A few moves trickled in on Tuesday with the opening day roster nearly set for the New York Yankees, starting with lefty relief pitcher JP Sears.
Sears was a long shot at making the active roster but impressed over three appearances this spring, despite one problematic outing against the Toronto Blue Jays, giving up five earned runs. However, he did enough to get a chance with the top team, but I wouldn’t expect the Bombers to utilize him in any high leverage situations.
Aside from Sears, manager Aaron Boone also connected with former Houston Astros utility-man Marwin Gonzalez, telling him he would also make the opening day roster, according to Marly Rivera of ESPN.
https://twitter.com/MarlyRiveraESPN/status/1511338671982718986
Gonzalez is an intriguing player at 33 years old, featuring with the Boston Red Sox and Astros last season after being traded. Gonzalez spent 2012-2018 with Houston, having a career-best season in 2017, hitting .303 with 23 homers and 90 RBIs.
Last year, Gonzalez hit a combined .199 with five homers and 28 RBIs over 91 games. His offensive capabilities have diminished over time, but he’s having a solid spring wearing pinstripes, hitting .364 with three homers and nine RBIs over eight games.
Aside from his offensive success this off-season, Gonzalez is capable of playing a multitude of defensive spots, providing even more value. Since general manager Brian Cashman DFA’d Tyler Wade, Rougned Odor, and Clint Frazier, a need was presented for a utility-man.
Gonzalez has played every infield and outfield position, giving the Bombers a key piece in case of injury or deficiencies. He spent the most time featuring at shortstop, enjoying over 2,300 innings. He has a career .969 fielding percentage at SS but has also shown he’s capable of taking over on the hot corner sufficiently.
Despite the rivalry between the Yankees and Astros, Gonzalez offers plenty of upside and has done enough this spring to guarantee himself an opening day roster spot.