March 11th, 2025: Schmidt, Rotation, Matzek, Wells, Carrasco, Trade Targets

Has anyone blamed the injuries on the Yankees allowing beards yet? I feel like that take has to be out there. Blame this all on the Curse of the Beards™ (retroactive to 2010). Maybe the Yankees can harvest DJ LeMahieu’s elbow and give it to Gerrit Cole? This sucks man, but just think how electric it will be when Cole throws out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium in a few months. Here’s what I slapped together about Cole’s Tommy John surgery at CBS and here is today’s post as Art Schallock, the oldest living MLB player and a 1951-53 World Series champion with the Yankees, passes away at 100. (Confession: I wrote the RAB post on Cole's Tommy John surgery Monday morning, before we knew he needed it. I would’ve happily put it in the Content Graveyard. Alas.)

1. Grapefruit League observations. Another homer for Alex Vargas on Monday (video)! That’s three in 12 plate appearances this spring after hitting four homers in the minors last year. He wants back on my Top 30 Prospects List. Vargas is 8-for-11 with two doubles and three homers this spring. Eat your heart out, George Lombard Jr. Here are a few thoughts after the last few games.

The plan for Schmidt (and thoughts on the rotation)

Clarke Schmidt has begun his build up after an achy back put him behind the other starters in camp. He threw two innings of live BP last Thursday and will make his first Grapefruit League start later today. Aaron Boone said the plan is to have Schmidt stay back in Tampa when the Yankees break camp to throw one last sim game on March 28th. He’ll then join the team and start the sixth game of the regular season.

The Schmidt plan was put in place before we knew about Gerrit Cole’s injury and I doubt the Yankees will rush Schmidt back, though I guess we can’t rule it out. Ultimately, we’re talking about him missing one turn through the rotation – one turn with two off-days mixed in – and a starter who won’t be fully built up to 90+ pitches. Stick with the plan with Schmidt and figure out another way to get through the first five games.

With a healthy Cole, the plan was to start him on Opening Day and again in the fifth game of the season thanks to two early off-days. This was the plan:

• Thurs., March 27th vs. Brewers: Gerrit Cole

• Fri., March 28th: off-day (Clarke Schmidt sim game in Tampa)

• Sat., March 29th vs. Brewers: Max Fried

• Sun., March 30th vs. Brewers: Carlos Rodón or Marcus Stroman

• Mon., March 31st: off-day

• Tues., April 1st vs. D’Backs: Rodón or Stroman

• Weds., April 2nd vs. D’Backs: Cole with an extra day of rest

• Thurs., April 3rd vs. D’Backs: Schmidt with an extra day of rest

Obviously the Yankees can’t do exactly that with Cole down, and another problem is getting someone lined up to pitch Opening Day. Fried stayed back in Tampa and threw a sim game on Saturday rather than make the long road trip across the state. He’s lined up for the second game of the season. Opening Day would mean skipping a spring start and pitching on extended rest at some point, or pitching on short rest at some point. I don’t like either.

Rodón (threw sometime this past weekend) and Will Warren (started Monday) are in the same boat as Fried. They would either need to skip a spring start and pitch on extended rest at some point to line up for March 27th, or they’ll have to pitch on short rest to get lined up. Short rest can’t happen. Come on. It’s March. Skipping a spring start doesn’t seem like a good idea either. The Opening Day start isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things, you know?

The starter who best lines up for Opening Day is Stroman. He started Friday night, and sticking to a standard every fifth day schedule lines him up perfectly for March 27th. Stroman passed on the Opening Day start last year because he didn’t want to disrupt this spring routine. This year he lines up perfectly. Marcus Stroman, Opening Day starter. This is what I get for saying I thought he would be traded the last two months.

This is the second straight year Cole’s elbow sent the Yankees scrambling for an Opening Day starter. Last year Nestor Cortes filled in because, similar to Stroman this year, it was the easiest move. He was most closely lined up and it caused the least disruption to everyone’s schedule. This year, it’s Stroman who represents the path of least resistance. Baseball, man. What a sense of humor it has.

“There’s no script for this. In any sport, injuries happen,” Schmidt told Bryan Hoch over the weekend. “You have to make adjustments. There’s no set plan in stone when you show up to Spring Training. The inevitable injuries are going to pop up. Sometimes when it rains, it pours a little bit, but we know we’ll be able to weather the storm. I think that’s why we play 162 games.”

Matzek’s injury (and a roster projection)

While we were all freaking out about Cole, we learned lefty Tyler Matzek has an oblique strain and will miss some time. I mentioned Friday that he hadn’t pitched in over a week and yep, he’s hurt. At least it’s not his elbow again or his arm in general, I guess. The Yankees are at the point now where the guys who are competing to replace the injured guys are getting hurt. Never a good place to be.

“I feel really good (but the MRI) says that I shouldn’t feel really good,” Matzek told Greg Joyce. “So it’s one of those weird things. I think the plan is just to be very cautious on it. It is March. There’s no point in doing something that would cause surgery or a longer period thing. Let it be a minor thing and just go with the punches and be healthy for a majority of the season.”

Matzek was said to look good during his throwing work early in camp, and his stuff in his lone Grapefruit League outing was in line with his pre-Tommy John surgery stuff in 2022. I wrote that, if Matzek stayed healthy and continued to look good, the Yankees should put him on the Opening Day roster because a) he’d fill a role as the second lefty, and b) he’d likely opt out of his minor league deal and go elsewhere.

That’s off the table now. Matzek is no longer an Opening Day roster candidate. Add this injury to all the other pitching injuries, and the Yankees are running short on MLB caliber arms. Both starters and relievers. They also don’t have a third baseman because ugggh building a team is hard you guys. Here’s an updated roster projection. This is of course subject to change between now and Opening Day:

Escarra’s having a great spring (9-for-24 with two homers) and he has a lead over Jackson and Rice in innings caught (27.2 vs. 23 vs. 21). I think Escarra’s the favorite to get the job right now. Two lefty hitting catchers is a bit clumsy, but it can work. I mean, if you ever want Wells to be more than a platoon bat, you have to let him face lefties, right? Right. Right now, on March 11th, I think Escarra’s the guy. (The Yankees rave about his framing, for what it’s worth.)

Carrasco pitched well enough Sunday and has been okay this spring overall. With Cole and Gil (and Brubaker) hurt, the Yankees kinda need to preserve their rotation depth, and Carrasco can opt out of his minor league deal at the end of camp. Maybe he won’t and he’s willing to go to Triple-A. That would be swell. In that case, the Yankees could put De Los Santos, Headrick, or another optionable reliever in the bullpen. 

Gómez is not optionable, but again, the Yankees do need to retain depth, and all these injuries allow them to take him into the season rather than making a roster decision at the end of camp. It buys them a little more time. Might as well use it. Gómez threw 2.1 innings and 29 pitches Monday, his first time throwing more than one inning or 23 pitches this spring. Might as well stretch him out to 2-3(-4?) innings just so he’s ready to do it, if needed.

I laid out the case for putting Reyes on the bench Friday. It boils down to being a righty bat, basically. The Oswald(o)s are natural platoon partners at third, allowing Reyes to spell Chisholm and Domínguez against lefties. Carrying Rice and Escarra and Smith doesn’t make much sense to me. How many defensively limited left-handed hitters do you need? Reyes creates a more functional roster than Smith.

(Escarra played a bunch of third and some left and right fields in the minors last year, but none this spring. He’s played two innings at first base, a few games at DH, and the rest has been at catcher.)

The only upside to all these injuries is the 40-man roster flexibility. Cole can go on the 60-day injured list. So can Gil and Loáisiga, who aren’t expected back until late May/early June at the earliest. Maybe Stanton too, plus like 2-3 other guys. Shewmake is easily DFAable too* (sorry, Braden). Putting two or three or even four NRIs on the Opening Day roster won’t be difficult. The Yankees have 40-man flexibility.

* I just noticed Shewmake hasn’t appeared in a game since Feb. 26th. He must be hurt too.

We’re less than three weeks out from Opening Day and still so much is unsettled. The Yankees came into camp with a lot to figure out this spring (third base, backup catcher, etc.), and now the injuries have added to the uncertainty. The odds are good someone not currently in the organization will be on the Opening Day roster, I think. It might even be someones (plural) at this point.

Latest roster cuts

More roster cuts over the weekend. Nothing that settles any position battles yet though. Here are the latest players to be sent to minor league camp:

• Catchers: Rafael Flores, Jesús Rodríguez

• Infielders: George Lombard Jr., TJ Rumfield

• Outfielders: Duke Ellis

• Righties: Michael Arias, Erick Leal, Eric Reyzelman

• Lefties: none

Arias and Rodríguez are the first 40-man roster players to be sent out this spring. Arias was optioned to Triple-A Scranton, Rodríguez to Double-A Somerset. That does not necessarily mean they will begin the season at those levels, those are just their workout groups for Spring Training, though Arias is likely to open in Scranton and Rodríguez in Somerset. Those are the appropriate levels for them. Arias was one of my Prospects to Know and Rodríguez was one of my Not Top 30 Prospects.

At the time he was sent out, Reyzelman led the Yankees in appearances this spring (only four, but still). They gave my No. 20 prospect some run. Reyzelman got hit around last Friday, his last outing before he was reassigned, though he's had a strong spring overall. His Feb. 27th appearance against the Phillies was electric (video). There’s a chance we see him in the Bronx sometime this season. Maybe even a good chance. Flores is my No. 13 prospect. He only got nine at-bats this spring. Kinda lame. 

Lombard was very impressive this spring despite a statline that wasn’t as good as all the coverage would lead you to believe: 5-for-22 (.227) with two homers and six strikeouts. Still, for a 19-year-old in big league camp, Lombard did not look out of place in the field or in the batter’s box. I hope he has a big year in High-A (and Double-A?). The Yankees could really use some good vibes and a big prospect breakout this summer. I count 52 players still in big league camp, approximately 49 of whom are injured.

Miscellany

Six games in the leadoff spot, three leadoff homers for Wells this spring. He did it again Monday. The leadoff dingers are the kinda thing that will keep him in the leadoff spot to start the regular season even if it doesn’t make sense on paper, but I think it does make sense on paper. Austin Wells, Professional Leadoff Hitter. I dig it … Nice enough outing Sunday for Carrasco, who’s become important depth: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR on 43 pitches against a Cardinals’ lineup that included every regular except Brendan Donovan. The little velocity boost he showed early in camp has tapered off as he’s started working longer outings, but velocity isn’t his thing anyway. Carrasco’s a savvy kitchen sinker these days. Would I want to give him 20 starts? No. Definitely not. Is he adequate as a lower leverage long guy to begin the season amid all these injuries? Yeah, sure, why not… Given the pitching injuries, it might be time to start paying attention to non-roster righty Geoff Hartlieb. He’s having a good spring (4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K) and he’s been 95-97 mph with the four-seamer/sinker while throwing a ton of sliders. Boone mentioned Hartlieb by name as someone the Yankees are excited about at the very start of camp. Maybe he sneaks onto the Opening Day roster … Non-roster outfielder Ismael Munguia is up to 6-for-15 with zero swings and misses this spring. That’s on 53 pitches and 25 swings. Munguia went full Ichiro and broke out the ol’ running start cricket swing Sunday:

Fun player, Munguia is. He hit .286/.387/.418 (123 wRC+) between Double-A and Triple-A with the Giants last year. I could see Munguia putting up a goofy statline in Scranton and a “bench Goldschmidt, put Bellinger at first, call up Munguia” movement becoming a thing by June … And finally, righty Ben Hess, last year’s first round pick and my No. 5 prospect, came up from minor league camp Sunday and threw live BP to the big leaguers, per Mark Sanchez (subs. req’d). I hope this means Hess will start Spring Breakout on Saturday. Giving a top prospect an extra day of rest in March is pretty much standard these days, so he lines up. Fun!

Injury updates

Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) called his injury “severe” and returned to New York for a third round of PRP injections Monday. I don’t ever remember hearing about a player getting a second round of PRP, let alone a third, but apparently it is a thing that happens. “Let’s finish the treatment and go from there. I absolutely hate this. I’m going to get back as soon as possible,” Stanton told Hoch, adding he won’t play any games this spring. Surgery would be season-ending, so they’re doing everything they can to avoid it … Everson Pereira (elbow) is scheduled to play the field for the first time Thursday (that's written in pencil, not ink). He’s been limited to DH duty this spring as he wraps up his UCL surgery rehab. If the outfield work goes well, maybe Pereira is an Opening Day roster candidate? I’d rather he play everyday in Triple-A. I’m glad he’s 6-for-17 (.353) with two home runs this spring, but there’s no reason to think his contact skills are MLB ready. The kid has missed with 16 of his 37 swings this spring (43.2% whiff rate). Take advantage of that final minor league option year and let Pereira rack up a full season of sorely needed Triple-A at-bats … Ian Hamilton had an infection earlier in the camp and hasn’t pitched in a game yet. That should happen soon, Boone said over the weekend. It kinda has too. Opening Day isn't that far away. The Yankees have enough injured pitchers. Losing Hamilton too would stink.

Up next

Up next? More injuries, probably. I wish that was a joke. With the way this spring has gone, that’s more of a prediction. Anyway, here’s the full spring broadcast schedule and here’s what’s coming up between now and Friday’s post:

• Tuesday vs. Orioles: Clarke Schmidt (1pm ET on YES, MASN, Gotham) (split squad)

• Tuesday at Pirates: Cam Schlittler* (1pm ET on SportsNet Pitt, Gotham) (split squad)

• Wednesday: off-day

• Thursday at Tigers: TBA (1pm ET, no TV)

* That’s Schlittler vs. Paul Skenes. The most electric pitcher in baseball, and also Paul Skenes.

Even with the off-day Wednesday, the Yankees will play 12 games in the next nine days thanks to split squads and Spring Breakout. Between all those games and all the injured big leaguers, a whole lotta minor leaguers are about to collect that sweet, sweet big league per diem ($104.50 per day in the spring as of 2023, plus two years of cost of living adjustments on top of that).

Today’s (home) game will be Schmidt’s Grapefruit League debut following his achy back. Fried lines up to pitch Thursday, though I don’t know if he’ll make that road trip or stay back in Tampa and do whatever he needs to do there. Rodón hasn’t appeared in a game since Feb. 27th. He’s been throwing sim games because his turn keeps coming up on road trips. I believe he lines up to start Friday (at home).

Unless the Yankees start skipping days and moving guys around, the rotation currently lines up to be Stroman, Fried, Rodón, Warren, Schmidt to begin the season in that order. That’s just me counting days with how everyone is currently lined up. Like I said earlier, Fried will either have to skip a start and pitch on extended rest or pitch on short rest at some point to line up for Opening Day. Folks, it ain’t worth it. 

Devin Williams (Saturday) and Luke Weaver (Sunday) threw live BP over the weekend and will get back into games sometime this week, probably later today. Weaver’s velocity was down 2-3 mph in his spring debut last week. Need to see that tick up whenever he gets back into a game. The last thing the Yankees need is an ineffective (or injured) Weaver. They’re short on reliable arms as it is.

Minor league Spring Training games begin today, I should note. Previously any backfields work (live BP, sim games, whatever) was only with players in the organization, and no one likes facing their own guys. Starting today, there are minor league games against other teams, which raises the level of competition a bit. Whoever goes over to minor league camp for extra work can play in real live games now.

2. Scouting the Market: Last minute bats. Opening Day is two weeks and two days away, and history suggests the Yankees will make a move between now and then. Last year they traded for Jon Berti right before Opening Day. The year before they signed Franchy Cordero the day before Opening Day. In 2021, they waited a week into the season to bring in Rougned Odor. A late addition, by their standards.test

Last week Brian Cashman played it cool and said Aaron Boone will “play with what he's got” at third base, indicating no last minute move is coming. Two days earlier, Joel Sherman was said to have reported the Yankees are looking for a right-handed hitter who can play third base or left field. It’s behind a paywall, so I didn’t see the report myself, but it certainly passes the sniff test. That’s what the Yankees need.

Free agency offers a whole lotta nothing at this point. By projected 2025 WAR, here are the top unsigned right-handed hitters who can play third base or left field:

1. Whit Merrifield: +0.2 WAR
2. Aledmys Díaz: +0.0 WAR
3. Adam Duvall: +0.0 WAR
4. Miguel Sanó: +0.0 WAR
5. Nick Senzel: +0.0 WAR

Duvall said he won’t play for less than the $3M he earned last year. He’ll retire otherwise. Díaz was a -1.5 WAR player the last two years. Sanó hasn’t hit since 2021 and has played 144 innings at third base since 2019, and he was never even an average defender there. Senzel, 30 in June, has pedigree (No. 2 pick in 2016), but he’s tallied -3.2 WAR since his +0.1 WAR rookie season in 2019. That’s a nope.

The Yankees pursued Merrifield after the Phillies released him last July. He said his decision came down to the Braves or Yankees, and he went to Atlanta because Ozzie Albies had just gotten hurt and there was a clearer path to playing time. Maybe Merrifield is worth signing, but the guy hit .222/.311/.314 (80 wRC+) last year and his defense has slipped enough that he’s not good anywhere. I don’t think he’s the answer.

There are a few veterans on minor league deals who can opt out at the end of camp, though it’s not the most exciting group of players. It’s guys like Tim Anderson, Mark Canha, J.D. Davis, Brandon Drury, and Manuel Margot. Anderson, Canha, and Drury seem likely to make their teams. We’ve been there, done that with Davis. The Yankees have had interest in Margot in the past. Maybe he’s the guy.

Perhaps Cashman was serious and Boone really has to “play with what he’s got” at third base, meaning a platoon of Oswald(o)s. Given the team’s recent history of last minute additions at the end of Spring Training, it’s worth poking around and seeing who might be available over the next two weeks and change. By no means is this a comprehensive list. I just picked a few names after scrolling through depth charts. Let’s get to it.

IF Jonah Bride, Marlins

Bride, 29, went from February waiver claim to a .276/.357/.461 (123 wRC+) slash line in close to 300 plate appearances last year. He can play the three non-shortstop infield positions passably and even did some catching in the minors. (He’s more of a serviceable emergency third catcher than a legit backup option.) The Marlins have Bride penciled at DH because they have younger players on the infield.

The gap between Bride’s actual stats and expected stats was massive last year. We’re talking a .461 SLG against a .334 xSLG. That does not automatically mean regression is coming in 2025, though I would hammer the under on another .461 SLG. Bride is a big time pulled fly ball guy and those are the hitters who consistently outperform their expected stats (it’s the Isaac Paredes skill set). Here’s Bride’s 2024:

• 90th percentile EV: 15th percentile

• Max EV: 13th percentile

• Pulled FB%: 91st percentile

• Chase%: 81st percentile

• In-zone contact%: 80th percentile

• Contact vs. non-fastballs: 80th percentile

• SEAGER: 80th percentile

Bride’s in the bottom 15% of the league in hard-hit ability and the top 20% of the league in swing decisions and contact. He’s run strong walk rates throughout his career (11.0% in 2024) and that pulled fly ball rate allowed him to get the most out of the hard-hit ability he does have. Yankee Stadium is not the best park for pull happy righties, though it can work if you keep it down the line rather than left-center.

The unusual thing about Bride is he's a righty who doesn’t hit lefties. He’s a reverse splits guy. In his admittedly brief big league career, it’s a 110 wRC+ vs. RHP and a 59 wRC+ vs. LHP. In the minors, it’s an .886 OPS vs. RHP and a .702 OPS vs. LHP the last three years. A righty who hits righties is certainly useful, but if the Yankees want a righty who doesn’t hit lefties, they can just stick with Oswaldo Cabrera at third base.

I am certain the Marlins would trade Bride. They’re tearing it down and POBO Peter Bendix, a former Rays exec, knows Bride is found money whose trade value may never be higher. When you’re rebuilding as hard as Miami, you trade the soon-to-be 30-year-old waiver claim who had an unexpectedly great year. Bride is not the best on-paper fit for Yankee Stadium or the lineup given his issues with lefties, but I’m sure he’s available.

UTIL Ezequiel Duran, Rangers

If you’re reading this, I’m sure you know the Yankees sent Duran to Texas as part of the Joey Gallo trade. It seems like the perception of him has finally leveled out. Duran had a great start to the 2023 season and it was wow, what a dumb trade by the Yankees. He then stopped hitting, spent part of 2024 in Triple-A, and became an afterthought. The numbers:

• First half of 2023: .308/.344/.526 (136 wRC+) with 3.8 BB% and 26.0 K% in 262 PA

• Since: .239/.291/.319 (72 wRC+) with 5.8 BB% and 24.9 K% in 462 PA

Duran has always been a capital-H Hacker, and once the league got a look at him, pitchers exploited his aggressiveness, and his production tanked. It’s really, really hard to get the aggressiveness out of hitters. Some do it, most don’t. They swing so much it’s to their detriment. It’s possible Duran is facing a career as a talented but frustrating player who too often gets himself out. You know the type.

What Duran does offer is power and versatility. His top end exit velocities are very good (I don’t see either of the Oswald(o)s doing this to a baseball) and he’s played every position except catcher at the MLB level. The numbers say Duran is best at third base and in the corner outfield spots, which is what the Yankees are seeking. A righty hitting third baseman and/or left fielder. Duran can do both.

The Rangers are deep-ish in righty hitting infielders. They have former first rounder Justin Foscue (bat first) and Jonathan Ornelas (glove first) in addition to Duran, and they need infield depth because Corey Seager is more of a 120 games a year player now, and Josh Jung gets hurt every year. Josh Smith, who went to the Rangers with Duran for Gallo, is around to fill those gaps, but the Rangers need more depth beyond him.

Does Duran pass the “better than Oswald Peraza” test? He might, honestly. Peraza’s not exactly Mr. Plate Discipline himself, and Duran has more power and versatility. Is it worth trading third base defense for a chance at more offense? How much defense are you giving up anyway? Duran’s rated well at the hot corner. I’m not sure the Rangers are willing to move him. Might as well call and see if they are, right?

(Duran has a minor league option remaining. The Yankees could trade for him and stash him in Triple-A, give Peraza a look at third base, then turn to Duran if Peraza doesn’t cut it.)

UTIL Buddy Kennedy, Phillies

The right-handed hitting Kennedy and left-handing Kody Clemens are both out of options, and they’re competing for one spot on Philadelphia’s bench. The fact the Phillies already have one righty hitting utility guy (Edmundo Sosa) plus an optionable righty hitting utility guy (Weston Wilson, who’s currently out with an oblique strain) suggests Clemens is likely to get the roster spot. He’s less redundant.

Kennedy, 26, hit .272/.376/.458 (119 wRC+) in Triple-A last season and underwent some swing changes after going from the Tigers to the Phillies in a cash trade in June. It’s more accurate to call them approach changes, because Kennedy suddenly became a contact/plate discipline monster. Here are his Triple-A percentiles. Talk about an in-season shift in approach:

Kennedy’s Triple-A numbers from 2022-23 were closer to his 2024 Phillies numbers than his 2024 Tigers numbers, though they weren’t that extreme. Even ignoring his Tigers’ stint last year, Kennedy went from a good but not great contact/plate discipline guy from 2022-23 to a great one with the Phillies in 2024. And maybe it’s sample size noise. It happens. It does look like better swing decisions were a priority though.

Primarily a third baseman coming up, Kennedy’s also played first and second bases, and even a little left field. The scouting reports say he’s fine defensively at the hot corner. Is Kennedy a clear up upgrade over Peraza? Because that’s what we’re looking for here. If it’s just a maybe he’s good, maybe he’s not young-ish player with limited big league time, well, the Yankees already have one of those. I am intrigued by Kennedy. I can’t say he’s for sure an upgrade over what the Yankees already have though.

UTIL Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Pirates

The Yankees need a right-handed hitting third baseman, right? We know they like Kiner-Falefa, perhaps a bit too much as a player, and he does fit what the Yankees need. The numbers and the eye test both say he’s more comfortable at third than short, he’ll put the ball in play and run like hell, and you can move him around the infield and outfield as needed. As the “tenth” man, you can do worse.

Two potential problems here. One, the Pirates traded an actual prospect for Kiner-Falefa at the deadline last year. Specifically, they traded outfielder Charles McAdoo, who Baseball America (subs. req’d) ranked as the No. 15 prospect in Toronto’s system this spring. Pittsburgh will want at least an equivalent prospect back (Everson Pereira? I dunno), and possibly more. It won’t be a straight salary dump.

And two, Kiner-Falefa is owed $7.5M this season, and the Yankees have to pay a 110% luxury tax rate on every dollar they add to payroll right now. Do you really want to trade a prospect and then sink $15.75M ($7.5M salary plus $8.25M in tax) into Kiner-Falefa? No, of course not. He plays hard and genuinely seemed to love being a Yankee, and I appreciate that, but come on. That’s a hefty price for IKF.

IF Eguy Rosario, Padres

Rosario is fun more than good. He’s a capable gloveman at third base with a rocket arm he likes to show off. He’s a showman. He’ll wait and give the runner that one extra step before firing across the diamond, like this. Rosario has played the other infield positions as well, including plenty of second base, and the Padres have stuck him in left field a few times this spring, just to try to increase his versatility.

At the plate, Rosario’s a Duran-esque hacker with pull power, though he doesn’t swing and miss quite as much as Duran. There’s a lot of weak contact in between the times he does get a hold of one. Last year’s .263/.361/.531 (118 wRC+) line in Triple-A was strong, but, in scattered MLB playing time the last three years, Rosario has 34 strikeouts and four walks in 100 plate appearances. That ain’t gonna cut it.

The Padres signed Jose Iglesias and Yuli Gurriel to minor league deals in recent weeks and, assuming they make the team, they’re likely to push Rosario off the roster. He’s out of options and the Padres may not have a bench spot to give him. Rosario does not obviously pass the “better than Peraza?” test. In short bursts, yeah, Rosario might outplay Peraza, but the opposite is just as likely to be true. 

UTIL Shay Whitcomb, Astros

Last year Whitcomb had one of the worst defensive innings/games I’ve ever seen. He had a four-error game on Sept. 25th (all four in the last four innings), plus he had two other misplays that weren’t scored errors but were obvious defensive screw ups. Here’s the video. The Astros sent Whitcomb down after the game, and three days later he went 3-for-5 with a double in the Triple-A Championship Game.

“Being able to turn it around that quick, it was totally the Lord,” Whitcomb told Matt Young last week. “First and foremost, it was God, because I had spent a lot of that day praying for peace and understanding, and then to have such a bounce back game like that? It was a huge blessing, but then also a testament to the mental fortitude that I’ve developed through the minors.”

Whitcomb, 26, hit .293/.378/.530 (123 wRC+) with 25 homers, 26 steals, and strong strikeout (19.8%) and walk (11.0%) walks in Triple-A last year. He’s played the three non-shortstop infield positions and left field, and that disastrous inning at third isn’t representative of his defensive ability (not that he’ll win any Gold Gloves). My pal R.J. Anderson picked Whitcomb as Houston’s breakout player this year:

Whitcomb took a marked step forward last season in his second run at Triple-A. He improved both his walk and strikeout rates (dicing the latter from 31.1% to 19.8%), and he did so while boosting his slugging. His gains appeared legitimate under the hood, with his quality of approach and contact measures both swinging in the right direction. On those grounds alone, I think Whitcomb would merit inclusion. But don't sleep on another factor working in his favor: Houston's ballpark -- specifically, the Crawford Boxes in left. Whitcomb is a righty who excels at pulling the ball in the air, increasing the possibility that his numbers will benefit from his surroundings. The Astros don't have an obvious everyday role available for him at this time, but I can envision him receiving enough burn from a super-utility role to justify the selection.

Yankee Stadium is not the best ballpark for pull heavy righties, but again, it can work if you keep the ball down the line and away from Death Valley in left-center. The Astros are not blessed with great depth and Whitcomb is probably first in line for a call up if there’s an injury pretty much anywhere, and especially on the field. Then again, maybe that disaster inning made the Astros a little antsy? You know how it goes.

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Casey Schmitt is blocked every which way with the Giants (Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, etc.) and is a glove-first guy who can put a mistake in the seats (remember this?), and not much else. He has an option left, so the Giants can stash him in Triple-A, but maybe they’d trade him. Nick Loftin is a stathead fave thanks to his swing decision/contact skills. He’d be a nice get, though he’s likely to make the Royals.

Looking around the league, the righty bats available are another team’s version of Peraza. Players who are not clearly better than what the Yankees have at third base, but could be useful depth, and might outperform Peraza over some length of time. Maybe I’m looking at this the wrong way? Maybe it should be the “better than Pablo Reyes” test? Whatever it is, the bar ain’t high, though clearing won’t necessarily be easy.

3. Rapid fire thoughts. There have been rumblings the last few weeks that the Rays are about to be sold to a Tampa area investment group, then, over the weekend, Evan Drellich (subs. req’d) reported Rob Manfred and “some other owners” are pressuring Stu Sternberg to sell. I reckon those “some other owners” are big market owners tired of paying the Rays revenue sharing when their payroll has held steady in the $70M to $80M range since 2010. The only thing owners hate more than spending their own money is giving their money to someone else who doesn’t spend it. Anyway, this is relevant to the Yankees because the Rays are in the division and also playing their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field this year, and a new owner will ultimately decide where they play in the future. Do they stay in St. Petersburg? Move into Tampa proper? Relocate entirely? I dunno, but once Manfred and other owners start putting pressure on someone to sell, a sale basically becomes inevitable.

(Send your requests for Friday's mailbag to RABmailbag at gmail dot com. The random Yankee series is on hiatus, but feel free to send in requests for when it returns.)