The Yankees may be active in free agency this winter, but Brian Cashman will rely on some prospects to strengthen his roster in 2020.
Most Yankees fans are yearning for free agency rumors at this point in the offseason. It’s fair to expect Brian Cashman to be very active with his efforts to lure current major leaguers to the Bronx, but the organization’s general manager will also keep a close eye on young talent capable of helping manager Aaron Boone in 2020.
There aren’t a ton of open roster spots available for Yankees prospects, but there are five players with a legitimate chance to make the big league roster out of Spring Training. Several are long shots, but it’s easy to construct a plausible scenario for each of the five players on this list to make an impact in the big leagues.
As most Yankees fans will understand, the majority of the names on the list are pitchers. The first player to discuss has an outside chance of providing a valuable boost to Boone’s bullpen.
5. Albert Abreu
Abreu currently occupies the No. 6 spot on the list of Yankees’ top 30 prospects, but he’s a little further away from the majors than some of his peers in the rankings. He has been a starter for his entire professional career, but there are growing signs that a move to the bullpen may be in the right-hander’s future.
Specifically, Abreu’s inability to really harness command of his breaking pitches might relegate him to becoming a late-inning specialist. From the Yankees perspective, that wouldn’t be all bad. No organization in baseball likes to stockpile those types of arms more than the Yankees.
Still, starters hold more value than relievers. The Yankees will give Abreu another chance to iron out his mechanics as a starter before committing him to a career in the bullpen. Abreu has some of the best physical tools on this list, but he’ll only be called up to the Bronx in case of emergency.