Yankees May Have Made Mistake With Final Bench Option

The New York Yankees have elected to option Oswaldo Cabrera to Triple-A. As of March 21, they also announced veteran Paul DeJong would be reassigned to minor league camp. I

If that's not enough, manager Aaron Boone announced who's making the Opening Day roster.

It's not like many fans expected DeJong to be on that list, but they sure thought Cabrera would be. Upon signing Randal Grichuk, everything changed.

Grichuk is set to make the Opening Day roster, according to Boone. That would mean the team's bench consists of catcher J.C. Escarra, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, utility infielder Amed Rosario, and outfielder Randal Grichuk.

Randal Grichuk Was Not The Best Option

Another decision made regarding the Yankees’ Opening Day roster. Bench will likely be J.C. Escarra, Paul Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario and Randal Grichuk. https://t.co/K3ZoIRDs5M
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 21, 2026

Jasson Domínguez was right there, but the team thinks they're doing right by him by making him start the year in Triple-A. That's the only place to guarantee him as many at-bats as they want him to have, but after a monster Spring Training, the decision is still baffling.

Having a fourth outfielder on the roster made sense, it was just a matter of who was going to get that spot. Of everyone the team was considering, Grichuk has been on the roster the shortest amount of time and hasn't exactly done anything notable in Spring Training.

New York Yankees outfielder Randal Grichuk — Mar 11, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees catcher Ali Sanchez (29) is congratulated by outfielder Randal Grichuk (34) after scoring a run during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Clearly, the Yankees aren't focused on Spring Training statistics. They've shown that with the likes of Ryan McMahon and Trent Grisham, two guys who were severely outplayed by someone like Domínguez.

Oswaldo Cabrera May Not Be Ready

Prior to today’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
• Reassigned INF Paul DeJong and INF/OF Seth Brown to minor league camp.
• Optioned INF/OF Oswaldo Cabrera and INF Max Schuemann to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 21, 2026

Going with a fourth outfielder made sense, but Cabrera seemed to be poised to make the roster as of last month. The Grichuk signing changed everything. New York had been open about adding a right-handed outfielder, and they believe they have their guy in Grichuk.

Cabrera will start the year in Triple-A with Domínguez as the two look to work their way back up to the big leagues. Cabrera was likely competing with Rosario for that final utility infielder spot, but the 27-year-old switch-hitter came up short. Remember, he played just 34 games last year.

At the end of the day, it's not like who makes the Opening Day roster is going to be who's with the team all season long. Fans are going to overreact, and rightfully so, knowing there are a few guys on the Yankees who simply haven't lived up to their respective price tags in 2026. Things can change on a dime, and it'll be interesting to see who settles in compared to who proves the doubters right.

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