Yankees: Revamping the entire 26-man roster after recent lineup changes

Who would’ve thought countless injuries, unforeseen regressions and a second COVID outbreak would have … revived the New York Yankees? Well, not fully. But the short-term results have been encouraging.

Has this taught the organization anything? Have general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone realized that a little bit of speed, defense and grit can really be the difference for this team?

We sure hope so. At the very least, it should spark the team to revamp its bench and change the complexion of their outfield, because whatever was being forced earlier simply wasn’t working. The time to make a change is now, especially with the trade deadline approaching.

So why don’t we take a stab at revamping the 26-man roster after all the recent changes that have energized the team? Let’s have some fun! For once.

It’s a bit complicated, too, because a lot of guys will be returning from injury and we can expect a trade deadline acquisition or two.

One thing we do know, however? Greg Allen is here to stay. It’s non-negotiable. Please do not make any bad decision to get the fans ready to riot. We’ve seen enough shenanigans at Yankee Stadium this year. No more.

Projecting a new 26-man roster for the Yankees after recent changes.

Allen stays. Whatever the Yankees are doing with Clint Frazier (is it a medical issue or is he being exiled?) needs to continue. Miguel Andújar needs to be traded or DFA’d. Trim the fat and bring on more energy.

Yankees Pitchers on 26-Man Roster (Updated)

• Gerrit Cole
• Jordan Montgomery
• Jameson Taillon
• Nestor Cortes Jr.
• Chad Green
• Luis Cessa
• Jonathan Loaisiga
• Aroldis Chapman*
• Zack Britton*
• Justin Wilson
• Lucas Luetge
• Domingo German*
• Albert Abreu*

*Yankees should cut loose Nick Nelson and Brooks Kriske. They’re not being used and they’re taking up roster spots. German and Abreu should be the next to go should the Yankees make acquisitions at the trade deadline and/or activate Corey Kluber and Luis Severino later in the season. It’d also be preferable if one of Chapman or Britton were gone come July 30. The days of those two lefties anchoring the back end of the bullpen are over. Unfortunately, they’re probably stuck with Justin Wilson, but can make use of him as a garbage innings eater and justify it. They can’t do that with bigger names. Also, freeing up another roster spot would help for later activations.

Perhaps we can expect Cashman importing one more starter and then Sevy coming on as a reliever at some point? The pitching staff could surprisingly be good come late August once everything is figured out.

Yankees Position Players on 26-Man Roster (Updated)

• DJ LeMahieu
• Rougned Odor
• Gleyber Torres
• Gio Urshela
• Gary Sanchez
• Kyle Higashioka
• Giancarlo Stanton
• Tyler Wade
• Aaron Judge
• Estevan Florial
• Brett Gardner
• Ryan LaMarre
• Chris Gittens*

*Say goodbye to Andújar (trade deadline) and Frazier (whatever the transaction may be). Neither provided good defense or offense. Neither are lefty. That should settle it. Gittens will be sent down once Luke Voit is ready to return, which could be sooner than we thought. Who’s next to go should Cashman acquire a position player or an extra pitcher? LaMarre is probably first on the list … and we’ll give you a hot take and suggest Wade is next on the chopping block. If Florial can hold down center field and provide production from the left side of the plate, that might be more valuable than Wade’s defensive versatility. In the event the Yankees acquire an outfielder, though, Florial will probably get the heave-ho.

How’s that? Realistic? Probable? Insane? Changes do need to be made, however, so expect a shakeup of sorts.

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