The Yankees announced their full slate of non-roster invitees to Spring Training on Wednesday, and while the bulk of them have already been reported over the course of the offseason, there are a few new attendees among the bunch. Infielder/outfielder Derek Dietrich, right-handers Nick Goody and Luis Garcia, outfielder Ryan LaMarre and southpaw Lucas Luetge are will all be in camp as non-roster players with the Yanks.
Dietrich, 31, has gravitated toward a three-true-outcomes skill set over the past couple of seasons as his power, strikeout rate and walk rate have all spiked. Since being cut loose by the Marlins after the 2018 campaign, he’s spent time with the Reds and Rangers, batting a combined .189/.332/.462 with 24 home runs, a 9.7 percent walk rate and a 25 percent strikeout rate. Dietrich has experience at first base, second base, third base and in left field, and his increasingly powerful left-handed swing would be a good fit at Yankee Stadium if he were to crack the MLB roster at some point.
Goody, 29, was a Rangers teammate of Dietrich’s in 2020 but struggled in his lone season with Texas. The former Indians setup man served up 11 runs in 11 innings last year but had strong showings in Cleveland both in 2019 and in 2017. Yankees fans quite likely recall Goody from his prospect days and his 2015-16 big league debut as a Yankee. His best season came with the 2017 Indians when he tossed 54 2/3 innings of 2.80 ERA ball with a huge 32.6 percent punchout rate and a respectable nine percent strikeout rate, though his ’19 season was also sound: 40 2/3 innings, 3.54 ERA, 28.9 K%, 12.7 BB%. His 2018 season was shortened by elbow troubles, and last year’s struggles came in a season marred by back spasms.
Garcia, 34, makes a trifecta of 2020 Rangers joining the Yankees organization. He’s spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues, mostly with the Phillies, but was knocked around for seven runs on 10 hits and nine walks with 11 strikeouts in 8 1/3 frames as a Ranger last year. Garcia was excellent with the 2017 Phillies but hasn’t had much success since — just a 5.26 ERA in 116 1/3 frames. He still averaged 97.2 mph on his four-seamer in 2020, however.
The 2020 season was the first that LaMarre, 32, didn’t log some big league time since 2014. He’s been an up-and-down fourth outfield type with the Reds, Red Sox, A’s, Twins and White Sox since making his MLB debut with Cincinnati in ’15, hitting .236/.286/.338 in 246 plate appearances along the way. LaMarre is a right-handed hitter who can play all three outfield spots and who carries a .281/.349/.415 career batting line in parts of seven Triple-A seasons.
Luetge, 34 in March, pitched in the Majors with the Mariners from 2012-15 but hasn’t been in the big leagues since. He’s bounced around the Triple-A clubs of the Orioles, Reds, Angels and D-backs in the meantime and owns a 4.22 ERA and 24 percent strikeout rate at that level. In 89 MLB innings he has a 4.35 ERA with pedestrian K/BB numbers but an above-average 47.7 percent grounder rate.
The Yankees also confirmed previously reported minor league agreements with several former big leaguers, including righties Kyle Barraclough, Jhoulys Chacin, Adam Warren and Asher Wojciechowski; lefties Nestor Cortes Jr. and Tyler Lyons; outfielders Socrates Brito and Jay Bruce; catchers Rob Brantly and Robinson Chirinos; and infielder Andrew Velazquez.
joshb600
They got Dietrich?! Oh Goody!
chocoemo
Luis Garcia link is incorrect and shows the prospect from the Astros instead.
Steve Adams
Thanks. Our script that autogenerates links to player names grabbed the wrong one. Updating now.
edbraunny
Great cheap acquisitions. Brian Cashman we aren’t worthy!!!
Metfan1964
Deitrich is an excellent pickup- can play almost everywhere
99 Captain Judge
@Metfan1964- Yeah but he’ll have to beat out Tauchman for a spot. I doubt that will happen. Maybe he’ll get Greg Allen’s roster spot. It’s possible.
Long Live #15
This could mean te end of Tyler Wade.
Luc 2
Dietrich will bat 165 with 3 homers.
robluca21
With a 330 on base percentage so the batting average will be irrelevant
Perksy
So sounds like almost every other major leaguer these days.
Angry Disgruntled Sox Fan
330 on base percentage isn’t fantastic with that BA… now if it were .370 then we are talking.
thecoffinnail
Batting average is not irrelevant. I don’t care what you modern analytical fools think. You can’t score someone from 2nd with a walk! In the bottom of the 9th in a one run game I do not want someone that only walks 1/3 of the time with a .169 avg at the plate with the tying run at 2nd. Anyone that thinks a player that hits below the Mendoza line should be playing at the MLB level doesn’t want their team to win a championship. The A’s have lived by that philosophy for almost 20 years and how many rings does Beane have now? World Series appearances? When Pena hit like that even the Rays jettisoned him for Loney when Pena hit free agency.
some guy 2
I’ll take the over on that. In Yankee Stadium, he’s going to hit 15-20 HRs in a part time role.
pmollan
No one leans into it like Dietrich.
PutPeteinthehall
Warrens probably in. Chacin or Chirinos might see time in pinstripes. Chacin has had a history of throwing a good season or two in before returning to struggling. Was a beast for Milwaukee in 2018. Could be slotted into the rotation if one of the injured starters acquired isn’t ready. Then sent to the pen as a long man. The rest will be offered a minor league ticket with injury call up possibility. DD can’t make the team. Should have looked overseas.
robluca21
I think after Britton Chapman oday Wilson and Green the final 3 spots will go to cessa Warren and Nelson.
The yankees seem high on Nelson.
Also I could see Garcia in the bullpen emerging as a late inning option late in the year .
Schmidt king and Johnny lasagna are there too…decent depth
Ducky Buckin Fent
I like Abreu, too.
I think the Yanks should just make him a full time reliever. A decent change & his FB can hit triple digits.
Plus, I’m still holding out hope for a D-Rob reunion. Should only be a couple mil. Might even get him on a MiLB deal.
Bullpen looking very good. Yanks have highest projected bullpen fwar according to Fangraphs.
Perksy
Does this season start where the max number of pitchers on the roster is 13? I know it was supposed to start last season but everything went out the window of course. I haven’t heard anything about it this year.
Ducky Buckin Fent
@perksy-
From what I understand that was waived for this year due to league wide concern over innings. That’s a direct response to last season’s wonkiness.
So teams will be allowed to carry (up to) 14 pitchers this season. Games in June might look like games in September this year.
99 Captain Judge
@Ducky Buckin Fent- I like Robbie also but maybe just on a minor league contract for now. Is there any $ left to sign another player? Lol. Great call definitely thinking Abreu will make the team as a reliever since he is out of options. Nelson has options so he could be called up to the majors later in the season, he’ll like pitch at AAA at the start of the season.
Ducky Buckin Fent
Yanks should be able to make one more small signing yet. From what I can tell payroll is ~ $203-4 mil. In ’17 the last time they reset Cash kept about 4-5 mil for in-season additions. So there’s enough. Those type of free agents are getting $2 mil AAV.
The pen looks good. But I still think middle relief could be buttressed a little more. It’s not about nostalgia either. D-Rob is now well past TJS & has a tremendous record of consistent success.
He’ll pitch anywhere. Total team player. He should also continue to get outs. After he came back from Chicago, he had some new things he would do; mixing in some four seamers, dropping down to side arm.
He’ll figure it out.
As for Abreu, the Yanks are always very slow when it comes to transitioning a starter to a reliever. Hell…Yanks may still think Loaisiga can be a starter.
Ya know?
That’s one of my only real complaints with how we run our MiLB system.
99 Captain Judge
@robluca21- Warren is on a minor league contract so he pitch at AAA if he is healthy after TJS. Cessa will get a spot in middle relief. Al Abreu is likely to make the team since he is out of options. Nelson has options so he’ll likely go to AAA. Johnny Lasagna is going to make the team.
Metfan1964
Deitrich being lefthanded might mean a spot instead of Wade
Long Live #15
Chirinos I am not happy with. We dont bang on garbage pails has everyone forgot how we all hated that Astros team.He belongs in a Tigers uniform .
tacohole
Is Dietrich pretty much Scooter Gennett lite?
robluca21
Hes always hit a little better than league average . Im surprised more teams didn’t try to sign him
OK PLAY3R
Rays sign Archer. Yankees invite Dietrich to camp…hmmm
robluca21
lol the pirates set their franchise back about 3 years with that archer trade .
Metfan1964
Archer is not the old Archer at this point- His Thorasic issue kept him from being heavily sought.
Yankee Clipper
Great depth signing. I like it. Nice piece. Good pickup. Great value signing.
I think I covered the all generic, insubstantial, diaphanous language….
Ducky Buckin Fent
Dietrich & Goody are mildly interesting MLB flotsam. But, no. It’s not the most exciting Yankee post I’ve ever read, or whatever.
its_happening
If there was ever a ballpark that fit Dietrich’s bat it would be Yankee Stadium.
609Collectibles
I would like to formally be on record stating that Derek Dietrich will be a sneaky good pickup for the Yankees. His power and lefty bat will play nicely there. I dont hate the Yankees, I actually respect them and most of their decisions. Cashman is an elite GM.
Rangers29
Dietrich is a good player, Yankee fans. Be happy, you just got a solid bat.
mlbnyyfan
I doubt highly that any of these guys make the final roster. The Yankees roster is probably 95% set since they didn’t make any Huge changes. Bruce and Warren probably make the final cut. Bruce replaces Mike Ford and Warren replaces Kanle. I guess for a player they rather have a slim to none chance to make a great team then a good chance on a bad team. Most or all will be a AAA or released Mid March.
Long Live #15
DD is a Tyler Wade upgrade. Not knocking Mr.Wade but he has been given shot after shot. He has the glove but no stick.
Rsox
Yankees raiding the Rangers cast-off bin in the free agent market
PutPeteRoseInTheHall
Dietrich to the Yankees is almost as good as Betts to the Dodgers. Yankees will win the WS now, as Dietrich was the missing piece
yanks2323
I am so impressed with the maturity and steady progress Clint Frazier has made over the past few years. The Yanks would be stupid I mean stupid to trade him. He’s starting to live up to the hype that Cleveland saw when they took him 5th overall.
Long Live #15
Chirinos I am not happy with. We dont bang on garbage pails has everyone forgot how we all hated that Astros team.He belongs in a Tigers uniform .