While the Yankees continue their spring training schedule, here are the latest mailbag questions for SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino to answer...
@JulianGuilarte1: Who gets the last spot on the bench?
This is an intriguing question with several layers, including the future of Mike Tauchman with the organization.
Assuming guaranteed bench spots go to Brett Gardner, Tyler Wade and Kyle Higashioka, that leaves Tauchman to compete with Jay Bruce, Mike Ford and Derek Dietrich. This is a tough call.
Rule out Ford because he has the misfortune of minor league options remaining. Bruce and Dietrich look good, and Bruce looks really good: Trimmer than he was as a Met, capable of making a leaping grab at the left field wall to rob a home run and still in possession of his power.
Bruce’s lefty swing is perfect for a righty-heavy lineup and tailored to take advantage of Yankee Stadium. The Yankees have thought so for years, which is why they once tried to acquire him from the Mets, and were angry when the deal fell through.
For all these reasons, Bruce seems like a strong candidate to make the team. The only problem is, Tauchman is out of options. He is another player who the Yankees liked and scouted for a long time before acquiring him, and is seen as a victory for the pro scouting department.
Would the Yanks really trade or cut Tauchman to accommodate Bruce? It’s easily their most difficult roster decision.
@re2pectjeta: What’s Andújar’s job going to be? Should they trade him?
This is a really tough situation, the rare instance where having too much organizational depth does not seem to be naturally resolving itself. Andujar is a legit middle of the order hitter with no place on his current team.
A year ago, he was ahead of Clint Frazier on the outfield depth chart. That’s no longer the case, and Andujar is back to being a third baseman, buried behind Gio Urshela. His lack of success last year tells us only about the difficulty of performing when you’re shuttling between the major leagues and alternate site scrimmages.
The Yankees are in a tough spot with Andujar’s trade value, because it is still lower than it should be for a player that talented. The result of all of this is a player missing out on big league experience he deserves.
It’s no one’s fault. It just sucks. Talk about an ill-timed shoulder injury derailing an entire career, at least for now.
@YANKFANTHOM: Will Gary Sanchez be the starting catcher come August?
I’m gonna say yes, though it’s hard to do so with total confidence. Sanchez is working hard to become a better catcher, though we’ve heard that before.
I’ll say this: If he is somehow healthy but not the starting catcher in August, he’ll be out of chances and the Yankees will cut bait at the end of the season.
@MarcMalusis: Any chance of bringing Giambi back?
No, Moose.
@djlmforprez_: German or Deivi?
This might be more of an “and” than an “or.” Both of these guys would run out of innings if they were in the rotation full time. They’ll need to skip starts and limit innings by piggybacking and other strategies.
Here’s guessing that Deivi Garcia will start the season in the rotation, with Domingo German either in the 'pen or at the alternate site. After that, they’ll both make starts and relief appearances throughout the year.
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