy, “It’s been nine years that I’ve been waiting for this,” he said. “I have goosebumps still.” This is Solarte’s first time in the bigs and he certainly deserves it. He will join the team on Monday, because Cashman still has to make room on the 40-man. So there will be one more roster move to report.

Solarte outplayed Nunez this spring, in 47 plate appearances Solarte went 18-for-42 giving him a whopping .429 BA, .489 OBP, .571 SLG with two homers and four walks. He clearly was the better of the two defensively, being able to play almost any infield position. He will primarily be the backup at third and second base, while Anna concentrates on backing up Jeter at shortstop. Nunez didn’t have such a great spring in the field. His continual throwing errors are still a concern and liability, but we all know Nunez has a great bat. Girardi has said all spring he was going to take the best possible players for the roster. I’m sure this won’t be the last time we see Nunez in pinstripes, and I know we will all miss his flying helmet.

The post Surprise! Anna and Solarte Win Final Roster Spots appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

This years 2014 opening day bullpen will consist of David Robertson, Shawn Kelley, Matt Thornton, David Phelps, Adam Warren, Dellin Betances, and finally Vidal Nuno. The odd man out at least for right now is Cesar Cabral, who was the early favorite to be the second lefty in the pen, but Nuno snags the final roster spot. GM Brian Cashman said earlier this week that the team was definitely going to carry two lefties and Girardi said they were going to take the best possible players. The thought process behind naming Nuno as the second lefty instead of Cabral was fairly simple. The Yankees play 13 straight games to open up the season, and having three potential long men in the pen is a good safety net for the team.

That wasn’t the only news announced yesterday evening. It seems the Yankees have also resigned a familiar face. Alfredo Aceves was signed yesterday to a minor league deal. Aceves broke into the league with the Yankees in 2008 and played three seasons with the team. Most of us probably remember him best over the last few seasons as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Aceves had pitched in multiple roles with the Red Sox over those three seasons, but he quickly fell out of the good graces of the team, which ultimately lead to his release last July. This offseason the Baltimore Orioles signed Aceves to minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Thursday he exercised his opt-out clause with Baltimore after he wasn’t named to the team’s 25-man roster. Aceves will start the season in Scranton with the RailRiders, where he will work out of the starting rotation. Aceves has an opt-out clause for July 1st. Aceves’ career numbers are kind of a mixed bag of results. In 194 games and 381 innings pitched, he has a 3.94 ERA and has a career total of 29 saves. We will see what the Yankees end up doing with him, but for right now he is just an insurance policy.

The post Bullpen Finalized, Aceves Back With Yankees appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

It looks like the most familiar name on the list is reliever Preston Claiborne. After yesterday’s horrible outing, in which he gave up six earned off four hits, Claiborne didn’t record an out and was awarded the loss in yesterday’s game. That was probably the final nail in the coffin for him. His spring numbers were equally bad. In 7 games and 5.2 innings pitched he had a record of 0-1 with an astronomical 14.29 ERA. Definitely not the same guy we saw at the start of last season. Claiborne was expected to be a piece of the Yankees bullpen this season, but as of right now he will be optioned to Scranton to start the season.

Next guy who I thought a had a shot at one of the backup utility spots was Scott Sizemore. The 29-year old infielder has missed a ton of time with injuries and hasn’t played a full season since 2011. His spring numbers weren’t too bad, in 11 games he batted .316 with 11 RBIs and a .778 OPS. But his lack of at-bats and overall playing time didn’t help his cause. Sizemore was a non-roster invitee this spring so what happens next is up to GM Brian Cashman. If they decide he’s worth a spot on the 40-man roster he could possibly stay in Tampa and continue working out in extended spring training or head to Scranton. But as of right now he will be reassigned.

The rest of list isn’t too surprising. Pitchers that were cut today included righties Jim Miller, David Herndon, Danny Burawa Chris Leroux and Japanese journeyman Yoshinori Tateyama, who actually pitched fairly well this spring. The list also included lefty Fred Lewis. All of them pitched great according to manager Joe Giradi, but we all know it’s a simple numbers game. The seven are being reassigned to minor league camp.

The last name on the list is outfielder Zoilo Almonte, who is in the lineup today, but will be optioned to Scranton after today’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This move clears up the outfield, leaving no doubt as of right now that Ichiro will have fifth and final outfield spot. Today’s game will also probably be the final audition for the remaining roster spots. Dean Anna, Yangervis Solarte, Zelous Wheeler and Eduardo Nunéz are all fighting for the two backup utility spots with Brendan Ryan starting the season on the 15-day disabled list. Nunéz and Anna gave the leg up, being on the 40-man, but Solarte’s amazing spring will be hard overlook.

The post Preston Claiborne Amongst Today’s Roster Cuts appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Rotation
LHP C.C. Sabathia
RHP Hiroki Kuroda
RHP Phil Hughes
RHP Ivan Nova
RHP Freddy Garcia

Lineup
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez DH
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

Bullpen
RHP Mariano Rivera
RHP David Robertson
RHP Rafael Soriano
LHP Boone Logan
RHP Cory Wade
LHP Clay Rapada
RHP David Phelps

Bench
Chris Stewart C
Eduardo Nunez 2B/SS
Eric Chavez 3B/1B
Andruw Jones OF/DH

Who’s Out?
Francisco Cervelli – Sent to Triple-A
George Kontos – Traded to the Giants
Justin Maxwell – Designated for Assignment
Chris Dickerson – Sent to Triple-A
Dewayne Wise – Sent to Triple-A
Bill Hall – Released
Adam Warren – Sent to Triple-A
D.J. Mitchell – Sent to Triple-A
Cesar Cabral – Placed on the 15-day disabled list (Left elbow fracture)
Andy Pettitte – Stays in extended Spring Training
Joba Chamberlain – Torn right medial collateral ligament and an additional right ankle dislocation
Michael Pineda – Placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive 3/31 (Right rotator cuff tendinitis)
Austin Romine – Placed on the 15-day disabled list retoactive 3/26 (Low back strain)
Brad Meyers – Right labrum strain
Jayson Nix and Doug Bernier – Still with club and will probably be optioned to Triple-A
Gustavo Molina – Will either be sent to AA Trenton or, if he prefers, released

The post The Yankees 25-Man Opening Day Roster appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.