Why didn't Winquest pitch for Yanks? On win-now club, there wasn't an opening

ST. PETERSBURG – Cade Winquest received the call every player dreams about, informing him that he’d made a big league Opening Day roster. He walked into Oracle Park in San Francisco on Opening Night, flashing his credentials at the gate as a bona fide big leaguer.

Then he waited. And watched. And waited some more.

“Even if I don’t get in today, I just want to feel all the emotions out there,” Winquest said just before his Yankees teammates took the field against the Giants on March 25, a made-for-streaming celebration that featured patriotic fireworks and a flyover.

With his family and girlfriend in the stands, Winquest continued to sit through that series in the Bay Area, traveling on to Seattle. Then the right-hander saw another six games in the Bronx, occasionally tossing from a bullpen mound but never actually getting the call to enter a game.

Winquest was designated for assignment on Friday, clearing a spot to activate right-hander Luis Gil for his start against the Rays – the apparent conclusion to an unusual chapter in franchise history.

“It didn’t work out the way that we wanted,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “He’s really talented. We like the process that we went through when we selected him. It would’ve been nice to be able to find room to get him into a game. It’s hard when you’re trying to compete and develop at the same time.”

Winquest, 25, was the Yankees’ first Rule 5 Draft selection since 2011. He also joined a lesser-known group: “phantom ballplayers,” those who appear on a roster but never appear in a game.

One notable example is Chet Trail, a 20-year-old who was carried by the Yankees on their 1964 World Series roster but never took the field. More recent examples include Daniel Camarena (2019) and Domingo Acevedo (‘21), both of whom had lockers in the Yankees’ clubhouse but never pitched, then went on to debut elsewhere.

As a Rule 5 selection, Winquest must remain on a Major League roster all season or be offered back to the Cardinals for $25,000 if he clears waivers.

Winquest pitched last season for High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield in the Cardinals' system. He posted a 5-7 record and a 3.99 ERA in 25 games (23 starts), averaging better than a strikeout per inning and impressing scouts with high spin rates as part of a five-pitch mix the Yankees believed their pitching group could improve.

The Yanks' interest in Winquest dated back years. Assistant general manager Michael Fishman said the club planned to make him their next selection after taking right-hander Cam Schlittler in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft, but St. Louis pulled Winquest off the board first.

Early off-days allowed the Yankees to begin the season with a four-man rotation, squeezing Winquest into what manager Aaron Boone described as “the ninth reliever” spot.

Winquest posted a 7.20 ERA in 10 spring innings. Other relievers in camp, like Kelvin Castro (2.45 ERA in 11 innings), Yerry de los Santos (3.68 ERA in 7 2/3 innings) and Osvaldo Bido (1.29 ERA in seven innings), made stronger cases.

So did Carlos Lagrange, the organization’s top pitching prospect according to MLB Pipeline, though the Yankees want to keep building him as a starter.

After a 5-0 victory over the Mariners on March 31 in Seattle, Boone said he would have used Winquest if the Yanks had scored another run.

“This was hard for me, because I didn’t want him to not get into a game,” Boone said. “The reality is, he was very close. He didn’t light it on fire in the spring or anything, but a lot of smart people were seeing things and saying, ‘This guy’s got a chance to be really good.’ And we still believe that.”

But, as Cashman said, "He's just going to need some time."

For a club built to win now, patience is a luxury. The most recent Yankees Rule 5 pick to appear in a big league game was first baseman Josh Phelps, in 2007 – and even he was gone by June.

“It’s harder to do – without a doubt – but it can be done,” Cashman said. “But I guess, another day.”