The New York Yankees have cut ties with Cade Winquest, their Rule 5 pick, before ever seeing him pitch in a regular season game. Winquest was designated for assignment to make room for Luis Gil to start against the Rays. If he clears waivers, the Yankees must offer him back to the Cardinals for $50,000. If they decline to take him back, they could keep him in the minor leagues. The decision to abandon Winquest highlights the difficulty of stashing a developing player on the roster while competing at the highest level. The Yankees have been dealing with challenges in their ball-strike system and are hoping to face hitters by June.