The story of Jake Bauers’ tenure with the Yankees was an interesting one. The Yankees picked up him from Cincinnati for cash considerations on June 3^rd, 2022. As with most of their minor league acquisitions, there must have been something the Yankees liked about him. Sure enough, the Yankees’ development team was able to amplify the traits they saw.

They made some swing adjustments, and he went from a .183 hitter with a .657 OPS in Triple-A in 2022 to a .359/.485/.897/1.382 quad slash in 2023. He had already hit 11 homeruns in 24 games by the time the Yankees needed him in the major leagues. Once promoted, he had an 11-game stretch where we all thought he was going to be the answer to the offensive woes the team was facing. After that, he slowly faded and finished the season with less than stellar numbers.

After the season, he maintained some value. The Yankees were able to trade him to the Brewers for two legitimate prospects, Jace Avina and Brian Sanchez.  Considering how they acquired Bauers, the production and subsequent trade return the Yankees got out of him were more than anyone could have expected.

This is not the first time Cashman has found a diamond in the rough and turned lemons into lemonade, and it won’t be the last. This begs the question, who have the Yankees acquired this year that could be the next in line?

The conversation starts with Oscar Gonzalez. The Yankees claimed Oscar off waivers from the Guardians this offseason. Gonzalez can hit for power and makes more than enough contact. He’s a solid outfielder at the corners and is just one season removed from a year when he hit .296/.327/.461/.789 with 11 homeruns in 91 games as a 24-year-old for the Guardians. He struck out just 75 times in 91 games.

Gonzalez is still just 26-years-old, and he came to Spring Training looking as good as ever. In 18 games he has hit .318/.362/.523/.884 with a homerun, four doubles, a triple, and just nine strikeouts in 18 games. With what appears to be a renewed focus on hitting the ball hard rather than trying to hit homeruns, Gonzalez could prove useful to the Yankees this year.

Jahmai Jones was also claimed off waivers by the Yankees, this time from the Brewers. Jones is a second baseman and a former second-round pick by the LA Angels. Jahmai’s career has yet to take off up to this point, but he has potential as an athletic middle infielder with some power and speed. Jones, also just 26-years-old, has found some success in Spring Training as well. He has hit .280/.419/.480/899 with a homerun and two doubles in 12 games. He has struck out just seven times so far and has stolen a base. With some minor adjustments, Jones could turn into the next good find.

Jordan Groshans is a third baseman who was drafted in the 1^st round, 12^th overall pick in 2018 by the Blue Jays. He was subsequently traded to the Marlins and was designated for assignment this offseason. Groshans, still just 24-years-old, has been a top 100 prospect three times, and even broached the top 50 twice. He has tremendous bat speed, has the ability to barrel the baseball, and can generate good backspin when he’s at his best.

His amazing potential has not yet materialized at the highest levels. He hit .244/.339/.330/.669 with six homeruns and 20 doubles in 125 games in Triple-A last year. The Yankees development team has been good at getting the most out of players with big tools. They managed to sneak him through waivers this year, so they’ll have all season to work their magic. With the kind of tools Groshans possesses, they could turn him into a major league asset with the right changes.

There were several other minor league acquisitions this offseason who could pop. Kevin Smith, Jose Rojas, Jeter Downs, and JC Escarra strike me as players with more potential than they have realized so far.

There are quite a few players who will begin the year in the Yankees’ minor league system who could turn into the next Jake Bauers. We all hope the Yankees don’t end up needing them, but injuries tend to rear their ugly heads at some point. There may be more than meets the eye on a couple of them, and hopefully they can step up if/when the Yankees need them most.

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By Greg Corcoran

Now that the Yankees have finally moved on from the Josh Donaldson fiasco, we can finally take a deep breath of fresh air and watch third basemen who don’t admire their non-homeruns and proceed to get thrown out at second base. Glad that’s off my chest. Read on as we discuss the third base depth in New York for 2024.

Aaron Boone has made it quite clear that DJ LeMahiue will be the opening day third baseman for the New York Yankees. LeMahiue is apparently healthier than he has been in years and has arrived to camp with a chip on his shoulder. Among others, he is pissed off about last year’s results. If he can bring back some of the magic from his first few seasons with the Yankees it will go a long way towards lengthening an already dangerous lineup. Defensively, “Le Machine” has handled the hot corner admirably over the years, and there’s no reason that should change in 2024.

Behind DJ, Jose Rojas, Jordan Groshans, Oswald Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera will compete in Spring Training for the backup role. Oswald and Oswaldo likely have a leg up in the competition, as they can play shortstop and second base as well. This would allow Aaron Boone to give rest days to the whole infield and play with matchups, which we know he likes to do. Cabrera can also play outfield and is out of options, so he is the most likely to make the roster out of the bunch.

Peraza struggled in his first taste of the majors last year. If he can learn to replicate his minor league success against major league pitching he could earn a spot on the roster and compete for playing time. Defensively, Peraza is a whiz. He might be the best shortstop on the roster and is just as good at third and second base.

Jose Rojas has been around for a while. Rojas brings two seasons of success in limited major league action with him followed by a successful season in the KBO, Korea’s professional baseball league. Though he does not play shortstop, he does bring defensive versatility to the table. He can also play second, first, and corner outfield. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the major leagues at some point during the season. He’s an excellent depth piece to stash in Triple-A in case of injury.

Jordan Groshans is the perfect project for the Yankees hitting development team. He was drafted 12^th 2018 draft, and scouts always felt he would develop power. As of yet, this is the one piece of his game that has not come around. If the Yankees can pull that out of him, Groshans could sneak onto the roster at some point this season.

Jeter Downs and Kevin Smith, both shortstops by trade, are dark horse candidates to make the roster out of spring training. It is more likely they both start in Triple-A as depth for the major league roster, but both are quality players to have around in case of injuries.

Further down in Double-A, the Yankees have Tyler Hardman. Though not considered a plus defensive third baseman, Hardman played there most of last season. He hit 26 homeruns in 77 games and had a .237/.332/.558/.891 quad slash. Hardman has work to do in cutting down on strikeouts and improving his average. The power is tantalizing though, and that could end up being his ticket to the Bronx someday.

Beau Brewer will compete for a spot at third base in High-A. We recently highlighted him in an interview with NYYU. Brewer is a quality contact hitter working to improve his power numbers. If so, we could hear a lot more about him in the coming years.

The future of third base may be sitting in Low-A this year. The Yankees have 4-5 middle infielders at the level who could find their home at third base long term. Roderick Arias, George Lombard Jr., Keiner Delgado, Enmanuel Tejeda, and Hans Montero all have the skills to play third. They also have a strong track record in the hitting department. With good development, some injury luck, age, and maturity any of these guys could find their way to New York in a couple of years.

This is perhaps the most exciting part about the third base depth in the Yankees’ organization. The depth at shortstop is added to the mix at third base, and the Yankees have done a great job of bringing in middle infield prospects recently.

The Yankees also have an exciting two-way player in the rookie leagues this year. Josh Tiedemann was drafted as both a pitcher and a third baseman in 2023. He has big power from the right side and could play his way up the ladder. He is of course a few years away from competing for a major league job, but the sky is the limit for this high school draftee.

The Yankees will get a fresh start at third base in 2024. The team has to be excited to move on from what was one of the most disputed trades of the last 20 years. With LeMahiue and the depth behind him, there will be no shortage of solid options for the next few years in the Bronx.

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By Greg Corcoran

With a roster full of rebound candidates, some are pointing towards Anthony Rizzo as the key to the Yankees’ success in 2024. It’s not hard to see why. If Rizzo can pick up where he left off before the infamous concussion of 2023, their lineup will be difficult to navigate for any pitcher. Add in his plus defense at first base, and the Yankees will be cookin’ in 2024 if Rizzo comes correct. Behind Rizzo the Yankees have some interesting reclamation projects and emerging bats in the upper minors. The lower minors, as is typical for first basemen, are filled with players who will need to hit their way to the majors.

If Rizzo were to miss any time, the first replacement would be DJ LeMahieu. He’ll likely get some games there regardless, but DJ’s versatility could come into play especially if Rizzo were to miss significant time. Barring injury, DJ will likely spend most of his time at third base, so we will save his rebound story for a the hot corner article.

Jordan Groshans was recently claimed by the Yankees off waivers. Groshans was the 12^th overall pick in the 2018 draft and has been ranked in the top 100 prospects by several outlets in four different seasons. He has had a few nice seasons in the minors, but the power has not come around like scouts once projected yet. He’s still just 24-years-old though and the Yankees have turned several careers around recently. He’ll be one to watch in the minors as the season progresses.

J.C. Escarra is another reclamation project the Yankees signed this offseason. He can catch or play first base, and he hit a bunch of homeruns in independent ball last year. He’s another guy who could be a factor if injuries occur throughout the year.

Ben Rice is a catcher by trade but has played plenty of first base in the minors. He hit an incredible .324/.434/.615/1.048 with 20 homeruns in just 73 games last year, mostly in Double-A. Positional questions aside, Rice has an opportunity to hit his way to the major leagues if he keeps it up.

TJ Rumfield is a big lefty who went from a light hitting, contact first guy to a power hitter for low average in one season in 2023. He hit 17 homeruns in just 86 games in Double-A. This year he’ll look to continue his power surge while improving his average. He’s a threat to become a major league asset if he can do that.

Tyler Hardman is another big thumper who spent most of the season at third base last year. He hit 22 homeruns in 111 games but needs to cut down on his strikeout rate. He’ll be back at Double-A to start the 2024 season in all likelihood, and could be converted to first base if it makes sense.

Rafael Flores was an undrafted free agent from the 2022 draft class and has turned out to be a great find. He posts impressive exit velocities and has shown signs of promise defensively at both catcher and first base. If he can translate some of his impressive batting practice displays into games this year he could break out.

The Yankees took a first baseman named Kiko Romero in the 7^th round of the draft last year. He struggled in Low-A after being drafted but is expected to hit minor league pitching once he is able to adjust. He packs some big power into a smaller frame for a first baseman. He is a sleeper for the 2024 season. He’ll likely spend most of the season at High-A.

Undrafted free agents Josh Moylan and Dylan Jasso are intriguing bats who were undrafted free agents last year. Moylan is lefty while Jasso is righty, but both have powerful strokes. Both are two years younger than Romero and could find themselves getting more attention as they rise through the system.

Jhon Imbert hit five homeruns and had a .937 OPS in 34 games in the DSL last year and could see time at first base in the FCL. He’s still young and has a long road ahead but has shown some potential.

Behind Anthony Rizzo, there are no true superstars-in-waiting to take his place. On the flip side, there are a slew of players who could step into that category with a big year in 2024. Spring training is the time for excitement, and soon we will see just how far these players have come since last season.

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