Saturday, October 5, 2013

Yankees Re-Sign Six Minor Leaguers


The New York Yankees have resigned six minor league players today including LHP Francisco Rondon, catcher Francisco Arcia, and RHP's Diego Moreno, Jairo Heredia, Kelvin Castro, and Manny Barreda. I can remember the days where Barreda and Jairo were the next big things that all of us "prospect humpers" but they fizzled out a little. Rondon was on the 40 man roster as recent as last year before struggling, being designated for assignment, and brought back on a new minor league deal. Now Rondon is in the AA Trenton Thunder bullpen and excelling and 2014 may be his time to shine. Nothing major here but it encouraging that all these little moves are getting done now so we can focus on the important stuff in November.

Miller, Lillibridge, and Gonzalez Are Now Free Agents


The cookie is starting to crumble just a little bit on the off season as three Yankees minor league players declared themselves free agents today just a couple days after the Yankees took Mike Zagurski off the 40 man roster. Jim Miller, Brent Lillibridge, and Alberto Gonzalez all declared free agency for themselves and are able to sign with any team.

Miller pitched well for the Scranton team in his age 31 season and saw one inning of relief work with the big league club this season giving up three runs against the Boston Red Sox. Lillibridge played in 11 games for the Yankees fighting to stay above the Mendoza line while playing about every position on the infield. Gonzalez was brought up and sent off the 40 man roster two separate times this season and played 13 games as a 30 year old.

In other Yankees minor league news Roberto de la Rosa has been released and is also a free agent after throwing in one game way back in 2011 as an 18 year old rookie. If you feel like you should know his name but don't there is a good reason for that, de la Rosa has not pitched since that one game and is now 20 years old. Adios!


Jose Gil bounced around a little bit in 2013 after spending time in the Independent League and with the Baltimore Orioles before coming back to New York. Gil was a member of the Yankees minor league system from 2005 - 2012 and has resigned to be a member of the Yankees in 2014.

RJ Johnson was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers with their 36th round pick in the 2010 draft and is now a member of the New York Yankees farm system after signing a minor league contract. He was released by Milwaukee in 2012 after not having pitched since the 2010 Arizona Fall League but his twitter account says that he is an infielder now so the switch must have been made recently.

Boone Logan To Resume Throwing In December


Boone Logan had surgery on his left throwing elbow to remove bone spurs and is set to resume a throwing program in December. This is great news for the soon to be free agent as he will have some time to showcase his arm is healthy before Spring Training begins in 2014. Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery down in Florida in case you were curious about the 29 year old relief pitcher. Logan has been slowed down with the injury since Spring Training and it really affected him all season, limiting the number of sliders that he could throw by 11%, but the ligament is fine and that is the good news. No news or rumors on whether the Yankees will be interested in bringing him back or not, too early in the game, but if they are serious about the $189 million luxury tax threshold I would bet money against it. Logan is looking at a deal in the two to three year range worth anywhere from $4,000,000 - $5,000,000 range.

Yankees Scouting Jose Dariel Abreu


The New York Yankees are one of many teams that are scouting Jose Dariel Abreu  during his showcase workouts in the Dominican Republic. I have been clamoring for him to be our DH for next season for the better part of month now,the first and only to mention the Yankees having any interest in him by the way I would like to point out, and now the Yankees seem to have at least mild interest. Maybe Brian Cashman reads the Greedy Pinstripes after all, who knows.

It only makes sense that the Yankees at least kick the tires on him and check out his workouts since they are being held at the Yankees minor league complex in the Dominican Republic. Abreu has already held two showcases in late September and is expected to hold at least one more in October now that he is officially a free agent.

Abreu is considered to be an intelligent and patient, although not disciplined at times, hitter with one of those double toe taps that kills hitters. Sign the kid now and Kevin Long has all winter to eliminate the toe tap and get him to being a better major league hitter. Abreu is said to possess 30 home run power and is only 26 years old and could spend the year as a DH and first basemen for the Yankees when Mark Teixeira needed a day off. Abreu is a big target at first base standing 6'2" and 258 lbs with crazy numbers in Cuba that we have reiterated time and time again. Abreu is said to be in the market for a deal somewhere in the three or four year range worth $36,000,000 - $42,000,000 range.

Alex Rodriguez's Lawsuit Against Major League Baseball

This Day In New York Yankees History 10/5


On this day in 1949 Tommy Henrich hit the first walk off home run in the history of the World Series when he led off the bottom of the 9th with a homer off of the Dodgers Don Newcombe. Allie Reynolds would get the complete game victory and manager Casey Stengel would get his first post season victory of his career.


On this day in 1951 Mickey Mantle's season ended in game two of the World Series as he injured his knee when his cleat got caught in a drainage cap at Yankees Stadium, really? The injury was initially blamed on Joe DiMaggio as he called off Mantle at the last second on a fly ball off of Willie Mays bat causing the 19 year old rookie to stop awkwardly.


On this day in 1953 the Yankees would win their fifth consecutive World Series title in dramatic fashion as Billy Martin would get a walk off hit against the Dodgers. Martin would be named the World Series MVP as he collected 12 hits in the series.


On this day in 1957 in the first World Series game to ever be played in Milwaukee the Yankees rookie short stop Tony Kubek became the second rookie ever to hit two home runs in a World Series game. Kubek would join Charlie Keller who also hit two in the 1939 World Series.


On this day in 1960 Roger Maris became the seventh player in Major League history to hit a home run in his first World Series at bat.


On this day in 1963 Mickey Mantle tied Babe Ruth's home run record in the World Series when the Mick blasted his 15th fall classic home run of his career. This homer would tie the score in game four against Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers but it would not be enough as Los Angeles would sweep the Yankees for the title.


On this day in 1980 the New York Yankees broke the American League regular season attendance record of the time by passing the 1948 Indians with their 2,627,417 fans through the gates.