Yankees trying to finalize bullpen and reserve outfielder spots
The Yankees’ Estevan Florial hits a double in the top of the fourth inning against the Pirates during a spring training game at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla., on March 2. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
WASHINGTON — The Yankees are taking their final roster decisions down to the wire.
The competition for starting shortstop commanded most of the attention throughout the spring but the Yankees made the call on that late Sunday afternoon, tabbing rookie Anthony Volpe as the winner of the battle with Oswald Peraza.
But the final bullpen spot and reserve outfielder positions are still up in the air. The club has until the morning of Thursday's opener to finalize the roster.
After Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to the Nationals, Aaron Boone said, “we're still working through some things,” but did say outfielder Willie Calhoun and righty relievers Ian Hamilton and Greg Weissert had been optioned to the minors.
Boone said outfielders Rafael Ortega and Estevan Florial “are going with us to New York, but there's no nothing guaranteed there, either.”
That is, according to multiple club insiders, because the Yankees are still exploring the market, hoping to pull off a deal of some kind before Opening Day. Florial, a one-time touted prospect whose career in pinstripes never fully took off for a variety of reasons, is out of options and there are interested teams. The Yankees would prefer to be able to get something in return for Florial if possible, as opposed to designating him for assignment and, very likely in that case, getting nothing.
As for the last bullpen spot, the Yankees, who have significant concerns over the state of their rotation because of the spring injuries that caused Luis Severino and Carlos Rodon to start the season on the IL, could still bring someone in from the outside. If they’re unable to, they could go with an option from their system who could provide more length than a Weissert or Hamilton.
Hamilton impressed the Yankees all spring — he went unscored on in eight Grapefruit League outings — as did Weissert. The latter, a Bay Shore High School graduate, has no shortage of fans in the organization, making Boone’s postgame talk with the reliever especially tough.
“With Weiss, he's a big-leaguer,” Boone said. “And he's an important part of that team and will be an important part of this team … It is difficult because he's a big part of what's going on in there and will continue to be.”
