Spring Training News & Final Roster Decisions

The New York Yankees have basically finalized their Opening Day roster with a few announcements that came out of Tampa this afternoon.

The final two bullpen spots will go to Chris Martin and Chasen Shreve while Justin Wilson joins the pen as well.

Esmil Rogers is the long man while Chase Whitley, who possibly had the best spring of any of the Yankees pitchers, heads to Triple-A.

Joining Whitley in Scranton is Slade Heathcott. Someone who will not be in Scranton is Andrew Bailey who will start the 2015 season with the Tampa Yankees.

Robert Refsnyder and Nick Noonan have been officially sent to minor league camps.

Meet a Prospect: Nick Noonan

Spring Training is a few weeks away and the New York Yankees except a few new faces in camp after signing many to minor league deals with invites to camp. One of those new faces will be former first round pick and infielder Nick Noonan. Noonan will likely compete for the last bench spot on the roster and likely start the season either on another team or down in Scranton with the RailRiders.

Nicholas Murphy Noonan was born on May 4, 1989 and spent his High School days at Francis W. Parker School in San Diego, California. There Noonan was named to the Aflac All-American West Team which caught the eye of many major league teams including the San Francisco Giants who drafted him with their first round pick, 32^nd overall, in the 2007 MLB First Year Players Draft. Noonan walked away from a commitment to Clemson University to sign with the Giants for a cool $1 million.

Noonan was added to the Giants 25 man roster before Opening Day 2013 and would spend the next 62 games with the team. Noonan hit just .219 in 111 at bats for the team before being designated for assignment on July 25, 2014. Noonan is now a member of the New York Yankees and is looking to earn a spot on the final roster by harnessing some of the talent that made him a former first round pick. 

Yankees Still Yet to Finalize non-roster Invitations to Spring Training

Some teams including the Los Angeles Dodgers have already finalized and announced their non-roster invitees to spring training camp this year but the Yankees have not. Who the Yankees will invite is anyone’s guess but there seem to be more than a few obvious choices for New York.

Nick Noonan, Cole Figueroa, Robert Hernandez, and Slade Heathcott have all signed minor league deals with invites to spring training so we shouldn’t be surprised to see these three names. Joining them, besides the 40 men that currently occupy the 40 man roster, will likely be Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, Luis Severino, Robert Refsnyder and Taylor Dugas. We may see a Jake Cave, Cito Culver or Kyle Roller signing as well but that’s merely speculation on my part.

I expect New York to invite a ton of pitching this spring as many men battle it out for the last remaining bullpen slots and maybe a rotation spot if Chris Capuano is not up to snuff. It’s going to be an interesting spring with tons of competition, just the way Brian Cashman envisioned it and Joe Girardi wanted it. 

Article Revisit: Is Robert Refsnyder Now Trade Bait?

http://www.thegreedypinstripes.com/2014/12/robert-refsnyder-now-trade-bait.html

Not so long ago I was down and out thinking that my favorite prospect Robert Refsnyder was destined to be trade bait in New York, so I wrote about it. Then Brian Cashman traded Martin Prado and others to Miami thus opening the door for either Refsnyder and/or Jose Pirela only to close the door shut again with a Stephen Drew signing. Is Refsnyder now trade bait, again, or am I simply overreacting? You be the judge because I know, and fully admit, that my fandom and my attachment to prospects gets in the way sometimes. 

Writing this blog feels like filling out the paperwork on a death certificate for me but I think it has to be done. I truly do believe that the signing of Chase Headley may have unofficially ended the tenure in pinstripes for Robert Refsnyder. Refsnyder overall is major league ready, although obviously his defense and footwork at second base could use some work, and is now blocked at his natural position of second base for two years behind Martin Prado, his second position in right field for two years behind Carlos Beltran and now third base is blocked for at least four years with Headley. The Yankees need pitching and the team thinks pretty highly of Jose Pirela and that’s not a great combination for Refsnyder.

Players will get hurt this season and the Yankees will need an infielder at some point which is a given but the signings of Nick Noonan and Cole Figueroa point towards there being “plenty” of depth in the system. The fact that Pirela and Prado can play everywhere along with Brendan Ryan being pretty versatile himself truly helps the team and hurts Mr. Refsnyder.

Barring a big time signing like a Max Scherzer or a James Shields or another acquisition for a starting pitcher via trade or free agency I worry about the future of Refsnyder in pinstripes. I have beat the drums for Refsnyder’s call up for months now and the beating and the candles may be all for nothing if the Yankees don’t solidify that rotation and fast. A Refsnyder and Romine deal makes sense to the Yankees I just hope that it isn’t enough elsewhere.

Stay tuned…

Robert Refsnyder Now Trade Bait?

Writing this blog feels like filling out the paperwork on a death certificate for me but I think it has to be done. I truly do believe that the signing of Chase Headley may have unofficially ended the tenure in pinstripes for Robert Refsnyder. Refsnyder overall is major league ready, although obviously his defense and footwork at second base could use some work, and is now blocked at his natural position of second base for two years behind Martin Prado, his second position in right field for two years behind Carlos Beltran and now third base is blocked for at least four years with Headley. The Yankees need pitching and the team thinks pretty highly of Jose Pirela and that’s not a great combination for Refsnyder.

Players will get hurt this season and the Yankees will need an infielder at some point which is a given but the signings of Nick Noonan and Cole Figueroa point towards there being “plenty” of depth in the system. The fact that Pirela and Prado can play everywhere along with Brendan Ryan being pretty versatile himself truly helps the team and hurts Mr. Refsnyder.

Barring a big time signing like a Max Scherzer or a James Shields or another acquisition for a starting pitcher via trade or free agency I worry about the future of Refsnyder in pinstripes. I have beat the drums for Refsnyder’s call up for months now and the beating and the candles may be all for nothing if the Yankees don’t solidify that rotation and fast. A Refsnyder and Romine deal makes sense to the Yankees I just hope that it isn’t enough elsewhere.

Stay tuned…

Quick Hit: Yankees Sign Nick Noonan

The New York Yankees have announced that the team has signed Triple-A infielder Nick Noonan away from the San Francisco Giants. Noonan is listed as a second baseman but has spent time at shortstop in the past and that's where the Yankees see the most value. Noonan is 25 years old and is expected to get an extended look in Spring Training this season for New York. Welcome to the family, Nick!