Yankees Announce Spring Training Invites

Left to right: Severino, Judge, Refsnyder (Icon SMI)

The New York Yankees announced their list of 26 non-roster spring training invitees on Tuesday morning, bringing the total number of players reporting to camp to 66.

Those non-roster players include RHP Scott Baker, INF Cole Figueroa, INF Jonathan Galvez, C Juan Graterol, INF Nick Noonan, and C Eddy Rodriguez, all of whom the Yanks freshly-signed to minor league deals.

The Yankees will have a handful of highly touted prospects in attendance as well, namely RHP Luis Severino, LHP Jacob Lindgren, INF Greg Bird, INF Rob Refsnyder and OF Aaron Judge. Bird and Judge were recently named two of the game’s top-100 prospects by ESPN’s Keith Law.

Aside from Baker, the only other veteran on the list is RHP Andrew Bailey. The Yankees signed Bailey last year but he never pitched in 2014, as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. He has not pitched in the majors since 2013.

Filling out the rest of the list are catchers Francisco Arcia, Trent Garrison and Kyle Higashioka, infielders Cito Culver and Kyle Roller, outfielders Slade Heathcott and Jake Cave and pitchers Vincente Campos, Nick Goody, Diego Moreno, James Pazos, Wilking Rodriguez, Nick Rumbelow and Tyler Webb.

Of these players, the only ones with a real chance to make the big leagues out of spring training are Baker and Refsnyder. Both will compete for jobs in the starting rotation and at second base, respectively, though many believe Chris Capuano is the favorite to win the job of fifth starter and Stephen Drew should begin the year as the Yankees’ starting second baseman.

Refsnyder and Lindgren should see big league action at some point in 2015.