Yankees News: Non-tender deadline, 40-man roster, Domingo Germán, Jake Bauers

The Yankees' 40-man roster underwent its first significant makeover on Thursday (first of many? please say first of many), as six players were exiled into free agency.

A few names were less than noteworthy. Ryan Weber, a beloved longman (and occasional closer), has a good deal of elbow rehab ahead of him, and was a non-surprising option to be outrighted. Reliever Matt Bowman, outfielders Billy McKinney and Franchy Cordero, and Domestic Violence Policy offenders Jimmy Cordero and Domingo Germán joined him. All six players can be claimed, but will likely reach free agency.

Germán was the most prominent name sliced off the roster, but no matter how long the Yankees held onto him to soak up innings following his 2019 suspension, it was clear after his stint on the restricted list for an alcohol abuse-related tantrum in 2023 that he'd reached the end of the line.

How much more roster movement before we can get to the good stuff and start swapping prominent prospects and pitching depth for Juan Soto? There are a number of hurdles left to cross.

Yankees News: Next Key Date is Non-Tender Deadline

This season's non-tender deadline is Friday, Nov. 17 at 7 PM EST. That means that, by that date and time, all MLB teams are required to offer ("tender") contracts to the controllable players under their purview that they would like to keep. The Yankees theoretically could non-tender an expensive arbitration case like Gleyber Torres, but that would never happen.

However, a few ancillary arbitration cases with escalating salaries like, say, Kyle Higashioka and Jonathan Loaisiga? Both are in danger (Higgy significant, Lasagna less so), and both will be shopped in trades before the hammer comes down.

Nov. 17 is also when another Yankee who many thought would be sent away on Thursday could find himself on the chopping block...

When McKinney and Co. were sent away on Thursday, that left Yankees Twitter buzzing about one name more than any other: Jake Bauers.

Bauers seemed like a diamond in the rough when he was first promoted, ranking among the Yankees' leaders in OPS far longer than expected (which was an indictment on just about everything, sure, but Bauers was legitimately in the .800s and performing well). Midway through the campaign, though, the lefty hit an historic wall, which happened to basically coincide with Anthony Rizzo's rehab and fuzzy departure. The spotlight was on Bauers, and his resulting horrific slump left him under .700 in the OPS department at .693; he finished subtracting -0.9 bWAR from New York's moribund offense. That won't play.

So why wasn't Bauers sent packing Thursday? Does that mean he stays, as much of the internet decided in unison? Yes and no. It could mean the Yankees keep him in the system, but it has nothing to do with the prominence of his role moving forward. It likely means they plan to attempt to shop him prior to Nov. 17, and will make their final decision over the next few weeks. Regardless of whether he stays or goes, he won't be a starter next season. Not everyone at Triple-A Scranton has to be someone Yankees Twitter is united behind in full faith, folks.

How Many Players Are Currently on Yankees 40-Man Roster? Open Spots

Thursday represented the easiest portion of the dirty work, but just because six men have departed doesn't mean the 40-man is all the way down to 34 players. Remember all the long-term injured guys who were sent to the 60-day IL and left for dead? Yeah. They're going to have to be dealt with soon.

Entering Thursday, 43 men were either on the 40-man roster or long-term IL (Luis Severino and other free agents have already formally departed). Weber took up one of those IL spots, while Germán and Cordero were both ineligible at season's end (but were still listed among those 43 spots).

Prior to the start of 2024, the Yankees will (presumably) activate Nestor Cortes Jr., Anthony Rizzo, Jose Trevino, Luis Gil, and Scott Effross, leaving Jasson Dominguez (sad) and Lou Trivino on the shelf for a while longer. With the 40-man now at 37, they'll need two more spots cleared to accommodate those activations. A season full of injuries leads to significant overcrowding; more DFAs and non-tenders are on the horizon. Players in danger include Bauers, Higgy, Ben Rortvedt, Estevan Florial, Anthony Misiewicz, Albert Abreu, and Matt Krook.