Yankees' latest spring training invite seems like the left-handed Clay Holmes

On Sunday afternoon, with mere hours to go before Super Bowl kickoff, the New York Yankees stole the headlines entirely with a blockbuster announcement. You'll remember exactly where you were when your Apple Watch buzzed with the Twitter notification: Yes, the rumors were true. Jayvien Sandridge and Ronaldo Hernández really were being invited to Major League spring training.

After a cursory Google, it became clear (sarcasm aside) that both surprise additions to the Yankees' spring mix could end up being valuable commodities. Hernández, a former Rays top prospect, was shrewdly obtained by the Boston Red Sox in the Jeffrey Springs/Chris Mazza trade; despite being elevated to Boston's roster a few times, he has yet to make an MLB appearance. Last season, he bashed 11 homers with an .864 OPS in 219 at-bats in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, and found himself released by the Diamondbacks organization at the end of the season. Given how unsettled the Yankees' backup catcher situation currently is, taking a flyer on Hernández seems prudent.

The other anonymous addition might be even more intriguing. Sandridge, a 25-year-old lefty who pitched for Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso (Padres) last season, can hit 98 MPH from the left side with his sinker. His bugaboo? His command, resulting in an unsightly 1.72 WHIP (49 walks in 61 innings) last season.

Huh. Hard thrower with sink, command issues, inflated K numbers (95 in 61 innings last year), surprisingly hittable (.245 BAA last year when folks did make contact) ... did Matt Blake just find a Clay Holmes who slings from the opposite arm?

Yankees invite catcher Ronaldo Hernández and hard-throwing lefty Jayvien Sandridge to spring training

Sandridge's 4.76 ERA in 39 2/3 innings in the PCL last season actually isn't so bad; as Ryan Garcia of Empire Sports Media noted over the weekend, the average ERA in that league approached 6.00 last season. The altitude, the dry heat ... it all combines annually to inflate pitchers' numbers past the point of no return.

Of course, Sandridge may have gotten off with just a warning, but he still did a poor job of controlling the controllables (namely, his control). The ball may fly out west, but still, a 1.82 WHIP won't fly in any league, no matter the offensive environment.

Sandridge may not be the favorite to emerge as the second lefty in the Yankees' bullpen, just as Hernández likely won't leapfrog JC Escarra or Alex Jackson for the backup catcher role. Still, what's more fun to watch than a spring training project who comes out of nowhere? Sandridge entering the picture certainly gives us something enjoyable to monitor.