So the Yankees released their list of non-roster invitees to spring training and it seemed like the team would be set at that point. They didn't bring much in the way of rotation depth, assigning Chris Capuano as the de facto fifth starter and Bryan Mitchell being the only pitcher capable of usurping him. Now they've added another guy into the equation by signing right-handed pitcher Kyle Davies to a minor league deal.
You might remember Davies as the pitcher who surrendered Alex Rodriguez's 500th home run back in 2007. He's been an above-average starter over the length of his seven-year MLB career exactly one time and has not reached the majors over the last three years. Clearly he isn't very good. He missed the 2012 season with a shoulder issue and spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons in the Twins and Indians organizations. Now at 31 years old, the Yankees must see him as a potential Triple-A rotation option, given his ability to eat innings (183.2 in 2010, 154.1 in 2014) because there's no way he has a chance to make the major league team.
It remains to be seen whether he will also receive an invite to spring training, but it likely won't make a difference. The Yankees already have Scott Baker, and since he's always been a better pitcher than Davies with a higher upside, he will likely get a shot first. If Kyle Davies ends up pitching for the 2015 Yankees, it means something very terrible has gone wrong, or it could be similar to the Jeff Francis cameo from last year and then he's gone. I hope you're all ready for that Sporcle quiz.
The deal actually raises the question about whether or not the team is actually done at this point. There aren't many game-changing options left with James Shields signing with the Padres, but several top free agents remain unsigned. I have to wonder whether the likes of Dayan Viciedo, Everth Cabrera, Brandon Beachy, Kevin Correia, Matt Guerrier, Matt Lindstrom, Dustin McGowan, Brian Wilson, Franklin Morales, or Joe Thatcher could possibly find their way into the organization via minor league deals before the start of spring training. The Yankees showed great restraint this Winter, so every little bit is going to be needed to help fill the holes that are still apparent.