4 Yankees who could lose their jobs before 2022 postseason

3. Lucas Luetge

Losing Lucas Luetge right before the postseason would be a brutal capper on a year where the Yankees fought like hell to keep him around, as well as a year where he delivered more often than not.

Luetge’s lack of options led to both Clarke Schmidt and Ron Marinaccio spending undue time in the minors this season, only because there was no viable alternative without the Yankees cutting bait on some semi-trusted veterans (and they hate to do that). And they’d want to lose him now, after jumping through hoops all year to keep him? Well … yeah. What did the Jordan Montgomery trade teach us? If he’s not going to pitch in October, he might not be here much longer.

The left-hander has mostly been a mop-up guy, which doesn’t really play well in the postseason, when the mop-up guys will presumably be Jameson Taillon and Domingo German. He’s had some highlight-reel moments lately (namely, getting Carlos Correa to whiff as the tying run last Wednesday), but he remains mainly a same-side guy with excellent breaking stuff who can absorb three innings in a blowout or a high-leverage opportunity if it’s really necessary.

That said … 2.45 ERA since Aug. 1. Better than Wandy Peralta. He’s gotten the Yankees through some very tough times, and caused some roster conundrums earlier in the summer.

It would stink to sink his 2022 season, and Yankees career, just to welcome back Zack Britton. But if all four of these bullpen reinforcements are returning, he might have to say goodbye a few days before Game 162.

2. Clarke Schmidt (or…Ron Marinaccio?! No…but…?)

Don’t crush the messenger here, but the Yankees spent all summer messing with Clarke Schmidt and Ron Marinaccio’s service time just to keep their more experienced options in the ‘pen (and get worse).

With a few weeks left, they could easily do it again, with four arms to welcome back into the fold.

Schmidt’s position is more precarious than Marinaccio’s, but assuming the Yankees get Effross, Chapman, Britton and Castro all back — and want them all back — they have to remove four pitchers from the current active roster (they’re carrying 14, at the moment, which is the legal maximum). That’s Weber, that’s Weissert, and that’s two of Schmidt/Luetge/Marinaccio.

Luetge won out over those two once already. It could happen again. Or they could leave Castro in the minors for the remainder of the season (or jettison Chapman from their postseason roster, if they’re really feeling frisky).

Or someone could get injured again. Dropping Schmidt (and Marinaccio) wouldn’t be the death-knell for their potential postseason availability. It does, however, remain the most likely course of action.

And, don’t forget, Luis Severino will be back, too. All five could go!

Sevy’s return will remove Schmidt from any future rotation chances, and he’s mainly been a mop-up guy for weeks now. He’s been an effective option in 2022, but it’s often felt like a round starter peg being shoved into a square bullpen hole. What is Schmidt? The Yankees still aren’t sure, but he seems unlikely to be on the active roster for Game 162.

And Marinaccio? He’s walked five men in his last 7.1 innings pitched, scuffling on Sunday and in extra innings against the Twins on Wednesday. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

1. Aaron Hicks

When Aaron Hicks was yanked early from Friday night’s fiasco, it defused a potentially very uncomfortable situation. Hicks said all the right things to the media after the game. Aaron Boone didn’t mention Hicks’ play plainly, but stated that he felt he had to get him off the field.

Hicks then proceeded to remain on the bench for the final two games of the home series against the Rays.

The Yankees’ depth has been tested significantly over the past few weeks. But, even so, will Hicks ever play a home game for this team again? Is that a wise idea? And, if not, should the Yankees gift him a playoff roster spot, with several viable candidates on the pecking order ahead of him?

Decimated by injuries or not, the Yankees managed to roll out a competent lineup on both Saturday and Sunday, putting up 10 runs in each game without so much as a Hicks cameo. If he hasn’t lost his role yet, it’s safe to say reigniting Hicks isn’t atop the team’s wishlist as October approaches.

Once Harrison Bader completes his rehab (which will theoretically be before the Sept. 20 game against the Pirates), that will allow the Yankees to roll Bader in left, Aaron Judge in center, and master spark plug Oswaldo Cabrera in right field, a player the Yankees clearly love (and who seems unlikely to man first base, at any point, with Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu both trending upwards).

Hicks is unlikely to lose a 40-man roster spot before the offseason. But how can Aaron Boone really go back to that well, after essentially severing ties on Friday night? The Yankees have the personnel to avoid using Hicks, and they should remain dedicated to looking the other way until the 2022 campaign is over.

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