Thames signed a minor league contract, but he can opt out if he doesn’t make the major league roster.I'm sure this has been reported on somewhere else but this is the first time I'm hearing about it. It makes sense and it's the fair thing to do. They probably wouldn't have been able to sign him with out the opt out option.
“He was brought in to compete for a spot on the 25-man roster,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “And at the end of camp, if he makes it, great. If he doesn’t make it, he’s free.”
Like Jennings says in his post, it will come down to either Thames or Rule 5 pick Jamie Hoffmanm. I'm not sure who the favorite is, but here's what Cash had to say about Hoffmann:
“It’s his spot to lose,” Cashman said. “Hoffmann is on the 25, with restrictions. He’s like an out-of-options guy. He either makes it or he loses it.”That certainly sounds like he's the favorite, but in the end it performance will dictate this decision. Whichever player impresses the most this spring will make the team, Joe Girardi made that clear in this article from Bryan Hoch:
Girardi said that outfielder Jamie Hoffmann's Rule 5 Draft status will not affect his chances to make the team. "Maybe in some other camps, it might work one way or another, but here we're going to take what we feel gives us the best team," he said.Who would you take as your 25th man?
