Yankees' latest 40-man roster decision bodes poorly for $3.5 million former All-Star

$3.5 million may not sound like much, but when the New York Yankees are chasing Juan Soto and a full offseason makeover, whether he does or doesn't return, money at the margins can make all the difference. Even Steve Cohen saved $8 million silently by trading for Jose Siri and letting Harrison Bader walk in free agency. Yes, even the impenetrably super wealthy enjoy paying less vs. paying more when they get the chance.

Which brings us to Friday's non-tender deadline. By 6:00 PM EST, there's a good chance the Yankees will have lopped a few extraneous pieces off their 40-man roster, both for financial and redundancy-related reasons.

On this date in 2021, for example, the Yankees ended the Clint Frazier experiment and sent Rougned Odor into free agency. Occasionally, the 40-man roster clearance is handled via trade, but typically, a few players are simply handed their walking papers to make things less complicated.

Based on postseason participation, it seems safe to say the Yankees won't want to pay the elevated (roughly $7 million) cost for Trent Grisham, who didn't see a minute of action this past October. Tim Mayza and Jon Berti wouldn't save the Yankees quite as much money, but at least Mayza seems likely to go as well. Berti was effective in limited time last year, but was rarely available, and the Yankees have plenty of multi-position infielders (like Caleb Durbin) waiting behind him.

In addition to Durbin joining the roster on Tuesday, the Yankees also added catcher Jesús Rodríguez, a few weeks after adding ... catcher J.C. Escarra. Those catchers are joined by Carlos Narvaez, Austin Wells, and Jose Trevino, and ... yeah, having several defense-first catchers at the ready in the minors, and a developing bat in Escarra doesn't seem to bode well for Trevino being carried into the regular season, either. Man. Stings, but likely true.

Yankees add extra catching depth, could choose to save money on Jose Trevino with corresponding non-tender

Trevino, a 2022 All-Star as the Yankees' starting catcher, was an inspiration that season, a lifelong Yankee fan playing out his (and his father's) dream in the Bronx. His follow-up in 2023 was, sadly, less inspiring, featuring a .570 OPS and a wrist injury that ended his season.

That injury appeared to sap significant strength, hindering his ability to control the running game in 2024 and making every Trevino start a mild adventure, beginning with Sunday Night Baseball at Fenway Park. If your defense-first catcher is struggling to put that part of his game back together, as his cost rises, it might be an ideal time to seek alternatives. The Yankees appear to be doing just that.