The New York Yankees announced their ALCS roster today with a couple of familiar faces joining the fray.
Veteran CC Sabathia makes the roster in what could be his final postseason appearances. The Yankees decided to go with 13 pitchers for this round, with Sabathia signing on as the extra man. It remains to be seen in what exact capacity he might be used, though he will probably come out of the bullpen. The more surprising addition is Aaron Hicks, who not that long ago was considering Tommy John surgery.
Hicks was really only healthy for about three months of the season and hasn’t seen action since early August, when a flexor strain in his elbow forced him to the injured list. After suffering a setback, Tommy John surgery was very much in consideration and it looked like Hicks would be unable to contribute in the postseason. However, it’s surely a pleasant surprise that Hicks has shown enough progress to warrant a return to the roster for a late-season comeback.
With Hicks and Sabathia back in the fold, infielders Tyler Wade and Luke Voit have been left off the roster. Additionally, the Yankees announced that right-handed pitcher David Hale has been designated for assignment to free a spot on the 40-man for Hicks, who had been on the 60-day injured list.
Here’s the complete 25-man unit:
Right-Handed Pitchers
Left-Handed Pitchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Catchers
Hicks will be prepared for any situation, including starting, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (via Twitter). If healthy, the switch-hitting centerfielder certainly has the talent to make an impact. Though he hasn’t met expectations this year, in large part due to injuries, Hicks offers the Yankees with increased defensive flexibility; if he plays in center field, where he’s garnered a reputation as one of the finest outfielders in the American League, Brett Gardner can slide to left while Giancarlo Stanton works as a DH. Of course, that scenario would force the Yankees to rejigger their infield mix if they want to keep Edwin Encarnacion’s bat in the lineup.
Wade would be the utility infield option, but with Torres, LeMahieu, and Urshela all capable of playing all over the diamond, Wade didn’t figure to see a lot of playing time regardless. Voit is the bigger name, and if you’d stopped watching baseball at the midway point of 2019 you’d certainly be surprised to see him left off this roster. An injury derailment and a tough second half slowed him down, however, and he did not make an appearance in the ALDS. He’s been knocked down the first base pecking order with LeMahieu getting the lion’s share of reps and Encarnacion at full health.
Waste of a roster spot imo
Agreed
He will retire at the end of the year… let him get his chance to play in the postseason before they get beat down by the Astros.
Hey squeaky. Finally easing up on CC because you were looking like such a dirt bag?
You will love or die by your anti Yankee prediction. Good luck
I find it funny that people bash including CC on the roster but don’t mention who they think should be there instead. Provide a viable alternative and make your case for them being there over CC
I’m not a big fan of Wade, but putting him in as a pinch runner as a winning or tying run late in games could be the difference between winning or losing games. Sabathia’s only job is to mop up blowouts and they already have Cessa for that.
@JDGoat
Who’s to say CC can’t be counted on for an inning or two or vs lefties that have a .198/.270/451 slash against him? I know the ,450 slugging isn’t stellar but the rest of those numbers are very good.
Southbeach-those sentiments by whining posters who make believe that they are Yankee fans yet the most
Important things for them is to throw up theories stupidity.
Whining all year; shouldn’t have signed CC and Gardy. Should have signed Harper and Machado, who went home early, and Corbin who’s teammates wished had gone home early.
Voit will be back next year. Should’ve kept him.
I like Voit but he’s not right. Hicks can’t be worse.
Does Tyler Lyons have compromising pictures of Cashman? That’s the only reason I can see for him to be on the team.
he’s better than cc at this point
Voit isn’t on the playoff roster? The Yankee scouting and magical looking into the future to find future superstars analytics crew stole Voit from the Cards. Now you are saying the only member of that trade to make the postseason was some AAA pitcher for the Cards?
Blasphemy!!!!
Injuries happen. Now go cry about your twins getting swept elsewhere.
This, Voit is/was playing hurt
Melch is a Mets fan. He’s been banned from Yankee Stadium for being a disloyal dirt bag.
You gotta play the hot hand and they have a better version of Voit in EE right now. If they make the WS I bet he’ll be back on the roster. Much more use for him as a pinch hitter in NL parks
They’ll have virtually the same roster for the WS minus CC, and he’ll be replaced by a BP arm.
Hey Squeaky Stevie-You has to get your last dog into CC, huh? What’s that going to get you?
Fist69 is fisting CC’s mom Better watch out.
CC has come out of the bullpen 2 times in his 585 regular and post season appearances.
he’ll likely be a long man if needed. imo also would be an incredible disservice to him to leave him off the roster considering what he’s done for the organization
Considerations are thrown out the window when you’re going for a title. Besides other than an ok 2018 he’s been pretty horrible the last 5 years.
Hey little Stevie-according to the wifey, you should be so horrible.
I hope to see Hicks either as a defensive replacement or pinch hitter. He hasn’t faced big league pitching in almost 2 1/2 months. This series is too tough to be expermenting to see if he’s capable after that long layoff.
Can’t see CC being more than a lefty specialist out of the pen.
Yanks in 7.
Sounds like the yanks are conceding the series already by adding c.c.. he had his moments already, not all retiring players need to go out on a high
If the series hinged on CC being on the roster, things were in bad shape.
Voit must still not be 100%. He will not speak up like some other outfielder not on the roster
Astros in 4. A message gets sent. People start talking about Yankee greatness in the past tense, like it’s the 80s again.
Hal refuses to increase payroll, but Jim Crane does. For the next decade, Astros beat the Yankees like their the Twins.
Your troll fails because they weren’t much in the *80’s home-slice.
@Astros_fan_84
Yanks 25 man payroll is $50 mil higher than the Astros. Stop it.
And for the record, there was nothing at all special about the Yanks in the 8-s. However they went to 6 world series from 96-2003 and won 4 of them and another in 2009. There’s no comparison.
Hey 84. Too bad this is 2019. If you had predicted this two years ago you would have looked smart.
Please update. That would have to be “Astros in 5”, right?
Hey Gasu, ‘84’s mommy posted that the little boy had such an upset tummy that he didn’t sleep last night. He was crying uncontrollably until day light and woke everyone else as well.
She’s going to bring him for therapy on Monday as she commented, “I’m not sure what kind of shape he will be in when the Yankees win game 2 at the Trop tonight. We don’t understand where this Astro’s thing came from. We live in Flushing and he WAS always a Mets fan.”
I told her that we had some Mets fans that were Yankee haters on this board. She’s guessing that her son’s earlier posting alias was Geeson.
So, if Encarcion is the DH and any infielder has to leave the game for any reason, they will have to play without a DH? Or can one of those OFs play 1B?
I get that the Yankees won’t pinch hit much but I think a 9 man bullpen seems a bit much.
Urshela is likely a late inning defense sub with EE at 1b, Torres at 2b, Didi at ss and DJLM at 3b to start the game.
Also hearing that game 4 will be a bullpen game making a 9 man pen more necessary.
I stand corrected on the starting lineup.
LOL!!!
Just love how MLB lets the networks decide the schedule for the postseason. Gotta let the Yankees get the night games, forcing the other teams get short rest.
The all mighty dollar prevails, screw the other teams. Socialism for the rich
@TrumpCard
Or..or….or….consider this….the Yanks vs Astros is a better match-up thus getting the prime time slot?
Voit’s been playing hurt with a hernia.
I love Voit. I hope he’s back next year. I also agree he’s playing injured. It’s just a smarter move to play EE and rest Voit, even if it’s frustrating for everybody involved. The whole reason they traded for Urshela, traded for EE and signed DJ LeMahieu was because Did was recovering from TJ surgery, Bird went down immediately and Voit couldn’t stay healthy, so what else are they supposed to do now? Might as well rest Voit and play EE.
As for Hicks over Wade- I don’t think Wade’s running will be the difference maker but Hicks could kill his body for the team and make some great plays. His extension may have been premature and look bad in the end, bit I think Hicks would give it his all even if he doesn’t have much left.
I could see some splayed out miraculous catches or a Kirk Gibson-esque offensive moment from Hicks even if he’s not 100% and rusty at the competitive level after his time off.
Your take on what you see for Hicks is just all kinds of wrong for obvious reasons. The guy is just bridle as hell, and is just a JBJ with the injury gene. “Kirk Gibson-esque offensive moment” just plane blasphemy…omfg
And Bocephus your spelling is just “plain” awful. Your fingers must be “brittle” from pressing the wrong keys too often.
So you’re saying Hicks is a horse who can fly? Like Pegasus? I’ll take that!
As a Redsox fan, I am rooting for the Evil Empire, to sweep through the games n eventually winning the WS. They are just the best, n eventually everyone will know that. The NL stands no chance. The NYY just have great players, n frankly Boone can’t even screw them up, cuz one move or another will work. Good luck to the Pinstripes.
CC is on the roster for a potential Yankee Stadium send off. He’s not going to be in any high leverage lefty on lefty matchups with Britton around. Happ, Cessa, and Loiasiga are there for mop up/long relief.
Tyler Lyons does suck. Hopefully we don’t see him at all.