Yankees Have Several Spring Competitions Brewing

The New York Yankees have several key starting spots up in the air coming into 2017 and all signs point to a series of spring training battles to decide them.

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman recently revealed to Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media that the 2017 starting first base job would be determined by a spring training competition between Greg Bird and Tyler Austin, telling the reporter, “May the best man win.”

Bird seems like the clear favorite on paper after his breakout 2015 campaign, but after missing the entire season following shoulder surgery, no one really knows what his status will be when the spring rolls around. He is expected to participate in the Arizona Fall League next month, which should provide some clarification.

Austin hasn’t done much to convince the Yankees he’s ready for a starting role during his two month audition, hitting .206/.260/.382 (68 OPS+) in 73 plate appearances down the stretch. He also is relatively new to the position, picking it up just this spring. Bird is no defensive whiz, but he does have a few years at first under his belt at least.

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That may not be the only position battle taking place during Grapefruit League play next spring. Aaron Judge‘s hold on the starting right field job seems pretty shaky after hitting .179/.263/.345 (61 OPS+) in 95 PA. When it was announced that Judge’s season was done after suffering a strained right oblique, Brian Cashman confirmed to reporters that the 24-year-old would need to earn another look in the everyday lineup.

Aaron Hicks and Rob Refsnyder look like Judge’s primary competition for playing time in right next year, although both also struggled at the plate in 2016. Former Yankees top prospect Mason Williams could be a dark horse candidate if he bounces back from missing the majority of the last two seasons.

Depending on how the offseason goes, left field could be another area of uncertainty. The Yankees shopped Brett Gardner last winter and at the trade deadline. If they finally do move him, Clint Frazier could compete with Williams, Hicks, and Refsnyder for left field time.

The pitching staff appears to be another area that is mostly wide open heading into 2016 and will need to be sorted out in March barring any major moves. Only three starters appear to be more or less locked into rotation spots, with two jobs available for Luis Cessa, Luis Severino, Chad Green, Bryan Mitchell, Adam Warren, and perhaps others to compete over.

The bullpen picture is similarly up in the air, with Dellin Betances, Tyler Clippard, and Adam Warren the only real sure things. Scrap heap pickups Tommy Layne and Blake Parker have done well since coming on board, but they will have to hold off an army of young arms with Triple-A Scranton to secure jobs.

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