Projecting New York Yankees’ Opening Day roster for 2022

Yankees Bullpen (9)

• Aroldis Chapman
• Jonathan Loaisiga
• Clay Holmes
• Lucas Luetge
• Chad Green
• Wandy Peralta
• Joely Rodriguez
• Michael King
• Albert Abreu

I am not just trying to wear rose-colored glasses here. I really, truly, earnestly, in all honesty do not see the point of bending over backwards to include Domingo German in this bullpen projection when the Yankees have two electric young talents in King and Abreu who proved time and again they were better-suited to the role in 2021. Don’t you remember King’s stretch run, when he’d arguably leapt over Green to become one of the most trusted Yankees in a bullpen that suddenly felt deeper than ever entering October?

They even managed to cobble together an impressive complete game in Gerrit Cole’s wake in the Wild Card Game that went all for naught. At the moment, King and Abreu both offer higher upside that German, who was shoved into the ‘pen to end 2021 simply because the team couldn’t find use for him. Hopefully he’s flipped for a projectable piece this spring rather than retained as depth while Jameson Taillon rehabs (though we all know what the Yankees will choose).

The other names here are fairly standard. The Yankees didn’t pay for Rodriguez not to use Rodriguez. The Yankees will not be flipping Chad Green before the season, even though they should probably consider it. And even though Stephen Ridings, Ron Marinaccio and JP Sears all merit mention as the “next men up” — and you should see all three this year — none of them crack the Opening Day roster.