Phantom Yankees: 10 players who were on their roster but never played a game
Yankees pitcher Cade Winquest warms up before a baseball game against the Giants in San Francisco on March 28, 2026. Credit: AP/Jeff Chiu
Reliever Cade Winquest, who was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Friday, never appeared in a game despite making the Opening Day roster. That earned him the dubious honor of being a “Phantom Major Leaguer” — a player who was on a big-league roster for at least one day but never appeared in a game during their careers.
The Yankees don’t keep an official list of players who were on their active roster but never appeared in a game. Here are 10 Yankees Phantom Major Leaguers compiled by Newsday from various sources, including Baseball Reference, Baseball Prospectus, MLB.com and a PDF of the 1959 Yankees yearbook.
(year, player, position, jersey number)
2026, Cade Winquest, RHP, 39
A Rule V pick from St. Louis, he still has a chance to get off the list if he appears in a game with any team.
2022, Carlos Espinal, RHP, 88
Espinal was called up on Aug. 1 and sent back down the next day.
2018, Ryan Bollinger, LHP, 48 and 61
The Yankees called up the former independent ball pitcher twice during the season, giving him a different uniform number each time, but never let him take the mound.
2015, Taylor Dugas, OF, 65
On July 1, future Hall of Famer Carlos Beltran aggravated a rib cage injury and was placed on the DL. Dugas was called up from Double-A Trenton and sent down two days later.
2004, David Parrish, C, 57
The son of former big leaguer Larry Parrish was called up on May 13 when Jorge Posada broke his nose when he was hit with a ball trying to break up a double play.
2000, Luke Wilcox, OF, 50
Wilcox was called up on July 13 after Shane Spencer suffered a knee injury. Wilcox was sent back three days later to make room for Clay Bellinger, father of current Yankee Cody Bellinger. Wilcox is now an orthopedic surgeon.
1977, Ed Ricks, RHP, 51
Was briefly added to the roster in April and September.
1964, Chet Trail, INF, N/A
Trail is the only player who was on a postseason roster but who never appeared in a regular season or postseason game. Under a rule at the time, the Yankees were allowed to add a 25th man from the minors to the World Series roster. But even though Trail was selected as the 25th man, the Yankees chose not to activate the 20-year-old, instead going with the standard (for the time) 24-man roster. Trail watched the World Series from his Ohio home.
1957, Rudy Serrett, LHP, 50
The Flushing, Queens, product got a callup as an 18-year-old in September.
1906, Jimmy Whalen, RHP, N/A
Whalen, a 300-game winner in the minors, was briefly added to the roster of the New York Highlanders, the team that in 1913 became the Yankees.
Anthony Rieber covers sports media and business and professional sports (you know, games and trades and things). He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since Jan. 1, 2026.
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