J.C. Escarra was informed by the Yankees and manager Aaron Boone that he will join the team in New York when they go up north, as he has made the cut and will be promoted to the big leagues. This is the first time in Escarra’s career that he finds himself in the Major Leagues after years of playing at the Minor League and professional level. Drafted nearly a decade ago, Escarra had to work as both an Uber driver and a substitute teacher at times to afford amenities while also playing pro ball, as he was out of affiliated baseball from 2022-2023 after the Orioles cut ties with him.
A well-regarded defender in the Yankees’ organization, he’s expected to serve as their backup catcher, with his experience at first base and solid bat providing some added utility.
J.C. Escarra Earns Promotion to Yankees, Roster Begins to Take Shape
The New York Yankees were searching for a backup catcher all Spring, but one guy stood out as the clearcut winner of that job: J.C. Escarra. This was probably the first time he ever entered a camp with a chance to win a job on a team’s 26-man roster, and after toiling in the Minor Leagues for years and even spending time away from the affiliated ball, he didn’t let that opportunity go to waste.
He hit .333 with a .936 OPS across 17 games, showing off a strong ability to hit the ball to right field and make contact while also displaying brilliant defensive abilities. The Yankees love his framing abilities and think that Escarra is capable of being a great defender at the Major League level, with teams across the league showing interest in him earlier this offseason.
It’s safe to say he won’t be going anywhere for now, as the Yankees would place him on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft before promoting him to the big leagues officially today. A wave of roster cuts was made by the Yankees today, as their roster now begins to take shape with the bullpen being the final part of the squad that Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone will have to sort out.
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Yoendrys Gomez has had an excellent camp, and without options remaining, he could be set to open the season with the team out of the bullpen. Brent Headrick, Yerry De Los Santos, and Wilking Rodriguez are among the names battling it out for the final spots on the Yankees’ roster right now. The wave of injuries to their bullpen has created a lot of open battles, but these arms have all flashed impressive stuff throughout camp.
As for the rotation, Carlos Carrasco and Will Warren will take the final two spots of the Yankees’ rotation with the news that Clarke Schmidt will stay back to build up more. Brian Cashman reiterated that the right-hander is healthy, but that the team wanted to get him more pitches under his belt before having him take the mound again. Given how decimated their rotation is without Gerrit Cole for the year and Luis Gil for an extended period of time, caution could be their best friend here.