If the Yankees are to carry a true utility infielder on Opening Day, neither top prospect Oswald Peraza nor 2021 breakout star Oswaldo Cabrera will be that man.
The Yankees announced after Sunday’s win that Peraza, Cabrera, and outfielder Estevan Florial were all optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and re-assigned to minor-league camp, ending their times (for now) with the big club.
In addition, the team reassigned outfielders Michael Beltre and Blake Perkins, catcher Rodolfo Duran, and RHPs Jimmy Cordero, Reggie McClain, and Vinny Nittoli to minor-league camp.
With the addition of Shelby Miller on Sunday, that leaves 46 players – 33 on the 40-man roster and 13 non-roster invitees – in MLB camp.
Peraza, 21, is the consensus No. 2 prospect in the organization and a consensus Top 75 prospect in the game. He had a breakout season in 2021 after missing the 2020 season due to the MiLB COVID shutdown, posting a .297/.356/.477 slash line with 18 homers, 58 RBI, and 38 steals in 115 games across three levels.
Cabrera, 23, also had a breakout in 2021 at Double-A Somerset, hitting .256 with 24 homers, 78 RBI, and 20 steals in 109 games. He continued to produce in nine Triple-A games late in the year, going 15-for-30 with five homers and 11 RBI while playing all three non-first base infield positions.
Florial, formerly a top prospect who has fallen to the bottom of MLB.com’s Top 30 prospects list, did hit .300 in 11 MLB games last season, but hit just .219 with 121 strikeouts in 347 minor-league at-bats. The 24-year-old is in his final option year, so this may be a make-or-break campaign for him.
The Yankees are likely to carry at least one non-roster invitee, possibly needing a catcher behind Kyle Higashioka if Ben Rortvedt’s oblique injury requires him to start the season on the injured list.
However, manager Aaron Boone has said he’s likely to carry two extra pitchers in April with the rosters expanded to 28, the Yankees have two bench spots up for grabs, and plenty of non-roster veterans competing for at least one of those.
Miguel Andujar and Tim Locastro are the only two position players on the 40-man roster left in camp beyond the 11 seemingly locked in, leaving room for perhaps one or two from a group that includes outfielders Ender Inciarte and Ryan LaMarre, first baseman/outfielder Ronald Guzman, utility infielder Jose Peraza, and true utility men Marwin Gonzalez and Phillip Evans on the bench.
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