Friday, October 11, 2013

List Of Players We Must Protect In The Rule 5 Draft


I know we are a long way away from having to worry about the Rule 5 Draft that will happen sometime in the general time frame of the 2014 spring training but it is never too early to start planning. The Yankees have quite a few notable prospects that need protecting this season that if left unprotected will probably be taken. Here is a list, and honestly I am probably over looking a guy or two here so bare with me, of the notable household names that will need to be protected from the draft next year:

Gary Sanchez
Slade Heathcott
Shane Greene
Bryan Mitchell
Tommy Kahnle
Danny Burawa
Chase Whitley

Adding Gary Sanchez to the 40 man roster all but spells the end of Chris Stewart and also means that the Yankees will not be in the market for Brian McCann, or any catcher for that matter, this season. Sanchez, Austin Romine, JR Murphy, Chris Stewart, and Francisco Cervelli is a log jam and a 40 man roster handcuff and something will be done about it.

Slade Heathcott is an obvious no brainer to be added to the 40 man roster now that Melky Mesa was released at the end of the 2013 season. Shane Greene led the Trenton Thunder championship squad this season, especially down the stretch and through the playoffs. He is an emerging name that would probably stick elsewhere in a place like Miami or Tampa Bay.

I believe that Bryan Mitchell, Tommy Kahnle, and Danny Burawa would probably go without being drafted and if they did would be returned quickly after not sticking on the selecting teams 40 man roster. Mitchell has not really pitched much outside of High A although he did finish in Trenton with the Thunder pitching well with a sub 2.00 ERA. Chase Whitley on the other hand would be gone in a heartbeat and we would never see him again. Whitley was strictly a reliever before this season when he dabbled in the starting pitching game. Whitley made five starts in August putting up a 1.64 ERA after throwing 17.1 scoreless innings in July as a reliever so expect his name to go early if he is left unprotected.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)