The New York Yankees announced major roster moves on Thursday. They optioned three players to Triple-A, namely Oswaldo Cabrera, Franchy Cordero, and reliever Matt Krook. These three made way for the key players who returned from IL. Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, and reliever Tommy Kahnle were reinstated without any restrictions. With this, the Yankees are finally looking at a complete roster for the first time this season.
Meanwhile, Oswaldo Cabrera, who opened the season for the Yankees, has been demoted owing to his offensive struggles. In 49 game appearances, he could post only .195 with a .538 OPS. However, if rumors are to be believed, Cabrera’s offensive slump was not the only reason for his demotion. Apparently, a key starter has taken the first steps in his recovery process and could make a surprise return toward the end of the season.
Oswaldo Cabrera Demoted As Frankie Montas Resumes Throwing Activities
Yankees utility player Oswaldo Cabrera met his inevitable fate on Thursday. After a painful stint on the plate in the major league, Cabrera has now been demoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for the veterans Giancarlo Stanton/Josh Donaldson. The utility player probably saw it coming considering his repeated failures on the plate. He has been unable to establish a connection with the fastballs, which has doomed his offensive success. However, recent rumors have flared which suggest that the Yankees have allegedly sacrificed Cabrera to make room for a starter.
Oswaldo Cabrera will be optioned to AAA, per @JackCurryYES
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 1, 2023
Franchy Cordero and Matt Krook will likely be the other corresponding moves for Stanton, Donaldson and Kahnle pic.twitter.com/DY0XUTh3Ww
RHP Frankie Montas suffered from a recurring shoulder injury and entered IL for an indefinite period. It created a lot of stir after Montas’ admission of being injured at the time of trade raised questions on GM Brian Cashman’s competency. Apart from that, early reports suggested that Montas would likely skip the entire 2023 season as he had to undergo surgery. However, as per the latest updates from Yankees beat writer Greg Joyce, the pitcher resumed his throwing program on Tuesday. Hence, if the RHP manages to avoid any further setbacks, he could return late in the season after August. It’s still a long shot but something to look forward to. Hence, it is remotely possible that Oswaldo Cabrera was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Montas in the future. Again, it’s just a conjecture, and nothing remains confirmed for now.
Yankees Fans Divided On Internet Over The Demotion Of Oswaldo Cabrera
Utility player Oswaldo Cabrera is no longer part of the Yankees’ 40-man roster. He will resume his 2023 campaign in the Triple-A minor league. He was axed to make room for baseman Josh Donaldson, who returned from IL after recovering from a hamstring injury. However, the Yankee fandom has a diverse opinion on the roster move. While some believe it’s a thoughtful move considering Cabrera’s struggle, others feel replacing him with Donaldson is a suicide mission.
We sent him down over Bauers? Makes no sense lol https://t.co/F50qJuYWDI
— Andy (@andyrivera_23) June 1, 2023
Love the dude but always room for development https://t.co/H9EerS5k1u
— Yankszone (@Yanksland) June 1, 2023
WHAT!
— Zac Talks (@ZacDiSalvo) June 1, 2023
Cabrera AND Peraza rotting away in AAA and Donaldson gets to stick around? I hate this organization. https://t.co/QpyvCFcAZE
Wait a second. You left Oswaldo for DONALDSON? DONALDSON? https://t.co/EfFtLEqLe5
— Brianna "Save the Elephants" Robinson 🐘 (@blrobins2) June 1, 2023
Josh Donaldson has had his fair share of struggle in the Bronx. He did virtually nothing in 2022. On top of that, the baseman’s 2023 resurgence lasted only five games. Hence, fans feel the 37-year-old has no steam left and remains nothing more than just a liability. Regardless, the Yankees front office still has a lot of faith in the veteran and hopes he turns things around this time.