Allan Winans was designated for assignment by the Yankees on February 5, but his journey didn’t end there. Just days later, he received a non-roster invite to spring training and has since climbed to at least seventh—possibly even sixth—on the Yankees’ starting pitching depth chart.
That shift highlights how much the Yankees’ pitching landscape has changed in just over a month. With reigning Rookie of the Year Luis Gil sidelined for more than three months due to a high-grade lat strain and ace Gerrit Cole undergoing imaging on his right elbow, the rotation is in flux.
As it stands, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, Marcus Stroman, and prospect Will Warren make up the Yankees’ current rotation with less than three weeks until Opening Day.
Meanwhile, Winans and fellow non-roster invitee Carlos Carrasco are battling for the next-man-up spot should another starter go down. Given his extensive big-league experience, Carrasco may have the edge, but both pitchers could be needed at some point this season—even if they start the year in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Winans has been making a strong case for himself this spring, allowing just one earned run over 8 1/3 innings while striking out four across three outings. Most recently, he delivered 3 1/3 scoreless frames in Saturday’s 5-2 walk-off loss to the Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.
Entering what would be his third MLB season, Winans has previously made eight appearances with the Braves, posting a 7.20 ERA. His role could resemble what the Yankees had last season with Cody Poteet—a stretched-out pitcher capable of stepping in for a spot start or filling in due to injuries.
NOTABLE
— Yankees left-hander Edgar Barclay gave up five runs in the bottom of the ninth, including a walk-off, three-run shot from Astros catcher César Salazar.
— Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe were both 0-for-3 in the loss against Houston. Chisholm is batting .105 this spring with a .366 OPS. Volpe is hitting .136 with a .409 OPS.
— J.C. Escarra continues to swing a hot bat as he competes for a roster spot. He had two hits and raised his spring batting average to .350.
— Pablo Reyes also had two hits and a walk, a versatile defender who is trying to play his way into the race for a bench spot this spring. Reyes is batting .412 with a .993 OPS.
— Righty reliever Yerry De Los Santos is up to five scoreless innings this spring after getting four outs on Saturday. Since he’s on the 40-man roster, he can’t be ruled out in securing one of the two vacancies in the Yankees’ bullpen leading up to Opening Day.
— Jasson Domínguez was 1-for-3 with two stolen bases in the loss.
