As the second day of the 2022 MLB Amateur Draft began, Cade Winquest prepared for life in pinstripes.
The right-hander had Zoomed with the Yankees about 30 minutes prior, and they told him he was high on their wish list that day. But, as the eighth round of the draft began, Winquest’s agent told him the Cardinals were also in the mix. Winquest looked at the draft order, saw St. Louis had a pick before the Bombers, and adjusted his expectations.
“I know the draft can go in any way for anyone and nothing is set in stone, but I seriously thought I was going to be a Yankee that day,” Winquest told the Daily News this week.
Winquest wasn’t wrong, just early.
After beginning his pro career with the Cardinals, the 25-year-old became the Yankees’ first selection in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft since 2011 on Dec. 10. Now he is trying to snap another streak, as a Rule 5 pick hasn’t stuck with the club since utilityman Billy Parker — the last Negro Leaguer to play in Major League Baseball — did so in 1973.
“For them to make a pick in the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in 14 years, that feels really good on my end,” Winquest said. “It definitely makes me feel that the organization really believes in me and [sees] a lot of value in me, so that gets me excited.”
As a selection in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft, Winquest must remain on the Yankees’ 26-man roster all season or be placed on waivers. If he clears waivers, he must then be offered back to St. Louis for $50,000. He can only be sent to the minors if the Cardinals don’t take him back.
A Rule 5 pick is far from a shoo-in to make any team out of spring training, let alone survive the season. But assistant general manager Michael Fishman did confirm the Yankees’ prior interest in Winquest; they hoped to draft the University of Texas at Arlington product after using a seventh-round pick on Cam Schlittler in 2022.
“He’s got big velocity,” Fishman said after the Rule 5 Draft, adding that Winquest possesses “characteristics that our pitching group is good at working with.”
While Fishman declined to specify, Winquest said the Yankees are fond of his ability to spin the ball and his extension. Armed with a handful of pitches, his fastball can hit 100 mph. His 12-6 curveball, meanwhile, yielded a 46.2 Whiff% while he recorded a 3.99 ERA over 25 games (23 starts) between High-A and Double-A last season.
Winquest said he also throws a slider and a splitter, and he’s already discussed the possibility of adding a sinker with Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake. However, the Yankees see Winquest as a reliever, so he expects the team will whittle his arsenal down.
“I’m very curious to see what we’re gonna do, and I’m really excited about it,” he said.
Another reason that the Yankees used a rare Rule 5 pick on Winquest is that they have holes in their bullpen with Devin Williams and Luke Weaver defecting to the Mets and few others hitting free agency. Closer David Bednar, setup men Fernando Cruz and Camilo Doval, and side-arming left-hander Tim Hill are established members of the bunch, but there are spots up for grabs. A few candidates for those gigs have major league experience, including Jake Bird, Brent Headrick and Yerry De los Santos, and the Yankees could always add to their pen via trade or free agency.
With only eight games at Double-A and just 212.2 professional innings under his belt, the odds are stacked against Winquest. He knows this, but he’ll report to camp ready to claim any job that may be open.
“I’m ready to get to work,” Winquest said. “This is a huge opportunity. I’m going to take advantage of it. That’s my goal. I’m going to go in there, put my head down, and work like I always do.
“I’m going to compete.”
As if potentially starting his big league career wasn’t motivating enough, Winquest noted that his girlfriend, Viktoria, already lives in New York. The Fort Worth, Texas native has been visiting the city just about every other week this offseason, so he’ll have more than one reason to put down roots if he cracks the Yankees’ roster.
“That’s what makes this whole story even more crazy,” Winquest said, adding that he’s eager to immerse himself in New York’s fashion scene.
Even if Winquest does not make the cut this spring, he plans on taking full advantage of the pinstriped personnel at his disposal. He already has another chat scheduled with Blake and other members of the Yankees’ pitching department, and he can’t wait to pick the brains of Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodón.
At the very least, this will be an informative experience for a player who didn’t start pitching until his sophomore year of high school, didn’t take it too seriously until college, and was robbed of valuable development time by a few injuries, including lat strains in 2023 and 2025 and a random slipped disc in his back in 2024.
“To this day, I’m still learning,” Winquest said. “There’s always room to grow.”
