The New York Yankees were linked to some big-time players in their search for a powerful righty hitter to add to their outfield depth chart. Justin Upton and Mike Morse come to mind, to name a couple.
Instead, it looks like the Yankees are ready and willing to go into spring training with a motley crew of righty sticks for their outfield and then figure it out from there.
The latest to join the party is an old friend of the organization. As reported by ESPNNewYork.com, the Yankees are bringing aboard Juan Rivera, who first came up with the team in the early 2000s.
According to Matt Eddy of Baseball America, the Yankees also signed former Giants and Indians farmhand Thomas Neal last week. By my count, that makes it six players vying for the right to be the righty-hitting outfielder with power on Joe Girardi’s bench: Rivera, Neal, Matt Diaz, Russ Canzler and prospects Melky Mesa and Zoilo Almonte, who are on the club’s 40-man roster.
Here’s a look at their odds of making the club’s Opening Day roster.
Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.