TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees are running out of time to finalize their 2026 roster. Opening Day in San Francisco is March 25. The club must trim from 54 players to 26 in the next 10 days. On Saturday morning, the Bombers made another round of cuts, and one name on the list caught people’s attention.
Left-handed pitching prospect Kyle Carr was among four pitchers reassigned to the Yankees’ minor league complex. Right-handers Michael Arias, Dylan Coleman and Don Hamel were also sent down.
None of the four were realistic candidates for the Yankees’ Opening Day roster. But Carr’s inclusion stands out because he is one of the most intriguing arms in the organization’s pipeline, ranked 11th in MLB Pipeline’s Yankees top 30 prospect rankings.
Why Carr’s reassignment matters for the Yankees
Carr, 23, does not get the hype that the Yankees’ top pitching prospects receive. Carlos Lagrange, Ben Hess and Elmer Rodriguez are the hard-throwing righties who dominate prospect conversations. But Carr quietly had a breakout 2025 season that put him on the map.
The 2023 third-round draft pick spent most of last season with High-A Hudson Valley and earned South Atlantic Pitcher of the Year honors. He went 8-6 with a 1.96 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 133 innings over 22 starts. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound lefty was promoted to Double-A Somerset in early September, where he was roughed up in two of three starts, allowing 14 hits and eight walks in 13 2/3 innings.
In two Grapefruit League outings with the Yankees this spring, Carr allowed one run in four innings with four strikeouts and two walks. It was a solid showing for a pitcher still developing.
According to MLB Pipeline’s scouting report, Carr works with a 90-92 mph fastball that tops out at 95. He generates weak contact rather than missing bats with his heater. His slider has settled into the upper 70s as more of an average offering, and he has added a harder changeup in the mid-80s with decent sink. The Yankees are hoping he shows improved velocity in 2026.
The other three Yankees cuts
Coleman, 29, joined the Yankees organization in January as a minor league free agent after spending 2025 with the Orioles. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound right-hander worked two scoreless innings in two spring outings, allowing two hits with two strikeouts and a walk. He posted a 3.38 ERA in 35 Double-A outings last season but struggled at Triple-A with a 9.45 ERA in 34 appearances.
Arias, 24, is a hard-throwing Dominican right-hander who was in the Yankees’ system last season. He pitched to a 2.73 ERA across 23 outings at four levels in 2025. His spring was rough. He allowed seven runs in 2.2 innings over four Grapefruit League appearances.
Hamel, 27, was a Mets third-round pick in 2021 who joined the Yankees in January via a waiver claim. The Arizona native allowed five runs, four earned, in 4.2 spring training innings. He has one career MLB appearance, a scoreless inning with the Mets last September in which he allowed three hits and hit a batter.
Where the Yankees roster stands now
The Yankees now carry 54 players on their spring training roster, not counting reliever Rafael Montero. The veteran right-hander signed a minor league deal in February but has not reported to camp due to visa issues leaving the Dominican Republic.
The pitching staff still has 25 arms in camp, including the core rotation of Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil and Cam Schlittler. Key bullpen pieces David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Ryan Weathers remain in the mix alongside several non-roster invitees fighting for the final spots.
The Yankees’ position player group includes 10 infielders, nine outfielders, five catchers and five utility players. Anthony Volpe remains on the Yankees roster as he works back from offseason shoulder surgery. He is not expected to be ready for Opening Day. Jose Caballero is in line to start at shortstop until Volpe returns. Clarke Schmidt is the lone player on the injured list.
The roster math is straightforward. The Yankees need to cut 28 more players in the next 10 days. More reassignments and optionings are coming. The decisions will get harder as the Yankees approach the final week of camp. Battles remain open in the bullpen, on the bench and in the outfield, where Jasson Dominguez and Trent Grisham are competing for playing time.
For Carr, the reassignment is a routine step in his Yankees development. He will likely open the 2026 season at Double-A Somerset, where the Bombers want him to build on his breakout year and prove he can handle upper-level hitters. If the velocity ticks up as the Yankees organization hopes, he could be a factor for the big league club sooner than the prospect rankings suggest. The 23-year-old has the makeup and the work ethic. Now he needs the stuff to match.
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