20 of 40: A Quick Look at the 40-Man Roster, Looking Ahead to 2020 (Part 2)

In the days and weeks to come, we will share our thoughts and plans and opinions on the current Yankees and their off-season plans and decisions. I will, of course, share my plan for the 2020 Yankees…

But, before we get to that point, I thought it might be fun to just look at the players already on the 4-Man Roster to make a quick assessment as to whether or not I think they’ll be back next year.

You can see Part 1 Here

Unlike most of my articles, this one is just a quick look at each player. But, to make it a bit more engaging, we’ll look at the players in uniform number order, rather than by positions.

#43, Luke Voit – He will be back.

#47, Jordan Montgomery – He will be back and given a chance to be the #5 starter in 2020.

#48, Tommy Kahnle – He will be back.

#52, C.C. Sabathia – He, of course has retired.

#53, Zack Britton – He will be back, and he might be the closer.

#54, Aroldis Chapman – I believe he will opt-out and the Yankees will let him walk. Chapman will not be a Yankee in 2020.

#57, Chad Green – He will be back.

#61, Ben Heller – He will be back, on the AAA/Big League Shuttle

#65, James Paxton – He will be back.

#66, Kyle Higashioka – He will be back and will be the back-up catcher in the Bronx.

#67, Nestor Cortes, Jr. – He will be back and on the AA/Big League Shuttle

#70, Tyler Lyons – He will be back and he’ll play a bigger role in 2020 than anyone images right now.

#71, Stephen Tarpley – He will be back, but he’ll spend most of 2020 in AAA.

#72, Chance Adams – He will be traded as part of a package this off-season.

#73, Mike King – He will be back and will be given some starts by mid-season 2020.

#77, Clint Frazier – He will be traded this winter, but for much less than he might have been able to get even six or eight months ago. The Yankees will sell slow on Frazier.

#85, Luis Cessa – He will also be part of a trade package this off-season. In 2021, he will win 18 games for the Pirates.

#87, Albert Abreu – He will be back, but will not see much time, at all, in New York.

#90, Thairo Estrada – I also think that Thairo will be traded. There will be a 40-man roster crunch, and they just cannot keep all the players they wish to. Unlike Frazier, the Yankees will be selling high with Thairo who will bat .317 with 24 homers for the Twins in 2022.

#99, Aaron Judge – He will be traded to the Mets for… okay, I was just seeing if you were still reading. Judge will, of course, be back.

The following players are currently on the Injured List:

Jake Barrett – He will be back.

Dellin Betances – He will be back on a two-year deal with a team option for Year 3, and might, possibly, be the closer.

Jonathan Holder – He will be back.

Miguel Andujar – He will be back and will serve as a primary DH/3b in 2020.

Greg Bird – He will not be back. Bird will sign with Cincinnati, bounce around for a few years, and in 2024, he will hit a clutch home run as a member of the Mets in late-August before they fade from the pennant race.

Jacoby Ellsbury – He will continue to allow the Yankees to recoup their insurance money and will stay on the I.L. all year. But, on March 16, he will be seen hitting and shagging flies in Tampa and there will be a reporter, scout, or former player that comments that Ellsbury looks “ten years younger and could easily star for the Yankees in 2020.”