Cashman: Hoffmann’s spot is ‘his to lose’

Headline says it all, according to Chad Jennings.

I was surprised by Brian Cashman’s statement. The Yankees have a few outfielders vying for a spot on the roster, and I thought Jamie Hoffmann was last on that list.

The outfielders with a 99.9 percent chance of making the team are Cutis Granderson, Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner. Those three, plus a 12-man pitching staff, two catchers, the rest of the starting infield, a backup (Ramiro Pena most likely) and Nick Johnson, leaves two spots left on the 25-man roster.

Candidates:
Randy Winn
Hoffmann
Marcus Thames

Winn is an obvious pick for me, but it’s a coin flip between Hoffmann and Thames for the final spot. Hoffmann has better defense, Thames has more power and experience.

You could also make the argument for Juan Miranda (1B/DH) for the final spot. He might be the best hitter of the bunch, but he’d be third or fourth on the depth chart for first base (so he’s probably not the guy).

Check out this post for a breakdown of some of the high-up minor league outfielders that could see time in the Yankee outfield.