Tampa – The Yankees have a set of 26 rosters with an asterisk.
As of Sunday afternoon, the club had yet to inform the last few players who created the team as they were waiting to see how the market would shake up over the next few days via cuts, opt-outs, exemptions and trading.
The Yankees are in the market for right-handed bats. Potentially, you could platoon with Oswald Cabrera on 3 base, but you can't even rule out the bullpen addition.
“I think we know who we're going with,” manager Aaron Boone said after the Yankees concluded the Rays 3-3 in their final spring home game at Stein Brenner Field. “Industry, there are things that can never be known for the next few days. That possibility can always change things. Otherwise we're pretty close.”
As is currently being constructed, the last two bench spots go to Pablo Reyes and Oswald Peraza, while the last three bullpen spots belong to Yondris Gomez, Brent Headrick and Yerry de los Santos.
But as the Yankees have often done in the past few years, a move or two over the days leading up to the first day on Thursday could change those plans.
“They said nothing to me,” Peraza said through an interpreter. “I still have two games left. For me, it's just to focus on my work.”
Peraza's spot is likely the least tenuous of that group as it is a sophisticated field field but light-hitting infielder is out of the minor league options.
On sporadic big league opportunities, he has yet to prove he can still get hit enough to stick, and so far he hit .174 with .465 OPS in 46 at-bats.
“I'm totally confident in my skills,” said Peraza, who is set to start Monday's game against the Mets at Port St. Lucie and heads to Miami for Tuesday's exhibition. “I definitely want to be a better ball player. If you are given the opportunity, work won't stop. It's trying to get better on the field, it won't stop. I'm just waiting to see. I'm definitely making decisions that I don't have. I'm just looking for opportunities.
Reyes is on the map in a strong spring and may have jumped over Peraza on a pecking order despite being a non-roster invitee.
He flashed the pop of the butt. Boone raves it, showing his defensive versatility between the 3 base, 2 base and corner outfield spots.
The bullpen competition was narrowed down to three internal reliefers for three spots on Sunday after the Yankees reassigned Willking Rodriguez to minor league camp.
The strong-threwed 35-year-old, who last appeared in the Big League in 2014, has had a strong spring as a non-roster invitee for the 2.57 ERA.
Gomez, who likes Peraza, is off the minor league option and appears to be the closest to rock to make the bullpen.
The 25-year-old hasn't allowed to run 11¹/₃ innings this spring, as he's been speeding up while converting from starters to relief bars.
The left-handed head lick is able to offer length (yankees like him play his thing in the 30-40 pitch range), and Delos Santos has a 1.93 ERA this spring.
