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3 non-roster invitees who can make the Yankees regular season roster

By Rucker Haringey

TAMPA, FL - MARCH 4: Jay Bruce #9 of the Philadelphia Phillies in action during a spring training game against the New York Yankees at Steinbrenner Field on March 4, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 4: Jay Bruce #9 of the Philadelphia Phillies in action during a spring training game against the New York Yankees at Steinbrenner Field on March 4, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Yankees Spring Training news, Jay Bruce
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 18: Jay Bruce #9 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on from the dugout before the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 18, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

1. Jay Bruce

Brett Gardner still wants to return to the Yankees for at least one more season, but the tea leaves seem to indicate that New York is ready to move on. Signing Bruce to a minor league deal gives the team a potential left-handed bat to replace him in the outfield.

That doesn’t Bruce a like-for-like replacement for the team’s longest-tenured player. He cannot give New York the same defensive versatility that Gardner has over the last several seasons. Bruce is strictly a corner outfielder who needs to hit for power if he’s going to provide anything resembling positive value.

The fact that the Yankees lineup is largely bereft of lefty hitters works to his advantage. Aaron Hicks is the only regular who projects to hit from that side of the plate. It’s easy to envision a scenario where Bruce helps New York as a bench player who helps neutralize right-handed relievers late in games.

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If Bruce wants to pay off he’s going to need to show that he can still hit the ball at a high level during Spring Training. He’s never going to hit for a high average, but he can’t repeat last year’s batting average of .198 if he wants to impact the Yankees. He can, however, make a compelling case to land on Boone’s Opening Day roster if he lights up opposing pitching during the spring.

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