Aaron Boone's comments on Oswaldo Cabrera make his Yankees fate seem inevitable

There are some guys who are just good for the vibes; the type who lifts everyone's spirits with their infectious energy while playing hard whenever the opportunity is given to them. For the New York Yankees, that's Oswaldo Cabrera.

The affable utility man was part of the rotating cast of characters at third base early last season, and over the first month was clearly the best. In March and April, the switch-hitter batted .291/.364/.354 while playing decent defense at the hot corner. There was hope that, while he might not have been a star, he could at least be a serviceable option.

However, on May 12, that bid came to a screeching halt when Cabrera suffered a broken ankle in a gruesome scene trying to tag up from third base. In the aftermath, he still found a way uplift the fans and his teammates by taking to social media to show love for all the support. Unfortunately, though, his season was over.

Heading into spring training, the Yankees' glue guy was declared fully healthy, but his spot on the roster would be far from secure. New York added firepower to the bench at last year's deadline, trading for Jose Caballero and bringing in and subsequently retaining Amed Rosario, both of whom possess similar versatility. Then, with camp on the horizon, the Yankees pulled off a trade with the A's to acquire another utility option in Max Schuemann.

The 27-year-old was going to have quite an uphill battle to win a roster spot, but already, Aaron Boone might have closed the door on Cabrera breaking through to become a part of the Opening Day mix with his latest update.

Aaron Boone's Oswaldo Cabrera update may have confirmed that the fan favorite will be left off the Opening Day roster

Despite the clean bill of health and being deemed a full go, Boone said that Cabrera will not play in early Grapefruit League action as a precaution. Wanting to protect the versatile chess piece is one thing, but in order for him to win a job, he's going to have to be able to prove he's the best option on the field. That'll be hard to do if he's sitting on the bench.

Throughout his career, Cabrera has logged at least one game at every defensive position except pitcher and catcher. He can do whatever is needed on the field, and with Caballero forced into the starting lineup while Anthony Volpe recovers from offseason shoulder surgery, that's a nice quality to have.

But the truth of the matter is that it's hard to see where he would fit. Three of the four bench spots are spoken for, with Paul Goldschmidt and Rosario being locks. One can reasonably assume that, unless the Yankees bring in a right-handed-hitting catcher, J.C. Escarra will make it, too. That leaves one spot up for grabs.

Schuemann has also played every position on the diamond over his pro career, and if he proves he can hit enough, he'll pull ahead of Cabrera.

There's also the chance that the Yankees bring in a right-handed-hitting outfielder, or would prefer to keep a natural outfielder for that final spot over an infielder who can moonlight out there like Rosario or Cabrera.

Maybe things can change by the time Cabrera can get some actual game work in, but by that point it might already be too late. Fortunately he has options left, so he can stick around with the organization and be called upon later if needed. For now, that seems like the likely outcome.