Shortly after the Yankees made Cade Winquest their first Rule 5 Draft pick in 14 years in December, the former Cardinal connected with his new pitching coach for lunch.

It was at The Smith in Midtown that Winquest, already in New York City visiting his girlfriend, first met Matt Blake in person. There, the two discussed a few tweaks the former starter could make as he prepared to battle for a spot in the Bombers’ bullpen, including the implementation of a sinker.

“Where his arm slot is and how he spins the ball, we felt like there was opportunity to add that pitch to help control the right-handed hitters a little bit more and minimize some of the contact quality against him,” Blake said earlier this spring.

On Tuesday, Winquest found out that his new pitch, as well as the reimplementation of his cutter, helped him earn a spot on the Yankees’ Opening Day roster despite him having a 7.20 ERA over 10 innings this spring. A source confirmed the decision to the Daily News as the Yankees wrapped up their exhibition season in Arizona.

“We feel like he’s gonna be a good pitcher,” Aaron Boone said of Winquest over the weekend. “I think he’s shown enough to keep himself in that mix for us and to warrant us taking him. We’ll see in the end which way we go. But he’s taken to some of the minor adjustments I know the pitching group has had for him. That’s always a work in progress, but I think he’s got a chance to be good.”

The Yankees have had their eyes on Winquest, who has not pitched above Double-A, since his amateur draft year in 2022. Also working in his favor was the team’s desire for depth preservation.

As a selection in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft, the 25-year-old 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. The Yankees can only send Winquest to the minors if the Cardinals don’t take him back.

With the Yankees opting for a four-man rotation to open the season — Boone told reporters in Arizona that Luis Gil will start the season in the minors, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch — they can give Winquest an extended look in a bullpen that is short on sure things. If Winquest, who also has a fastball that can hit 100 mph and a whiff-inducing curveball, can capitalize on that opportunity, he could become the first Rule 5 pick to stick with the Yankees since utilityman Billy Parker — the last Negro Leaguer to play in Major League Baseball — did so in 1973.

For now, Winquest can set his sights on his major league debut. It’s unclear when exactly that will happen, but his parents, Brian and Stephanie, will be in San Francisco for the Yankees’ season-opening series against the Giants.

Winquest wasn’t the only reliever fighting for a spot in the Yankees’ bullpen, as Boone said that Jake Bird and Brent Headrick also made the Opening Day roster with Gil being optioned.

Bird was acquired from the Rockies last summer but quickly demoted to Triple-A after a nightmarish introduction with the Yankees. Headrick, meanwhile, had a hard time maintaining his velocity last year as he transitioned from being a starter and dealt with some injuries.

With the Yankees deciding on their last few pitching staff decisions, here’s how their 26-man Opening Day roster will look, barring any last-minute moves.

Starters (4): LHP Max Fried, RHP Cam Schlittler, RHP Will Warren, LHP Ryan Weathers

Bullpen (9): LHP Ryan Yarbrough, RHP Paul Blackburn, RHP David Bednar, RHP Camilo Doval, RHP Fernando Cruz, LHP Tim Hill, LHP Brent Headrick, RHP Cade Winquest, RHP Jake Bird

Catchers (2): Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra

Infielders (6): 1B Ben Rice, 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr., SS José Caballero, 3B Ryan McMahon, 1B Paul Goldschmidt, UTL Amed Rosario

Outfielders (4): LF Cody Bellinger, CF Trent Grisham, RF Aaron Judge, Randal Grichuk

Designated Hitter (1): Giancarlo Stanton