Austin Romine To Backup Brian McCann? 3 Yankees Spring Training Position Battles To Watch

Spring Training brings with it plenty of optimism for a New York Yankees team fresh off a 2015 AL Wild Card berth, but there's also a handful of position battles currently mucking things up as the team works to set its 25-man and 40-man rosters. With that in mind, here's our list of 3 Yankees Spring Training Position Battles To Watch.

3. First-Base Backup
Mark Teixeira's freak season-ending injury in 2015 put a halt to a fantastic All-Star season, and replacement/top prospect's season-ending labrum repair surgery last month has taken away the franchise's backup safety blanket.

So, who sits behind Teixeira? The odds-on favorite is Dustin Ackley, but catcher Brian McCann and third baseman Chase Headley also getting looks as candidates if Ackley struggles.

2. Middle Relief
Here's what we do know once Aroldis Chapman is cleared to play -- he'll join Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances as one of the most dominant 7-8-9 bullpen trios in the Majors. More Yankees Spring Training news and rumors inside the Chat Sports iPhone and Android apps!

However, the real intrigue lies before them in the middle-relief ranks. These next eight guys are the highlights of a large group of contenders vying for the spots ahead of the fearsome threesome:  Chasen Shreve, James Pazos, Nick Goody, Jacob Lindgren, Nick Rumbelow, Branden Pinder, Anthony Swarzak, Vinnie Pestano.

Shreve almost seems predestined for a spot as a left, and Pestano's a good bet as a noted strikeout pitcher over six seasons between the Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels. Other than that, who knows at this point?

1. Backup Catcher
John Paul Murphy did a fine job behind starting catcher Brian McCann last year, but he's now out of town after being shipped off in the deal which brought Aaron Hicks to the Bronx.

There are a cadres of catchers in Yankees camp vying for Murphy's old spot, with three candidates currently ahead of a deep field for the job -- Austin Romine, Gary Sanchez, and Carlos Corporan. Romine and Sanchez appear to be the front-runners, with our money on Romine getting the early nod so Sanchez can get more seasoning as a prospect at AAA.

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