Yankees Relieve Must Step Up Before Losing Roster Spot

The New York Yankees have faith in Cade Winquest. They wanted the hard throwing reliever in the 2022 draft and made him their first Rule 5 pick since the 2011 season.

So far, Winquest has struggled this spring. The stuff is there, but the reliever has had trouble putting together clean outings. It's a short sample size, but in three of Winquest's four appearances, he has allowed an earned run. His most recent outing against the Twins wasn't great, but there was some bad luck involved.

Upon relieving Geoffrey Gilbert, he walked his first batter, Tristian Gray. He threw five pitches that at-bat, and none were near the zone, except for a 94.2 MPH fastball that Gray fouled off.

In the following at-bat with Ryan Kreidler, Winquest threw a wild pitch that moved Gray to second. Kreidler ended up singling because of a ball that deflected off of McMahon's glove. Winquest then got the next two outs, which were a strikeout and a groundout. A bad throw by McMahon, who was at short, allowed the next two runners to come home. The inning finally came to a close after a Trevor Larnach groundout.

The Manager on Cade Winquest

After the game, manager Aaron Boone spoke about Winquest. He mentioned all the things they like about him, but also acknowledged they don't have much time to make a decision, as he's a Rule 5 pick.

"I would say he's in the mix, but also the next few weeks matter, too, for a lot of people," manager Aaron Boone said, according to the New York Post's Howie Kussoy. "I think he's flashed things that we like about him. We like his fastball. We like the curveball … Because we don't necessarily have that long window with him, we gotta kind of [give him a] baptism by fire a little bit. I haven't hesitated bringing him in, in the middle of an inning or whatever. I think he's worked really diligently at developing that routine [as a reliever] and getting used to it, and I think all in all, it's gone pretty well."

Mar 4, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) walks back to the dugout after making a pitching change in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Due to being a Rule 5 Pick, in the worst-case scenario for Winquest, if he doesn't make the team, the Yankees can't send him to the minors. If they decide not to add him to the 26-man roster coming out of Spring Training, he must be offered back to the St. Louis Cardinals for $50,000. Rule 5 picks can only be optioned to the minors after one full year with the team, so he'd have to be with the Yankees all year.

All the Right Stuff

Despite a lopsided inning that could have gone the other way were it not for Ryan McMahon learning how to play shortstop, Winquest did display some of the things the Yankees liked about him. Winquest's two hardest pitches were a 95.7 MPH sinker and a 95.7 MPH fastball. Twins batters made contact on both, though. He also had a nasty curveball, which was able to generate some swing and miss stuff, as well.

Cade Winquest’s curve is nasty. pic.twitter.com/8cEUKUdbVl
— Yankeesource (@YankeeSource) February 26, 2026

With a bit of a rocky start, Winquest still isn't rattled. He knows what the team saw in him.

"It definitely gives me confidence being the first Rule 5 pick in 14 years," Winquest told the Post. "I know this organization wants me. They've been looking at me since the 2022 draft. That helps the mental side of it. They believe in me. I believe in myself. I know I have the stuff out there. Now, I just have to make the adjustment and face big league hitters. The more reps I get, the better I'll get."

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