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Yankees' Refsnyder, Pirela primed to compete for 2B job

Carlos Jasso / Reuters

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman stated shortly after shipping Martin Prado to the Miami Marlins on Friday that prospects Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela are now primed to compete for the everyday job at second base.

"It's a competition right now that exists on the current roster. I will evaluate opportunities that present themselves but clearly if spring training started today that’s the competition," Cashman told George A. King of the New York Post, after shipping Prado and David Phelps to the Marlins for Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Jones and Domingo German.

Refsnyder, a fifth-round pick in the 2012 draft, ranks among the club's top prospects after enjoying a fine campaign in the upper minors last season. Though his defense at second base remains a work-in-progress, the 23-year-old hit .318/.387/.497 with 58 extra-base hits across stints in both Double-A and Triple-A in 2014.

Pirela, a Venezuela native, spent the majority of the 2014 season in Triple-A before making his MLB debut in September, going 8-for-24 (.333) with three extra-base hits over seven games with the Yankees. The 25-year-old could be destined for a utility role at the major-league level, however, has compiled a meager .731 OPS across parts of eight seasons in the minors.

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