Yankees not expecting Andrew Bailey to make the team

The Yankees aren't counting on former A's reliever Andrew Bailey to make the team this season. 

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said as much Saturday in Tampa, telling reporters the odds of Bailey being on the roster come April are doubtful.

Bailey, 30, was invited to Yankees spring training this year on a minor-league deal -- an apparent showing of New York's interest in his potential. 

But according to Cashman, the Yankees' bringing Bailey to camp is just a low-risk, high-reward move -- and the club doesn't expect he will be wearing pinstripes on Opening Day. 

“It's one of those things where, non-roster situation, it's a flyer, and the odds are against it,” Cashman told The LoHud Yankees Blog. “And it didn't work out for us last year. But because of who he is, his makeup, his work ethic, all those things, it made it easier to say, ‘All right, let's keep trying.’”

Bailey signed a separate minor-league deal with the Yankees last winter, and was promised a $2.5 million salary if he earned a spot with their pitching staff. Bailey suffered numerous setbacks in his recovery from a shoulder injury, however, and was officially ruled out for the season August 17.

But he has been decently healthy since arriving at the Yankees' complex this time around, and thinks his chances of joining the bullpen are fair.

“Everything feels great," Bailey said earlier this week, via Bronx Baseball Daily. "I'm with the team and doing everything as I would normally, and if I need a little extra work here or there, that's fine too. I'm here to compete and earn a spot.”

If Bailey is to do so, though, he will likely have to notably impress a Yankees squad already stocked with many talented arms -- the likes of Justin Wilson, Adam Warren and David Carpenter included. Add onto those three the recently re-signed Esmil Rogers and the possibility of youngster Chasen Shreve also becoming part of the group, and it certainly won't be easy for Bailey to win a job.

And that seems to be exactly what Cashman believes -- despite his stated hope to still see Bailey succeed. 

“We're rooting for him to make it on the field, but yeah, the odds are against it from what he's coming back from,” Cashman told LoHud. “But so far, he's still plugging in.”