Andres Chavez
The New York Yankees took a rare chance on a Rule 5 Draft pick late last year, their first one since 2011, when they picked St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Cade Winquest. It came as a shock for everyone involved, but the Bombers saw potential in the soon-to-be 26-year-old.
Winquest did show some attractive traits, but wasn’t particularly impressive in spring training with a 7.20 ERA in 10 innings of work. He won a spot on the active roster anyway, mostly because the Yankees needed to carry him or risk losing him, according to the rules.
A Rule 5 Draft pick must stay on the active roster all season, or else he should be offered back to his original team in exchange for $50,000.
He Couldn’t Make His MLB Debut
The Yankees never found a spot to use Winquest in a game to give him his MLB debut. Their early-season calendar was full of close games, and manager Aaron Boone just didn’t trust him enough to call his number. So, the organization designated him for assignment last week.
Today, it was announced that the pitcher cleared waivers and has been offered back to the Cardinals, thus ending his short stint with the Yankees, in which he never pitched an official game, majors or minors, except for spring training.
Indeed, Winquest never got much of a chance from the Yankees, but he didn’t do much to force one with his spring, either. The Yanks could have worked out a trade to keep him in the Bronx, but that didn’t happen, and he will return to St. Louis.
Winquest Has A Lot To Prove
Last year, Winquest posted a 3.99 ERA in 106 innings between High-A and Double-A. He does have potential, but still needs to master Triple-A and show he can consistently handle MLB-caliber hitters.
The fact that the Yankees decided to carry him on the roster for a couple of weeks, overusing the bullpen in certain instances, is perplexing.
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