For those who have forgotten about baseball during the long delay to the start of the 2020 season due to Coronavirus, here is what the roster looks like:
Starting Pitchers
1. Masahiro Tanaka (RH, 6’3, 31 yrs old this yr) — 11-9 4.45 last year; an Ace late in year and throughout the playoffs. Still the ace until Cole takes it from him.
2. Gerrit Cole (RH, 6’4, 29 yrs old) — 20-5 2.50 last year. The ace as soon as he takes it from Tanaka. Will he be as good in NY without Houston’s ‘special help’ and the pressure of the big contract? We hope.
3. James Paxton (LH, 6’4, 31 yrs old) — 15-6 3.82 last year. out until June after back surgery Feb 5th. The delayed season due to Coronavirus helps here.
4. J.A. Happ (LH, 6’5, 37 yrs old) — 12-8 4.51 last year. Came up big in playoffs. Old man river keeps providing quality outings more times than he doesn’t.
5. Jordan Montgomery (LH, 6’6) — 9-7 3.88 2 yrs ago; missed most of last 2 years with Tommy John surgery. Pitched 11 innings in 2020 Spring training and looked good — 7 hits; struck out 16. With Severino out for year, he steps in at #5 slot.
Domingo German (RH, 6’2, 27 yrs old) — 18-4 4.03 last year. Is suspended for first 81 games of 2020 season. Will that mean the whole season with Coronavirus delayed opening? Imagine if they had him for playoffs and if Houston didn’t cheat.
Deivi Garcia (RH, 5’9, 22 yrs old) — 0-2 7.36 in brief callup at end of last year. 7 IP, 8 Ks, 2 BB. Pitched in A, AA, and AAA last year. Should be knocking on the door of the starting rotation this year.
Jonathan Loaisiga (RH, 5’11) — knocking on the door of the starting rotation.
*Luis Severino (RH, 6’2, 26 yrs old) — out for the year with Tommy John surgery. Missed most of last year (1-1 1.50 in 12 innings at end of year).
Relief Pitchers
Aroldis Chapman (LH, 6’4, 32 yrs old) — 3-2 2.21 last year with 37 saves.
Zack Britton (LH, 6’3, 32 yrs old) — 3-1 1.91 last year
Adam Ottavino (RH, 6’5, 34 yrs old) — 6-5 1.90 last year.
Tommy Kahnle (RH, 30 yrs old) — 3-2 3.67 last year. 88 k’s in 61 innings.
Chad Green (RH, 29 yrs old) — 4-4 4.17 last year; 98 K’s in 69 IP. In last 3 years his era has gone from 1.83 to 2.50 to 4.17 — but pitched great late in year and in playoffs after horrendous start to season.
Luis Cessa (RH, 28 yrs old) — 2-1 4.11 last year; 75 ks in 81 IP
Jonathan Holder (RH, 27 yrs old) — 5-2 6.31 last year after 1-3 3.14 year before. Pitched well in playoffs.
Top Pitching Prospects on 40-Man Roster
Miguel Yajure (RH, 6’1, 22 yrs old) — turned heads in AA last year. Was 8-6 2.26 at Tampa, and 1-0 0.82 at Trenton AA.
Nick Nelson (RH, 6’1, 24 yrs old) — power arm with 4 pitches. Made it to AAA Scranton last year. Went 7-2 2.35 at Trenton (AA).
Luis Gil (RH, 6’3, 22 yrs old) — acquired from Twins for Jake Cave, scouts feel Gil is a possible starter or “dynamic late-game reliever”.
Luis Medina (RH, 6’1, 21 yrs old) — has been called ‘the next Severino’ with stuff that is ‘off the charts’.
Albert Abreu (RH, 6’2, 24 yrs old) — Still a top prospect. 5-8 4.28 in Trenton (AA) last year.
Catcher
Gary Sanchez (RH batter, 27 yrs old this yr) — Easy to forget his big year last year: 34-77-.232 (.316) in 106 games, raising hopes he’ll indeed be a star.
Kyle Higashioka (RH, 30 yrs old) — Batted .214 last year in 56 AB. Austin Romine (who batted .282 & will be age 31 this year) is gone to Detroit to be a starter. Good for him; a loss for the Yanks. Backup catcher is Higashioka’s job now.
1st Base
Luke Voit (RH, 29 yrs old) — 21-62-.263 (.378) last year.
Mike Ford (LH, 28 yrs old) — 12-25-.259 (.350) in 50 games last year.
2nd Base
DJ LeMahieu (RH, 31 yrs old) — 26-102-.327 (.375). Finished 4th in MVP last year.
3rd Base
Gio Urshela (RH, 28 yrs old) — 21-74-.314 (.355) last year.
Shortstop
Gleyber Torres (RH, 23 yrs old) — 38-90-.278 (.337) last year.
Right Field
Aaron Judge (RH, 28 yrs old) — 27-55-.272 (.381) in 102 games (378 ABs) last year. Suffered stress fracture in his first right rib in March; was due to be out a month to start 2020 season but he’ll be well healed by time season starts.
Centerfield
Aaron Hicks (SH, 30 yrs old) — 12-36-.235 (.325) in 59 games (221 ABs) last year. Good centerfielder. Missed half of last yr w injury.
Left Field
Giancarlo Stanton (RH, 30 yrs old) — Missed over 150 games last yr
Brett Gardner (LH, 36 yrs old) — 28-74-.251 (.325 OBP) and 10 stolen bases last year.
Designated Hitter
Miguel Andujar (RH, 25 yrs old) — missed over 150 games last year. Was batting .128 after 12 games (47 AB’s) when he went down in April. Was 27-92-.297 (.328) as rookie the year before.
Clint Frazier (RH, 25 yrs old) — 12-38-.267 (.317) in 225 AB’s last year; looked good as a hitter; terrible in the field. Looked good in Spring Training 2020 — was batting .320 (.455) in 25 ABs.
Reserves
Tyler Wade (LH, 25 yrs old) — 2-11-.245 (.330) in 108 plate appearances last year — finally showing ability to hit on MLB level. Great fielder. Can play outfield, although “not a real outfielder”.
Mike Tauchman (LH, 29 yrs old) — 13-47-.277 (.361) in 87 games last year. Great fielder.
Estevan Florial (LH, 22 yrs old) — Star of the future (?) batted 8-38-.237 in 301 at bats in Tampa (A ball) last year.
Gone
Some Yankees from last year are still with the team, just not on the protected 40-man roster at this point. Former Yankees who are no longer Yankees:
Stephen Tarpley — traded to Miami Marlins for 3rd Basemen James Nelson.
Dellin Betances — signed with Mets as free agent
Chance Adams — traded to Kansas City for unknown compensation
Greg Bird — signed with Texas Rangers as free agent
Nestor Cortes Jr.— traded to Seattle for future considerations
Didi Gregorius — signed with Philly as free agent
Cameron Maybin — signed with Detroit as free agent
Joe Harvey — traded to Colorado for starting pitcher Alfredo Garcia, who is in A ball
CC Sabathia — retired
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