Friday, February 6, 2015

Betances hasn't thought much about his 2015 bullpen role


The upcoming competition for the Yankees' closing job between Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances has certainly been a popular topic of conversation amongst the club's fanbase this offseason, and chances are the winnner of it will be under a great amount of pressure.

Not that that's anything Betances is letting get inside of his head, though.

"I haven't put too much mind into it," Betances told MLB.com this week. "There's people that have mentioned it."

Betances, coming off a 135-strikeout 2014 campaign, has the opportunity to be promoted from his previous position as the Yankees' set-up man during next month's spring training, but will likely have to perform strongly if he is to take advantage of it. Miller, the other candidate for the role, has more major-league experience under his belt, not to mention just signed for a hefty $36 million.

But Betances doesn't seem stressed about the situation, and says his goal at the end of the day is just to contribute.

"For me, I'm just going to try to do the same thing, whether it's the seventh, eighth, or ninth," Betances said.

Betances and Miller have been thought of as one of baseball's best 1-2 punches this winter, but that observation still might not make up for the duo's lack of familiarity when it comes to saving games. Indeed, in recent days it's been speculated by some that the Yankees should look into acquiring someone like Rafael Soriano or Francisco Rodriguez to solidify the back of their bullpen, an act that would probably cost them much money.

Perhaps that's why the Yankees are refraining from doing so with pitchers and catchers now set to report to camp in just 14 days, and Betances planning to attempt a repeat of his rookie performance. 


"I'm just going to try to take the same approach I did last year and not to make too big a deal about who gets that job," Betances, 26, said. 

Yankees Will Meet w/ Alex Rodriguez


And so are the days of their lives inside a world of conflicting reports and false Twitter rumors that stir the pot for clicks and views. A few weeks back it was reported that the New York Yankees organization had told Alex Rodriguez to talk to their hand when it came to a meeting before spring training but today we learned that may not have been the whole truth. Brian Cashman vehemently denied those rumors and allegations and confirmed that the team would meet with their third baseman and DH.

Conspiracy theories, lies, whatever. The meeting will happen. If it doesn’t we will all hear about it.

Fantasy Baseball: Buy Low Sell High Candidates


Every year in Fantasy Baseball there are those players that are coming off injuries or are basically unknowns that you can pick up off the scrap heap or trade for and give up virtually nothing in March. By June you are either gloating about your Fantasy Baseball genius or you are kicking yourself in fourth place wondering what could have been. These are those guys you will be or could be talking about in June of 2015:

Adam Lind (MIL) has been nothing short of inconsistent as far as fantasy goes in his career. Lind does consistently struggle against left handed power but when you draft him you aren’t sure if you’re going to get that power he has shown in years past. Moving to Miller Park in Milwaukee from Toronto may or may not help him but the ballpark in Milwaukee is pretty left handed hitting friendly so he is almost a shoe in for 20-25 home runs at worst.

AJ Burnett (PITT) is back in Pittsburgh where he spent the 2012 and 2013 seasons posting a combined 3.41 ERA with 8.9 K/9. Burnett’s ERA did jump in 2014 with Philadelphia, 4.59 ERA, and he is entering his age 38 season so the jury is still out whether 2014 will be the exception or the rule going forward in his career but PNC Park is a good pitchers park so I expect it to be more of the exception.

Gavin Floyd (CLE) was pitching his butt off for Atlanta in his first year removed from Tommy John surgery before fracturing his elbow and ending his 2014 season. Floyd had a 2.65 ERA in nine starts showing great control and garnering a ton of ground balls. Floyd is oft injured and will surely be around after the draft is over to pick up for a little depth to stash in your final roster spot.


Jed Lowrie (HOU) is only on the list because of the disappearance of the offensive shortstop. Lowrie is two full seasons removed from hitting 16 home runs in 340 at bats in 2012 and one season removed from hitting .290 in 2013. Anyone leaving Oakland County Coliseum is due for an offensive boost in my opinion and maybe be a Top 5 shortstop in a very barren field in 2015. 

The Interesting Story Surrounding Yoan Moncada


From Vice Sports comes a very interesting story centered around Yoan Moncada and his defection from Cuba. It's a very interesting, and somewhat long, read and definitely worth the time. Smells fishy to me but if the Yankees sign him, whatever. Anyway, enjoy the article and give Vice Sports a click or two to show them some gratification and support for such a great article:

Twenty-three years ago, Rene Arocha walked out of Miami International Airport and into a waiting car, away from the Cuban national baseball team he was traveling with. Since then, Cuban ballplayer defections have followed a similar script: a clandestine and illegal exit followed by a treacherous and complicated path toward free agency.
Teams have come to accept that they may never truly know the full details of how Cuban players often end up in the major leagues. Most teams don't want to know. Ignorance is bliss when it comes to illegal activities.
But even executives who have spent years in the international player market are marveling at the mystery and innuendo surrounding 19-year-old Cuban phenom shortstop Yoan Moncada: his legal exit from Cuba, his subsequent romantic pairing with a player agent, and his representation by an accountant who has never had an athlete client in any capacity. Nobody has seen a Cuban defection story quite like this.
"It doesn't make it comfortable for me, but in a way, we sort of have come to expect it with this market," one American League team executive said of Moncada's situation. "It makes us ask questions, but in the end, someone is going to spend smartly to get the services of a player that can change a franchise. Most teams are going to have a little reservation about the story itself, but I don't think it's going to stop the industry from paying."
The thing about the story is that it's so unusual. The details of Moncada's journey are nothing like those of the usual high profile Cuban free agent. And many of those details remain obscured.
"I don't know if I have the full facts," said one National League team executive.
Major League Baseball declined to give the details of their investigation of Moncada that led to him being declared a free agent last month. Moncada still needs to be cleared by the Office of Foreign Assets Control before he can sign.
Moncada is now reportedly in Florida after having spent four months in Guatemala establishing residency for his free agency. Presumably, Moncada will spend some time in St. Petersburg where his agent David Hastings, a CPA by trade, resides and runs his own accounting firm. Hastings, like Moncada, has kept a low profile, although he agreed to an interview last week.
"In some ways," Hastings said to start the interview, "I hope you understand that I won't be able to answer all your questions."
Moncada, Hastings said, arrived in Guatemala in August after having spent June and July in a country outside of the United States that he would not name. Some reports say he was in Argentina.
Moncada's exit from Cuba was legal. He received a visa from the Cuban government to travel outside the country. Eventually, Hastings confirmed, Moncada ended up in Guatemala.
Hastings won't talk about what role Nicole Banks—a California based agent with previous experience representing Cubans—played in Moncada's travels.
Banks is rumored to be romantically involved with Moncada and to have possibly had his child in September. In early October, a baby registry existed on the website thebump.com that listed Banks' and Moncada's names with a due date of September 2014. That registry has since been changed to show only Banks' name and a September 2015 due date.
Details of Banks' personal relationship with Moncada would be irrelevant if not for the fact that a September 2014 due date would place Banks in Cuba during December 2013 or January of this year. Hastings acknowledges that Moncada did not leave Cuba until June.
So the plans for Moncada's exit from Cuba may have been hatched as early as last year, and may have been formed with help from an American citizen who is also a player agent. Because Moncada's exit from Cuba was legal, it's unlikely that Banks would face any charges of violating the U.S.'s embargo with Cuba. But nobody outside of Moncada's inner circle knows the full details of the relationship and the people who do know aren't speaking about it. Hastings only acknowledges that Banks is involved in some way. Some speculate that Moncada and Banks are married, which could have aided his exit from Cuba.
"You'll have to ask Nicole," Hastings said when asked about Banks' role.
Hastings became involved, he said, after one of his clients—presumably Banks, although he wouldn't confirm that—brought Moncada to him.
Banks did not respond to several requests for comment on this story.
Banks' participation in the process would have likely aided Moncada. She has previouslyhelped Cuban players obtain legal means of arriving in Guatemala and has processed the paperwork for players to obtain free agency. In September, she spoke to VICE Sports about the process.
"'Carta de invitación' is basically that someone in Guatemala sent them tourist visas and they left Cuba with that," she wrote in an email. "The person who sent the visa was responsible for their expenses etc. With the new Cuban immigration, any Cuban (there are exceptions) is able to get a passport and travel outside the country."
University of Miami law professor David Abraham said the Cuban government relaxed its rules regarding travel visas three years ago in order to encourage more foreign investment. Cuba banked that most people who obtained travel visas would return to Cuba. Many haven't.
"Now they are measuring the gains against the losses," Abraham said.
For several months, Moncada was able to live in Guatemala in relative anonymity. Despite being a prized prospect and despite news of his exit from Cuba being known in baseball circles, most industry people had no idea where he was. Some speculated he was in Los Angeles. Some said he might be hiding in the Dominican Republic. But MLB.com writer Jesse Sanchez's story on November 2 announced to the baseball world that Moncada was living in Guatemala. Hastings said that article changed everything.
"At that point we were forced to put on a showcase as soon as possible," Hastings said. "Since that time, we've basically have had him sequestered, voluntarily, since it's not the best place for anyone that's potentially worth that much money to walk around."
Immediately after the story's publication, Hastings said he hired two armed guards to protect Moncada 24 hours a day. Hastings said several incidents since Moncada's location was revealed have had them fearing for Moncada's safety.
"It's certainly not the most perfect situation, but we've hired people that we think we can trust and we've managed so far, so we just keep our fingers crossed every day," Hastings said. "We've been down there several times. It's not like we just dropped him off and told him to fend for himself. We've done the best we could."
Ideally, Hastings said, they wanted to hide Moncada in Guatemala until they could obtain a visa for him to travel to the U.S. Then, they could hold a showcase in the U.S. without any safety concerns. But Hastings said the visa process was complicated and lengthy.
As of last week, Hastings said Moncada had a visit with the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala scheduled for January 15, but that he was trying to get an earlier date. Moncada's presence in Florida means Hastings has probably obtained that earlier meeting.
Moncada's workout in Guatemala on November 12 drew about 70-100 scouts and executives, a testament to the shortstop's talent. Some teams had as many as six people attend. A security guard from St. Petersburg stood on the third base line, and according to one person in attendance, had a gun holstered under each arm.
Moncada hit batting practice and fielded grounders. To the disappointment of many scouts, he was not able to face live pitching because the Guatemalan national team was in Mexico for the Central American Games. With Guatemala not being a predominant baseball nation, there were no other viable pitchers for Moncada to face.
"I think they are fairly naïve, the baseball people handling him," said one National League team executive. "It's a lot like a lottery ticket for them."
Hastings' inexperience has had other agents prowling. Two Scott Boras representatives, Alex Ochoa and Bobby Brownlie, were kicked out of the workout after they were spotted sitting in the stands, according to several people in attendance.
"They showed up at the showcase without an invitation, without a phone call, very arrogant as far as I'm concerned," Hastings said. "Since I had already talked to one of their representatives and told them I was not interested, but all of a sudden they showed up at the showcase and it was pointed out to me. I had security tell them to leave. I don't know what other reason they were there for, but again, they showed up without getting my approval, which I wouldn't have given them in the first place as I had already told them 'thanks but no thanks.'"
Boras sent the following statement: "We care about players. We know that understanding a player's value means seeing his skills in person. Our concern is that Cuban players often take advice from unqualified advisors. That undermines the true value of their skills. It has already cost Cuban players many millions of dollars. We want to see that change."
Hastings said he is not looking for a partner, although he declined to comment about whether anyone else was helping fund Moncada's representation.
"To this point I'm confident that I can represent my client adequately," Hastings said. "I certainly wouldn't do it if I didn't think I could. Now, could that change tomorrow? Sure. I'm open. I'm confident I can represent my client as well as anybody, at this point. "
Moncada's situation is also unlike other recent Cuban defectors because he falls under baseball's labyrinthine international signing cap rules as a player who is under 23 and doesn't have five years experience in Cuba's National Series. This means that the team that signs him will have to pay heavy fines, and give up the chance to sign other international amateur free agents. But teams are still eagerly lining up.
Some teams, like the Chicago Cubs and the Texas Rangers, are ineligible to sign Moncada until July 2 because they spent past their allotted bonus amounts in 2013. Some teams, like the New York Yankees, will be unable to sign Moncada after July 2 of next year because they've exceeded their bonus amounts during this year's signing period.
The market for Moncada, then, will also depend on when he signs. Hastings will have to make a smart decision on how quickly he wants his client signed.
With his mad dash airport exit in 1991, Arocha set the template for the modern Cuban baseball defection. But it wasn't until Moncada was allowed to leave legally this year that the story got really weird.

Greedy Pinstripes Top 28 Prospects List: #23


Prospects Month is in full swing and we're already up to our 23rd best prospect in the farm system, Jose A. Ramirez

Here is the write up from Kyle McDaniel on Ramirez:

Jose Ramirez, RHP Video: Ramirez is one of the most exciting players on this list; in the linked video, he hit 100 mph with a 70 changeup and an inconsistent slider that flashes average to slightly above. His problem has been like Heathcott; he’s can’t stay on the field, but Ramirez was big league ready at least a year ago. None of Ramirez’s injuries have been to his arm, but to his oblique, caused by a lack of body fat and his quick-twitch movements on the mound. The big league staff has been fighting to take him north with the team the last two seasons, so if the training staff can keep him healthy, this is relief phenom-level stuff.

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23. Jose Ramirez
24. Ramon Flores
25. Gosuke Katoh
26. Chasen Shreve
27. Taylor Dugas
28. Johnny Barbato

Meet a Prospect: Garrett Jones


Garrett Jones was acquired along with Nathan Eovaldi and prospect Domingo German from the Miami Marlins in the deal that sent Martin Prado and David Phelps to Miami. Garrett has spent time with the Minnesota Twins, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Marlins before coming to New York so let’s take the time to meet Mr. Garrett Thomas Jones.

Jones was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 14th round of the 1999 MLB First Year Players Draft out of High School and played in the Braves system through April of 2002 before being released in May of that year. Jones almost immediately latched on with the Minnesota Twins and stayed in their system through the 2008 season. Jones did have a cup of coffee in the major leagues appearing in 31 games with the Twins in 2007 and making his major league debut on May 15, 2007 but the Twins were not impressed enough. Jones became a free agent after the 2008 season and signed on with the Pittsburgh Pirates early in the offseason and earned an invitation to Spring Training. Although he did not win a job out of camp he stuck it out with the team and finally got that chance on June 30, 2009 when his contract was finally purchased by Pittsburgh.

Jones was called up to replace the recently traded Eric Hinske on the Pirates roster in 2009 and 18 days later hit his first major league home run off Tim Lincecum. He wouldn’t wait around long for his second as it came later in the game to end a 14 inning affair between the Giants and the Pirates. Jones hit 10 home runs in his first month and was named the Nationa l League’ Rookie of the Month for July 2009. Jones power bat continued to impress on Opening Day 2010 against the Los Angeles Dodgers when he became just the sixth Pirates player to hit two home runs on Opening Day. Jones took the momentum he created on Opening Day 2010 to push towards a 21 home run, 86 RBI and 145 hit season slashing .247/.306/.414 in 592 at bats. It was all downhill from there leading up to being designated for assignment by the Pirates on November 25, 2013.

Jones latched on with Miami for the 2014 season after signing a two year deal worth $7.5 million and will spend the 2015 season, his final season of that contract, in pinstripes in New York. Good luck Garrett and welcome to the family.

Looking at the 2015 Draft: 23rd Best Prospect



Continuing our look at the 2015 MLB First Year Players Draft we take a look at the #23 ranked prospect expected to enter the draft. As always we will include the mini scouting report from MLB.com as we introduce the #23 prospect, James Kaprielian. Kaprielian is a RHP and a Junior at UCLA. 

Here is the write up from MLB.com:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50

Kaprielian could have factored into the top two rounds of the 2012 Draft as a California high schooler, but he lasted until the Mariners took him in the 40th round because he was set on attending UCLA. He was one of the Bruins' top relievers on their 2013 College World Series championship team -- he didn't allow a hit in six postseason appearances -- then became their No. 1 starter and led the Pacific-12 Conference in strikeouts (108 in 106 innings) as a sophomore.
He didn't have the best stuff in a U.S. collegiate national team rotation that included Louisville's Kyle Funkhouser and Vanderbilt's Carson Fulmer last summer, but Kaprielian did have the best "pitchability" and is the safest bet to become a mid-rotation starter in the big leagues. He works with an 89-92 mph fastball as a starter, and he's effective at that velocity because he can locate it.

Kaprielian's best pitch is his changeup, and he also has a solid slider and a curveball to give batters a different look. With his command and strong frame, he's built to be a starter.

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23. James Kaprielian
24. Jake Lemoine
25. Beau Burrows
26. Richie Martin
27. Kyle Tucker
28. D.J. Stewart

ICYMI: Yoan Moncada Gets Graded

(Jesse Sanchez)

Yoan Moncada held a showcase for team's and while I could bore you with the details how he took ground balls at every position and took batting practice and yada yada yada I will simply cut to the chase and jump to the grades. In case you didn't know a scout grades players on a 20-80 scale with 80 obviously being the best. A player with average speed, hitting, etc. will receive a 50 so anything below is below average and anything above is above average and so on and so on. The papers are graded and here are the results:

Hit - 60
Power - 60
Arm - 60
Speed - 70
Fielding - 50

This Day in New York Yankees History 2/6: Enter Al Holland


On this day in 1986 the Yankees signed free agent Al Holland. Holland was coming off a season in which he saved at least five games for three different seasons the year before.

Also on this day in 1921 the New York American League franchise purchased a ten acre lot of land for $675,000 from the estate of William Waldorf Astor. The site would eventually become the home of the first Yankee Stadium. The stadium would sit directly across the river from the Polo Grounds on the west side of the Bronx.


Finally, and this is really Phillies news more than Yankees news but I digress, in 1962 the Phillies announced they will retire the #36 uniform number of Robin Roberts. The New York Yankee will visit the Phillies to play an exhibition game in March of 1963 for the ceremony, the first time the Phillies will retire a number in the team’s then 79 year history.