Predicting 3 moves Yankees will make before 2024 spring training

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The New York Yankees' roster has nearly been polished off, with pitchers and catchers on the verge of reporting to spring training. They're stepping off planes. They're walking down the runway. They're testing out their Hilton Honors Digital Keys. They're so close.

The Yankees are nearly done, too, but still have a little bit of work to do before camp gets underway. Some analysts seem to believe they could still feast in the stagnant Blake Snell market, but after committing to Marcus Stroman, that feels unlikely at any price. Brian Cashman could flip prospects for a pitcher the team hasn't been connected to publicly after whiffing on Corbin Burnes -- Triston McKenzie? Edward Cabrera? Bryan Woo? It's tough to go as far as predicting a surprise bombshell, though. Could happen. Probably won't. Burnes was their best chance, but Milwaukee had to go and beg for Spencer Jones before settling for Baltimore's inferior prospect package.

Eh, it happens. All the time. It happens all the time.

Caleb Ferguson might've been the move that finished off the big-league bullpen, but the Yankees still have some 40-man roster problems to cut through and spring training invites they could dole out. Expect some shuffling in the weeks to come.

Predicting 3 roster moves Yankees will make before 2024 spring training

Yankees Sign Ex-Tiger to Minor-League Pact

It's odd that no one has taken a chance on Spencer Turnbull yet. Then again, the entire offseason has been quiet as a mouse in Fenway Park's Green Monster. It's odd that so much talent remains available, and coming off an unsuccessful return from injury (seven starts, 7.26 ERA), Spencer's had to wait his Turnbull.

Signing Brandon Woodruff to a two-year contract that keeps him potentially available down the stretch and ready to snag a rotation spot in 2025 might be the savvier move, and the advanced version of taking a flyer on Turnbull.

But there's a no-hitter-throwing pitcher who peaked in 2021 pre-injury available for a song right now. Michael Lorenzen would require a big-league guarantee. The 31-year-old Turnbull likely would not. Considering how often the Yankees are forced to rely on their Triple-A rotation for mid-year depth, it would be wise to cram a few more upside plays onto that staff among the top prospects.

A Catcher Trade. Right? They Have To. ...Right?

The Yankees love to use their roster efficiently. Fans may not always agree with their protection decisions, but at least New York always seems to have one eye on service time and one eye on prospects who are more tradeable midsummer because of impending Rule 5 concerns.

But ... somehow ... they've managed to make it all the way to February with five catchers on the 40-man roster. Protecting Agustin Ramirez from the Rule 5 Draft? Smart! Keeping Carlos Narvaez and Ben Rortvedt around (after trading Kyle Higashioka to San Diego)? Kind of confusing.

Bucking conventional wisdom, it still feels slightly more likely they trade Rortvedt than Narvaez. The Yankees recently signed Luis Torrens to a minor-league deal, who requires playing time at Triple-A. So does Narvaez. So does Rortvedt. Why keep the player who's shown the least at the major-league level, and also has the least growth still left ahead of them?

Keeping the entire trio, as well as all five catchers currently on the 40-man, would be obnoxious. It's a close call, but if Rortvedt isn't intended to be in the majors to provide comfort for Cole, then what exactly does allowing him to soak up all the Triple-A starts do for you? Narvaez could have a higher ceiling, and it would be nice to watch him approach it.

Yankees Add One More Familiar Face to Spring Training

After "splurging" on Greg Allen last week, it's time for the Yankees to bring back one more former member of the team who's been hanging around Aaron Judge in recent weeks: Corey Kluber, fresh off a season in Boston that ended his time as a viable big-leaguer.

No, not as a player. Kluber formally retired on Friday, via a statement on Instagram. As a tutor.

Kluber's Bostonian flop (-0.8 bWAR subtracted, 7.04 ERA, some time away from the rotation) came on a one-year, $10 million deal that helped usher Chaim Bloom out of town. If the Klubot were still looking for big-league guarantees of any kind, this would not be a fit. But if he's just looking to hook onto someone's spring training camp to spread wisdom before riding off into the proverbial sunset, that would be a phenomenal fit for New York.

He'd be a borderline pitching coach in waiting, but this is the time to bring him back into the fold as a guest instructor, allowing him to spend spring training tutoring the Yankees' kids. After all, that's part of the reason Michael King was able to find as much success as he did from 2021 to present. He mastered Kluber's breaking ball -- and you can, too, if you lock him in for the low, low price of a spring training invite and ticket to Scranton.

Just ask Judge. He can't stop inviting Kluber to events and including him as part of his entourage. Kluber's future as a teacher had better land him somewhere in the Yankees' system. Why not get a head start?

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