THE YANKEES & WHO MAKES THE CUT

Photo: AP

It's less than two weeks until Opening Day! We're all excited and as we get closer to that day where the games count the roster is finally taking shape. Spring Training will be over soon, but there are still some decisions to be made. Some guys already know their roles....and others are still fighting for a job. The Yankees have some spring cleaning to do. So who stays and who gets tossed out?

SAFE!

Adam Warren: Not a surprise here....Brian Cashman has always said that Warren would have a role on this team but what that role will be is still unknown. The Yankees need to fill two of the five open rotation spots and both Cashman and Joe Girardi gave the same exact statement yesterday, read that HERE. The rotation battle is not going as predicted....so could Warren sneak in and steal a starting gig or does he stay in the bullpen? Maybe he does have more control over his destiny after all.

Greg Bird: If the Yankees had any doubt if Bird could be the new every day starter...he erased it. Before Wednesday's game Girardi officially named Bird the starting first baseman and then he celebrated his new role by hitting two home runs and driving in five runs. His .439 BA proves that he is physically an mentally ready for his new role. He has looked so good that he has even caught the attention of Mr. October himself Reggie Jackson who gave him high praise HERE.

OUT?:

Didi Gregorius and Rob Refsnyder: Didi is not out permanently but, he is out until May. Teams see the empty hole in the Yankees lineup and they have already made some trade proposals to the Yankees HERE but the Yankees aren't biting. Simply stated, Zack Cozart and Jose Iglesias are just too expensive and Cozart is a short term rental. If anything maybe the Yankees pursue cheaper option Nick Ahmed from the Arizona Diamondbacks but even that is unlikely considering all of the in house options they have.

Or, does this give Rob Refsnyder a temporary and small window of opportunity? It would require moving Starlin Castro back to shortstop and he has not been playing there recently. If the Yankees were to make room for Refsnyder would now be the time? The odds certainly don't look good.

Photo: NJ.com

Chris Carter: Bird is the word... and the starting first baseman. Now the ideal platoon idea that the Yankees first envisioned seems unlikely. It's hard to bench Bird with a .439 BA for Carter's .108 BA, one home run, three RBI's and 20 strikeouts. To say that Carter has struggled this spring would be an understatement, so how long do the Yankees find a way to pencil this guy into the lineup if his bt doesn't start to heat up? His 2016 season shows he is capable of more, but if he's not hitting do the Yankees try to dump him later for another piece? A serviceable arm maybe? We'll see what happens....but right now Girardi figures that Bird will get the majority of the at-bats for first base.

Luis Severino: So far 2017 looks just like last season. Severino has no fastball command and hitters like those balls high up in the zone. Severino knows this but still hasn't corrected it, read more HERE. The Yankees have never come out and said this, but with so many other unproven names fighting for a rotation spot this year this was basically his spot to lose.....and so far he is. So do the Yankees send him down to Triple-A to work on his mechanics again or do they just send him to the bullpen after having some success there last year? With quality starters getting harder and harder to find compared to those short inning relievers the Yankees look hesitant to give up on him but are they holding on to him for too long? Is it time to move on? With spring training coming to an end time is running out to convince the Yankees that he can be an effective start again.

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

THERE'S MORE TO THAT COZART RUMOR

(March 8, 2017 - Source: Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images North America)

First it was Tyler Wade could possibly fit the Yankees shortstop role. Then it was that the Yankees were possibly interested in Nick Ahmed...all because Didi Gregorius is out until May 1st.  Now... a new one... this one is that the Yankees 'like' Zack Cozart. 

(Aug. 26, 2016 - Source: Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images North America)

I'm going with they are looking at the entire MLB and looking for a loaner. But here's the thing, and this hasn't been reported; while the Yankees have an idea of 'maybe' a Zack Cozart... it's not even close to 50% that it would even happen.

Photo: Getty Images

And you know who kind of hinted at that? The folks that reported the interest in the first place.  Here's that nugget not being reported by anyone else:

Red Reporter writes:

Don't fall into the trap of believing everything you read.  In fact, read more, there's knowledge out there...

WILL THE YANKEES SHOP FOR ANOTHER SHORTSTOP?

Someday Yankee fans everywhere will sit in front of their television and listen to another Yankee great hang up his spikes and call it a career. Thankfully, that day wasn't on Thursday and according to the captain himself it won't be this year either. That gives us all some level of comfort. Derek Jeter will play again sometime this year. When? No one knows. So until he is one hundred percent the Yankees have some decisions to make. Do the Yankees continue with the infielders we have, or will they go shopping for a temporary replacement? If they do, who is available?

The Yankees have trusted the shortstop duties to Eduardo Nunez and Jayson Nix since Spring training started. They have done well for the Yankees during this time, but we never expected them to fill in for this long. Now that we know that Jeter wont be back anytime soon....does this change their approach? Nunez has shown some major improvements this year defensively. He even surprised me so far. The question is, will the Yankees continue to put their faith in this kind of consistent performance going forward? While he has done well defensively, he has really struggled at the plate. He just doesn't look comfortable up there at all and he looks lost. It's weird how his strengths have switched this year. I never saw it coming.

On the other hand, Jayson Nix can also fill in when needed. He has always been known for having a better glove than a bat but even he is surprising people. Nix does have a great arm and he can make a play when needed. This year his bat has shown some signs of life. Sure, his .245BA isn't stellar but he has helped bring runs in, he has 4 RBIs and a home run. Like Nunez, you have to wonder if he can continue to produce like this all season. As the injuries pile up, increased playtime time could drain these guys.

It never hurts to explore what is out there, but the problem is that finding a shortstop right now is like searching for a needle in a haystack. There are three that the Yankees could target if they want some extra infield security.

Cesar Izturis would be an interesting option. He won a backup role for the Cincinnati Reds this spring as a non-roster invitee. If the Yankees are content with the infield as is, it couldn't hurt to pick up a bench piece for the time being. He would be able to fill in at shortstop when someone needs a day off, but he can also play second or third base as well. He would give the Yankees a lot of options because he is so versatile. He is also a switch hitter so he would give the Yankees a much needed right handed bat right now. He is off to a slow start so far with a .238BA, but he is willing to take a walk and won't chase balls as often. He is also playing a back up role for the Reds everyday shortstop Zack Cozart, so the Reds may be more willing to part with him then some of the other options out there.

(In photo: Elvis Andrus)
If it were still Spring Training then Elvis Andrus might be an option. During the off season it was rumored that the Texas Rangers might be willing to part ways with him. His contract was going to expire at the end of the 2014 season and the St Louis Cardinals were looking to replace their own shortstop. Andrus was tied with the Cardinals for awhile read that here. Fast forward a month later and now he has a new contract extension with the Rangers read that here and he wont be a free agent until 2023. The idea of Andrus is nice, but if we have learned anything this off season it is that the Yankees just are not going to make any sort of long term commitments right now. It's a nice theory, and it would mean that the Yankees wouldn't have to worry about replacing Jeter when his dreaded retirement announcement comes along but it is probably too little too late.

If the Cleveland Indians don't make a playoff run this year they could decide to deal Asdrubal Cabrera. The Indians made some big moves in the last year or so and they believe they are a team that could contend, at least that is the plan. If they are too far behind by the All-Star break they could become sellers, and if they are then I bet they would throw Cabrera into trade talks. His name has already been involved in trade rumors, including during the off season, read Cleveland beat writer Jordan Bastian's tweet here. Cabrera is signed through 2014, so he wouldn't be a long term investment. He can also play second base and he is a switch hitter as well. His .229BA isn't impressing many right now but he does have 2HR, 5RBI and a stolen base so far this year. He is also a patient hitter so he wont chase pitches. If the Yankees could get him for the right price he might have a lot to offer the team.

Shopping for a shortstop is never easy, it's probably one of the most difficult positions to fill. Luckily for us, our backups have performed so far. Unless Jeter suffers another setback I don't see them making any moves for a new shortstop. Of course, if the Yankees do make any moves we will have all of that information here for you. Even if the Yankees did make a move, filling Derek Jeter's shoes is no easy task! The Captain will be back in time, I bet money on it.

--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Writer and Editor 
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ

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