How Yankees could retain Rule 5 Draft pick from Cardinals amid Spring Training concerns
New York's front office has a tricky decision to make before Opening Day.
(Getty Images) How Yankees could retain Rule 5 Draft pick from Cardinals amid Spring Training concerns originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . There are a few open roster spots in the bullpen for the New York Yankees .
As Opening Day approaches, the front office is tasked with making spring training cuts. Of course, manager Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake will have a say in who stays and who goes. David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, and Ryan Yarbrough are locks to open the year with the Major League club.
The Athletic's Chris Kirschner tabs Jake Bird, Brent Headrick, Kervin Castro , and Cade Winquest as the four relievers vying for the final two spots in the bullpen. Winquest's path to the Majors is not quite as clear as the other three candidates. Winquest is a Rule 5 Draft pick from the Cardinals MLB's Rule 5 Draft is an annual event that allows clubs to select unprotected minor leaguers from the 29 other organizations.
The Yankees made their first selection in the draft since 2011 by taking Winquest from the St. Louis Cardinals . "The reason the Yankees selected him [Winquest] in the Rule 5 draft this offseason was they believed his stuff would play up in a reliever role rather than as a starter, which he was in the St.