TAMPA — According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the Yankees have let clubs know they are willing to listen to trade offers for infielder/outfielder Rob Refsnyder.
Refsnyder, who turns 26 this month, has started games at first base (21), second base (17), right field (14) and left field (four) in the past two years for the Yankees.
Greg Bird’s return from missing a year due to shoulder surgery and the signing of Chris Carter has boxed the right-handed-hitting Refsnyder out of first base.
Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks are battling for the right-field job. Brett Gardner is the everyday left fielder. A .293 career minor-league hitter, Refsnyder has a .262 average in 74 big-league games the past two seasons.
Scouts like Refsnyder’s bat better than his glove. The fifth-round pick in 2012 from the University of Arizona started as a right fielder and was moved to the infield. He resurfaced as a right fielder last year, when he started 14 games there, five for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Refsnyder has one minor-league option remaining.
Gary Sanchez entered Sunday’s game in the sixth inning so he could catch reliever Tyler Clippard and prospect Chance Adams.
Sanchez threw out two runners Sunday and has caught five would-be base stealers in the last four games he has caught.
“He changes the game in a lot of different ways and it’s not always his bat,’’ Joe Girardi said.
Matt Holliday is seeing what the big buzz over the Yankees’ young talent is all about.
“I’ve been really impressed. I had heard and knew that they were very talented and highly thought of but having laid my eyes on them and getting to see them perform, I’m very impressed,’’ the veteran said Sunday. “They’re smart and seem to know what they are doing. You watch how they work and listen to the kind of questions they ask, how they go about their business says a lot.’’
Ji-Man Choi, a non-roster first baseman, was hit in the right shoulder and batting helmet flap when hit by a pitch from the Pirates’ Antonio Bastardo. Choi was removed from the game but said he was fine.
“He was able to answer all the questions,’’ Girardi said of Choi, who was scratched from Monday’s travel roster to Bradenton.
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Aroldis Chapman didn’t push the speed guns into triple digits but had more than enough to retire the Pirates’ JV team in order in the fifth when he struck out one and reached 98 mph with his fastball.
Two hours and 58 minutes for a spring training game should be illegal. Outlawing pitching changes within an inning would help.