Yankees: Seven players fighting for a spot on the Opening Day roster this spring

RHPs Jonathan Holder and Ben Heller

Non-roster invitees like Chad Bettis, who was just signed on Saturday and returning veterans David Hale and Tyler Lyons could end up earning one of the final bullpen spots. However, both Holder and Heller have an advantage over the guys signed to minor-league deals because they’re already on the 40-man roster.

A year ago Holder was a lock to be a part of the Yankees bullpen after he was one of Aaron Boone’s most trusted relievers throughout the 2018 season. Unfortunately, his stock took a major hit during the first half of last season and by late June he was demoted to Triple-A. After pitching to an unimpressive 4.55 ERA through May the wheels fell off for Holder in June. He simply couldn’t get hitters out and posted an ERA of 14.63 with six home runs allowed in just eight innings of work.

Watching him struggle as much as he did was not only hard to watch but hard to understand. He only pitched in three games with the Yanks following his demotion, but this spring he can start over with a clean slate and hopefully regain his form from two seasons ago.

Heller, on the other hand, missed the majority of last season recovering from TJ surgery in April of 2018. He was able to return to the Yankees when he was called up in September and in 7.1 IP he pitched very well posting a 1.23 ERA with 9 K’s. When CC Sabathia went down with an injury in the ALCS it was Heller who replaced him on the roster which had to give him some extra confidence heading into the offseason.

Now 28 years old, Heller hasn’t been able to stick with the big league club in limited stints since joining the organization in the Andrew Miller trade back in 2016. But the fact that he’s been able to survive the 40-man roster much over the past couple of offseason could be a sign that the Yankees think highly of him and expect him to contribute in 2020.

As for Holder, he’s a strong candidate to bounce back, but after pitching so poorly a season ago you wonder if he’ll ever get back to the level he pitched at in 2018. I’d bet no, but that doesn’t mean he can’t become a solid option for the Yanks in middle relief if he makes the Opening Day roster.