3 Yankees players who may have lost their roster spots this offseason

The Yankees did plenty of roster pruning before the heavy lifting started, but after adding Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, and Trent Grisham, there are still a number of 40-man rostered players who could be on the way out, pending future moves.

After all, the Yankees must add to their rotation depth, whether they go high-profile or bounce back. The bullpen is unfinished. The bench, very obviously, looks different, led by a positive WAR player in Grisham. That directly opposes last year's strategy, "Find the Worst Guy You Know and Plop Him There, as Long as He's Left-Handed."

Entering the end of December, the Yankees' 40-man stands at only 37. That's why they were able to absorb Jorbit Vivas and Victor González with minimal strain, relieving the Dodgers of a personnel crisis as they tried to welcome Shohei Ohtani and Joe Kelly. That won't be the case for long, though. The Yankees traditionally have an overstuffed group, and their rotation is woefully incomplete. Someone's coming soon, and when the cavalry arrives, a few incumbent names will be on the chopping block once again.

Honorable Mentions: Matt Krook and Nick Ramirez, who seem likely to conduct the Scranton Shuttle this summer, but could easily be shucked off the roster if more promising options appear. Ramirez is a known quantity; Krook should have significant upside, but struggled as much in his debut stretch as any pitcher ever has (24.75 ERA across four games).

Yankees players whose roster spots are in jeopardy going into 2024

Estevan Florial

Florial had the quickest trip possible on the 2023 active roster, as he was carried north for Opening Day, received a pinch running opportunity, then was sent off to waivers to make room for Seibu Lions legend Franchy Cordero.

Against all odds, he wasn't claimed by any other big-league team despite possessing tantalizing power and former top prospect status. He used that chip on his shoulder to motivate him to lay waste to Triple-A, finishing with a .945 OPS and 28 bombs in 101 games. Unfortunately, he was off the 40-man for the vast majority of that time spent raking, meaning he was crushing it in solitude.

The Yankees made it perfectly clear what they thought of his chances to contribute to the big club when they exiled him, then tried nearly every other outfielder in the tri-state area, from Willie Calhoun to Billy McKinney, over giving him another shot. Florial proved that he can club Triple-A pitching last summer, but the Yankees only believed in his blend of power and athleticism when they were absolutely forced to (and, again, he's a lefty!). Though he currently holds a 40-man spot, it feels fair to expect him to be one of the first casualties whenever they require extra space.