One byproduct of a 60-game regular season for the MLB is that the active roster will be expanded from 26 to 30 players. The New York Yankees will be looking to fill out the final four spots on the roster to help mitigate fatigue in a condensed schedule. There are plenty of options that represent great talent and can supplement injuries and rotate to give top players the rest they need during the hot summer months.
One Yankee that could be a secret weapon in the shortened campaign is Deivi Garcia, the team’s top pitching prospect. He joined the ranks as one of the best young talents in baseball in 2019, as he progressed through the Yankees’ farm system at an astronomical rate.
The consensus was that he would end up in the Bronx at some point in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic has completely shut down the minor-league seasons and limited his development as a result. Garcia would have benefited from a large sample size of games, giving him an even better chance of making the top team at some point this year. However, the extra spots on the roster could land him an opportunity in a bullpen role, and given his starting abilities, utilizing him for one or two innings could be an efficient move by the Yankees.
Manager Aaron Boone was excited about GarcÃa earlier on this year before spring training was interrupted. He received the Kevin Lawn award as the Yankees’ top minor league pitcher of the year.
“You see why we’re excited about him, his ability to spin the ball’’ and his progression through the club’s system “at a very young age.’’
At just 21 years old, he has amazing potential and is expected to climb the ranks and eventually cement himself in the starting rotation. While he will have to wait a bit longer due to the change in schedule, he’s in prime position to steal some live reps in 2021 with three starting pitchers entering the free-agent portal.
“There’s so many guys that you can really dream upon, you can really picture having a really good big-league career,’’ Boone said in late February. “And Deivi (pronounced DAVEY) certainly falls into that category.’’