New York Yankees: 5 Players Who Are in Serious Danger of Being Cut or Demoted
With a wealth of high-end young talent and a few compelling position battles to watch, the New York Yankees camp is as intriguing as any around the league this spring.
The No. 4 and 5 starter jobs are up for grabs behind Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda in the rotation, with Bryan Mitchell, Luis Severino, Chad Green, Luis Cessa, Adam Warren and Jordan Montgomery all in the mix.
The utility infield gig also needs to be decided as Ronald Torreyes looks to hold off a handful of non-roster veterans to win the final spot on the bench.
Add to that a former top prospect reportedly on the trade block, and there's plenty to be sorted out between now and Opening Day.
Ahead you'll find a projected 25-man roster, a full list of projected roster cuts as a result and a closer look at five notable players on the outside looking in.
Projected 25-Man Roster
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Projected Opening Day Roster
| LF Brett Gardner | RHP Masahiro Tanaka |
| CF Jacoby Ellsbury | LHP CC Sabathia |
| C Gary Sanchez | RHP Michael Pineda |
| DH Matt Holliday | RHP Luis Severino |
| 1B Greg Bird | RHP Bryan Mitchell |
| 2B Starlin Castro | |
| SS Didi Gregorius | LHP Jon Niese |
| 3B Chase Headley | RHP Adam Warren |
| RF Aaron Judge (R) | RHP Johnny Barbato (R) |
| LHP Tommy Layne | |
| C Austin Romine | RHP Tyler Clippard |
| 1B Chris Carter | RHP Dellin Betances |
| IF Ronald Torreyes | LHP Aroldis Chapman |
| OF Aaron Hicks |
Projected DL: 1B/OF Tyler Austin (fractured foot)
Bold signifies new acquisition.
Full List of Projected Roster Cuts
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40-Man Roster
C Kyle Higashioka
3B Miguel Andujar
SS Jorge Mateo
IF/OF Rob Refsnyder
OF Mason Williams
SP Luis Cessa
SP Dietrich Enns
SP Domingo German
SP Chad Green
SP Ronald Herrera
SP Yefrey Ramirez
RP Giovanny Gallegos
RP Ben Heller
RP Jonathan Holder
RP Chasen Shreve
Non-Roster Invitees
C Wilkin Castillo
C Kellin Deglan
C Francisco Diaz
C Jorge Saez
1B Ji-Man Choi
SS Gleyber Torres
SS Tyler Wade
IF Pete Kozma (out of options)
IF Donovan Solano (out of options)
IF Ruben Tejada (out of options)
OF Dustin Fowler
OF Clint Frazier
OF Billy McKinney
SP Chance Adams
SP Daniel Camarena
SP James Kaprielian
SP Brady Lail
SP Jordan Montgomery
SP Justus Sheffield
RP J.P. Feyereisen
RP J.R. Graham
RP Jason Gurka
RP Joe Mantiply
RP Branden Pinder
RP James Reeves
RP Nick Rumbelow
RP Evan Rutckyj
Notable Projected Cut: IF Pete Kozma
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Roster Status: Non-roster invitee
Role: Utility infielder
Projected Roster-Spot Winner: Ronald Torreyes
Other Contenders: Donovan Solano, Ruben Tejada, Tyler Wade
Spring Stats: 5-for-13, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
Overview
Pete Kozma is in camp with the Yankees as a non-roster invitee for the second straight season and he appears to be on the outside looking in once again for the utility infield job.
The 28-year-old spent the entirety of last season playing for the team's Triple-A affiliate, hitting .209/.268/.265 with 21 extra-base hits and 11 stolen bases in 488 plate appearances.
He's off to a nice start this spring, but 24-year-old Ronald Torreyes offers more upside with the bat and an equally steady glove at second, shortstop and third base in the utility infield role.
Expect Kozma to head back to Triple-A, where he'll serve as experienced organizational depth and a useful veteran sounding board for the team's up-and-coming middle infielders.
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Notable Projected Cut: IF Ruben Tejada
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Roster Status: Non-roster invitee
Role: Utility infielder
Projected Roster-Spot Winner: Ronald Torreyes
Other Contenders: Pete Kozma, Donovan Solano, Tyler Wade
Spring Stats: 3-for-13, 2 RBI, 4 R
Overview
Ruben Tejada was a 2.0 WAR player in consecutive seasons in 2011 and 2012 for the New York Mets when he was 21 and 22 years old.
However, he's hit just .234/.318/.309 and posted a combined 0.2 WAR over the past four seasons.
His time with the Mets ended in gruesome fashion when he suffered a broken leg on an aggressive takeout slide from Chase Utley during the 2015 postseason, and he hit just .167/.247/.242 over 78 plate appearances with the Cardinals and Giants last season.
Now he's looking to catch on in a utility role with the Yankees but looks to have an uphill battle to climb if he hopes to beat out Ronald Torreyes.
"My goal is to stay in the big leagues," Tejada told Dan Martin of the New York Post. "It's a big city and a different place to play. It's the same baseball."
Whether he may be afforded a chance to catch on somewhere else or might be willing to report to Triple-A remains to be seen.
Notable Projected Cut: RHP Luis Cessa
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Roster Status: 40-man roster, two minor league options remaining
Role: No. 4/5 starter
Projected Roster-Spot Winner: Bryan Mitchell, Luis Severino
Other Contenders: Chad Green, Jordan Montgomery, Adam Warren
Spring Stats: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Overview
Luis Cessa was traded twice in the span of five months prior to last season:
- July 31, 2015: Traded with RHP Michael Fulmer to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for OF Yoenis Cespedes
- Dec. 9, 2015: Traded with RHP Chad Green to the New York Yankees in exchange for LHP Justin Wilson.
Now it appears the right-hander has finally found a home with the Yankees as he's squarely in the mix for one of the two open rotation spots this spring.
Cessa made nine starts and eight relief appearances last season, going a combined 4-4 with a 4.35 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 46 strikeouts in 70.1 innings of work.
After throwing two perfect innings in his spring debut, he's allowed five hits and three runs (two earned) in four innings of work his last two times out.
Even if he starts the season in the minors, expect him to see the majors in some capacity in 2017.
Notable Projected Cut: RHP Chad Green
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Roster Status: 40-man roster, two minor league options remaining
Role: No. 4/5 starter
Projected Roster-Spot Winner: Bryan Mitchell, Luis Severino
Other Contenders: Luis Cessa, Jordan Montgomery, Adam Warren
Spring Stats: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Overview
Chad Green has the swing-and-miss stuff to succeed at the highest level as he struck out 52 batters in 45.2 innings in his first taste of MLB action last season.
While walks weren't necessarily an issue (3.0 walks per nine innings), he still needs to do a better job locating within the strike zone after he allowed 9.7 H/9 and 12 home runs.
The 25-year-old saw his stuff play up after joining the Yankees organization last season, touching 97 mph with his fastball and turning his slider/cutter hybrid into a legitimate second plus offering.
Green could benefit from more time refining his stuff in the minors, and with two minor league options remaining, there's no pressure to keep him on the Opening Day roster.
"He projects as No. 4 starter or a possible late-inning reliever whose stuff would gain more power in shorter stints," MLB.com's Prospect Watch noted.
One way or another, he should factor into the team's future plans thanks to his live arm.
Notable Projected Cut: IF/OF Rob Refsnyder
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Roster Status: 40-man roster, one minor league option remaining
Role: Backup infielder/outfielder
Projected Roster-Spot Winner: Ronald Torreyes, Aaron Hicks
Other Contenders: Pete Kozma, Donovan Solano, Ruben Tejada, Tyler Wade, Mason Williams
Spring Stats: 3-for-19, 2 RBI, 3 R
Overview
Rob Refsnyder still has one minor league option remaining, but he could be on the move this spring without a clear spot on the Opening Day roster.
"According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the Yankees have let clubs know they are willing to listen to trade offers for infielder/outfielder Rob Refsnyder," wrote George A. King of the New York Post.
The 25-year-old has yet to carve out a steady role at the MLB level with a .262/.332/.354 line that includes 12 doubles and two home runs over 222 plate appearances the past two seasons.
However, he has a strong minor league track record.
The former fifth-round pick is a .293/.379/.429 hitter over five minor league seasons, and "scouts like Refsnyder's bat better than his glove," according to King.
Even if he isn't moved between now and Opening Day, it doesn't appear he'll be breaking camp with the team unless someone goes down with an injury.
All regular season stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, while spring stats come via MLB.com.
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