5 Yankees on 40-man roster who won’t last all of 2023

4. Estevan Florial

Again, there’s a clear vacancy in left field and Estevan Florial, who’s been in the Yankees’ organization since 2015, is nowhere to be found in the discourse. The organization has hardly given him a chance — he’s seen just 29 games of MLB action since 2020.

But his biggest shot came in 2022 when injuries and regressions plagued the roster for a good amount of time. Florial appeared in 17 games but hit just .097 and OPS’ed .297. He struck out 13 times in 35 plate appearances. Though his defense in center and left was a breath of fresh air, the Yankees needed offense from the left side of the plate and he couldn’t deliver.

Maybe the Yankees were too harsh here. After all, 2022 marked Florial’s first full season at Triple-A, where he dominated. The 25-year-old slashed .283/.368/.481 with 66 runs scored, 15 homers, 46 RBI and 39 stolen bases in just 101 games.

It might be too soon to label Florial as a fringe major league who can’t take the next step from the highest levels of the minors, but it’s also valid to say his time is running out now that he’s entered his age-25 season. If he doesn’t impress in spring training, he’ll be back at Triple-A … and then the clock will really start ticking as the Yankees likely search for more value with his 40-man spot.