As we get closer to spring training, the New York Yankees add depth to their infield by signing Danny Espinosa.
Veteran infielder Danny Espinosa has agreed to a minor league deal with the New York Yankees, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
According to a source, Danny Espinosa has agreed to a deal with the Yankees and will be a non-roster invitee at camp. He will compete for the second base job this spring.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 29, 2018
Per his sources, the deal includes an invite to Spring Training. The Yankees haven’t confirmed the move yet.
Espinosa spent time last year with the Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, and the Tampa Bay Rays. He slashed .173/.245/.278 and had six home runs in 93 games. He will compete for the job at second base. The infielder will have competition for that job from the team’s top prospect, Gleyber Torres, among others.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has said that Torres and fellow prospect Miguel Andujar could be their second and third basemen this year, respectively, as they try to stay under the $197 million luxury-tax threshold. It appears that Torres is the leading candidate for second base and Andujar is the leading candidate for third base unless Todd Frazier re-signs with the team. However, the Yankees have no reason to promote Torres before April 14 and thus would get seven years out of him before he becomes eligible for free agency, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
While Espinosa isn’t the leading candidate for the second base job, he does add depth to the Yankees infield. Ronald Torreyes, Tyler Wade, Jace Peterson, and Thairo Estrada are also candidates to man the keystone on Opening Day.
The veteran Torreyes could get the job at second base until after the Yankees have secured another full year of control over Torres. However, Espinosa, a right-handed hitter with two 20-plus home run seasons under his belt and a career .221/.297/.378 slash line, shouldn’t be overlooked.
Should new manager Aaron Boone prefer to keep Torreyes on the bench due to his versatility, the 30-year-old could wind up in the Yanks lineup on Opening Day.
