TAMPA — The Yankees are three days from Opening Day. The roster is nearly set. And the decisions that got it there tell a story that has less to do with spring performance than it does with contractual obligations, Rule 5 constraints and opt-out deadlines.
One by one, the Yankees cut players who outperformed the ones they kept. Jasson Dominguez hit .325 with a .978 OPS this spring and was optioned. Kervin Castro posted a 0.96 ERA and was sent down. Max Schuemann slashed .321/.486/.429 with a team-high nine walks and was optioned to Triple-A. In their place, the Yankees are carrying Randal Grichuk, who hit .105 with a .308 OPS, and Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest, who posted a 4.91 ERA in seven outings.
The pattern is hard to ignore. Performance took a back seat to roster math at nearly every turn.
Grichuk’s opt-out forced the Yankees’ hand on the bench
Grichuk signed a minor league deal in late February with a built-in opt-out clause. On Thursday, his agent informed the Yankees he would exercise it unless guaranteed a spot. By Saturday, Grichuk was told he was making the team. Schuemann, Oswaldo Cabrera, Paul DeJong and Seth Brown were all cut.
The Yankees valued Grichuk’s career .819 OPS against left-handed pitching and his five seasons of 20-plus home runs. Schuemann’s .212 career average in 234 big league games worked against him despite his strong spring. But the opt-out clause is what created the urgency. Without it, the Yankees may have taken more time.
Randal Grichuk with an absolute LASER off the left field wall 😮
“He looks what we hoped,” Boone said of Grichuk. “Feel like he’s in a good spot and he can help us. He’ll be a factor.”
The Yankees’ four-man bench heading to San Francisco for Wednesday’s opener against the Giants is now set: catcher J.C. Escarra, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, utility man Amed Rosario and Grichuk.
The Winquest Rule 5 dilemma lingers over the Yankees bullpen
Charles Wenzelberg
The bullpen decisions follow the same logic. Winquest was the Yankees’ first Rule 5 pick since 2011. If they do not keep him on the big league roster all season, they must offer him back to the Cardinals. That obligation has given Winquest a built-in advantage over pitchers who outperformed him this spring.
Castro, who had a 0.96 ERA in 9.1 spring innings and drew praise from Boone, was optioned because he has minor league options. Winquest does not. Jake Bird also can be optioned, which could work against him. Brent Headrick, who struck out nine batters in 4.2 innings, and Winquest are the favorites to claim the final two Yankees bullpen spots.
Six relievers are locks: David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough. The remaining spots hinge not on who pitched best but on who has the fewest roster alternatives.
“The first decision isn’t always the last decision,” Boone said. “What do we break with? That can look a lot different 10 days in, one month in, certainly two, three months in.”
Gil’s rebound start adds a rotation wrinkle
The rotation also carries uncertainty. Luis Gil struggled through his first four Grapefruit League starts and the Yankees have been working with him on his release point to add more deception to his fastball. But his fifth start on Friday was a breakthrough. Gil touched 98.8 mph, sat at 96.8 and struck out seven Orioles over five innings of one-hit ball.
“That was 2024 Luis Gil right there,” Boone declared.
The Yankees have three off days in the first nine days of the season and will not need a fifth starter until April 11. Max Fried will start the opener. Cam Schlittler is expected to pitch game two. Will Warren likely gets game three. Gil is projected as the fourth starter.
That leaves Ryan Weathers in limbo. The left-hander has an 11.68 ERA across five spring starts, though Boone said Weathers has pitched better than the numbers suggest. If the Yankees open with four starters, Weathers could begin in the bullpen or be optioned briefly while the Yankees carry a ninth reliever.
The Yankees have not ruled out sending Gil to the minors to continue development. In that scenario, the earliest he could be recalled would be April 9. One team source told The Athletic that converting flame-throwing prospect Carlos Lagrange into a reliever was “unlikely” but not impossible given his ability to touch 103 mph.
“I don’t have any doubts he could help us right now,” catcher Austin Wells said of Lagrange.
Cole’s return sits on the horizon
Gerrit Cole threw 10 pitches in his first spring training appearance this week. His fastball averaged 97.1 mph after 372 days away from game action. He will begin the season on the injured list alongside Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt, but Cole’s velocity and demeanor suggest he could rejoin the Yankees rotation ahead of schedule.
“I had a lot of fun out there,” Cole said. “I just wanted to enjoy all of it, so that was my goal. No reservations, try not to judge yourself too hard and just have fun.”
The bigger picture for Yankees fans
The Yankees are down to 32 players and need to reach 26 by Wednesday. Placing Cole, Rodon and likely Cabrera on the injured list will account for three spots. Jorbit Vivas, who is out of options, is expected to be designated for assignment.
“You try and make the best decisions for the club,” Boone said. “It’s as simple as that. It doesn’t mean you always make the right decision, but it’s a pretty disciplined process and we just try to get to the best decision.”
Whether these Yankees decisions were disciplined or driven by forces beyond performance is a question that will not be answered until the games count. The roster is built. The compulsions that shaped it are baked in. Now the Yankees have to make it work.
