Looking at the 40-Man Roster (Part 4 of 4)
- James Vlietstra
- 6 hours ago
- 7 min read
By James Vlietstra
October 30, 2025
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This is the final installment in my four-part series...
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Amed Rosario 30, SS/2B They acquired him and his cheap ($2M) expiring contract at the trade deadline to provide another bat off the bench. He only appeared in 16 games.
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 2/10
Jayvien Sandridge 27, LHP Advanced from Tampa all the way to the Bronx where he pitched 0.2 innings. He has two options remaining and is under team control for at least six more seasons.
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 7/10
Cam Schlittler 25, RHP 2.0 WAR during the regular season. It's a small sample size, but he shined brightest in October...those are the kind of players you don't let go. He has three options left and is under team control for 5-6 more years.
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 10/10
Clarke Schmidt 30, RHP He made $3.6M in his first year of arbitration. Had a 1.7 WAR by Independence Day when he was required to undergo his second TJS. He will be out until late 2026. He has one option left. He is expected to make $5.5M next season. Do they try to get creative to free up a roster spot, but keep his rights, maybe with some kind of minor league deal?
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 6/10
Braden Shewmake 28, 2B/3B Amazingly stayed on the 40-man roster all year as a depth piece in AAA. Has five years of control, but no options left.
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 1/10
Austin Slater 33, OF/1B He earned $1.75M in 2025. Was acquired at the trade deadline, amassed -0.4 WAR in hi s14 games in pinstripes.
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 0/10
Giancarlo Stanton 36, DH Produced 1.9 WAR in only 77 games. His best season since 2021. At this point, he is only owed $64M over the next three years, of which the Marlins are paying $30M of it. If he can duplicate 2025 two more times, he reaches 500 homeruns.
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 8/10
Jorbit Vivas 25, SS/3B Had a productive season in Scranton and even filled in admirably when Cabrera got injured. He has six more years of control, however no more options.
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 2/10
Anthony Volpe 24, SS Its estimated that he will earn around $3M in his first year of arbitration. He accumulated 1.7 WAR but he was around that total near Memorial Day, meaning he was a non factor the final four months of the season.He had surgery to repair a shoulder injury he apparently played through and is expected to miss opening day. He has three options left.
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 9/10
Will Warren 26, RHP Produced 0.6 WAR as the fifth starter after Cole was injured. Is under control for five mroe seasons and has two options left.
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 10/10
Luke Weaver 32, RHP Made $2.5M while producing a 0.8 WAR Sportac says he will command $10M in free agency. That seems high.
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 3/10
Austin Wells 26, C In over 400 at bats, he totalled 0.0 WAR However, at one point he was around 1.0, meaning that at the end of the year he was a negative.He has one more season at league minimum before his three arbitration years and he has three options left.
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 8/10
Devin Williams 31, RHP With a -0.3 WAR, it was his worst season of his career. Ironically he pitched well late in the season and in the playoffs. He made $8.6M in his last year of arbitration. He will probably get a multi year deal in free agency.
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 4/10
Allan Winans 30, RHP He went 12-1 with a 1.63 ERA in AAA, but had a -0.4 WAR in nine big league innings. Has five years of team control, but no options left.
Likelihood of keeping his roster spot: 6/10
Ryan Yarborough 34, RHP He earned $2M in 2025 and produced 0.6 WAR. As a free agent, he will likely earn a slight raise.
Likelihood of keeping his rostre spot: 5/10
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Concluding Thoughts: Once the World Series wraps up, all the free agents come off the roster. Eligible minor leaguers can become free agents. New players must be added to the 40-man roster. And then the activity typically begins with the signing of free agents and trades kicking off around the winter meetings.
Every year, the Yankees have 40-50 players that are Rule 5 eligible. Typically the Yankees add around 4-5 players to the roster. However, this year 10 of their top 30 prospects are Rule 5 eligible. This doesn't mean that they are going to be selected or even that they would lose sleep if some did. But there are definitely some players that need to be added. Thus, the high turnover. Obviously, players I gave a low number to are either free agents or players most likely to be released first.
One of the players that the Yankees will have to make a decision on first will be Brennan Davis. They signed him as a minor league free agent last year and, when healthy, the former top 100 prospect excelled. Do they allow him to leave for nothing or do they use up a roster spot on him?
Spencer Jones will definitely be added. As will Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. Chase Hampton typically would, however he is recovering from TJS. But if they don't protect him, he could get scooped up. Henry LaLane isn't Major League ready (Rule 5 claims must stay on the big league roster all year) but neither was Torrens a few years ago. Brock Selvidge and Brendan Beck would both get selected and probably thrive if given the opportunity. Part of the chess match is anticipating what the others will do.
Of the others that are top 30 prospects, Jace Avina is nowhere near ready. TJ Rumfield was eligible last year and not selected. Eric Reyzelman was once a top relief prospect but is unlikely to be ranked once they update. Harrison Cohen will probably get selected.
So back to the current roster....what needs to be done? How do you do it? The most challenging part is to look in the mirror and identify your own flaws. That and complimenting another that is currently running their organization better.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have become what the Yankees once were. They are on the verge of winning their third World Series in the past six years. Based on this chart, the Dodgers have overtaken the Yankees as the biggest revenue producer.
The Dodgers' revenue in 2024 was $752M and their estimated payroll and tax was expected to be $549M for a net positive of $203M. The Yankees revenue was $728M but with only $362 of payroll and tax for a net positive of $366M, second only to the Chicago Cubs' $371M.
The Dodgers' blueprint for success is clearly working and another championship will only deepen the divide over the Yankees. On top of that, they are increasing their international market appeal with superstars like Shohei Ohtani, who has somehow made a $700M contract look like a bargain.
Where on the roster can they improve? There's actually several. So then which positions are the easiest to upgrade? To answer that we need to make a short list of options. Targets that will actually make the team better.
I have long been of the mindset of giving the young homegrown guy a chance and build from within. But, as my friend recently reminded me, that's not how the Yankees do business. They use the farm system to bolster the current roster. Then use free agency to fill any remaining holes.
So if that is the mindset of the organization, so be it. But don't be half pregnant. Don't pick up all these former MVPs that are past their prime. Get players who are still on the rise. Will they be costly? Perhaps. But what exactly did they get for the $12.5M Goldshcmidt was paid. Between DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Hicks, they are still paying out $16M next year.
The first place that they can look to upgrade is Catcher. Wells put up a 0.0!!. Now I doubt Cal Raleigh and his 7.3 is available, but maybe JT Realmuto and his 2.6 would be a good platoon with Ben Rice, when he isn't at first.
Speaking of first...are the Yankees finally going to make a splash in the Japanese market going for Kazuma Okamoto? I honestly know very little about him, but he has versatility and can play first and third, which could help Boone with his roster flexibility. Another option could be Matt Olson and his 6.1 WAR. His AAV is $21M. Much better than the 1.2 and $12.5 from last year.
At Shortstop, what an upgrade Bo Bichette would be with his 3.4 WAR!!! That's a simple free agent signing. But, what about checking in with the Royals for Bobby Witt? Or the Diamondbacks for Geraldo Perdomo? or Cubs for Nico Hoerner? All 6.1 WAR and higher. Yes the price would be insanely high, but if it's in prospect equity, perhaps pay it for a player like Bobby Witt JR. who is 25 years old. George Lombard, Carlos Lagrange,and Luis Gil as the centerpiece to a massive deal? The Royals would be better off on the other side of it.
Third base..McMahon could be the answer. But why not kick the tires with the Padres and see if Machado and Miller could be had?
Recently the name Tarik Skubal has been coming up a lot. I'm sure Paul Skenes will too. If you want to start competing with the Dodgers, make a splash. Find out what would one of them actually cost to get.
What good does having the most money or a talented minor league system if you aren't going to use them to further your stated agenda that is to win a World Series? They have these superstars like Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole and a bunch of $20M+ players but they don't have a winning team. The have a poorly constructed roster with little flexibility and in crunch time they failed to excel
As of this writing, the World Series has not started yet. I just feel as though it's a foregone conclusion that the Dodgers will win it all. And if they do, the Yankees ownership has to realize that they are no longer the model franchise they once were. And for that to change, they need look in the mirror and do some things differently.
