Saturday, March 17, 2018

Checking In with Anyelo Gomez, Mike Ford, Jose Mesa and Nestor Cortes


The New York Yankees have one of the best farm systems in all of Major League Baseball, which could be a blessing and a curse depending on how you look at it. Having a great farm system is ideal as the Major League team can have plenty of options and depth if an injury or need arises, whether it be on the field or as a part of a trade, but at the same point it can be a curse with the team constricted to just a 40-man roster. When a minor league player reaches a certain plateau with a team, usually six seasons, the player has to either be added to the 40-man roster or that player will be available for any and all teams to take them as a part of the Rule 5 Draft. The Yankees were pillaged this winter during the Rule 5 Draft losing many players in the Major League and Minor League parts of the draft, and we will check in with a few of them today, namely Anyelo Gomez, Mike Ford, Jose Mesa and Nestor Cortes.

Courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors:



  • Anyelo Gomez, RHP, Braves (from Yankees): Yet another interesting player in a Yankees system that is producing too much talent for the team’s 40-man roster, Gomez ran up the ladder in a strong 2017 season, briefly reaching Triple-A and ending with a cumulative output of 70 1/3 innings of 1.92 ERA pitching with 11.1 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9. He hasn’t dominated this spring, but the Braves obviously like his arm and have plenty of reason to try to hang onto him in a year in which they do not expect to compete for the postseason.

  • Nestor Cortes, LHP, Orioles (from Yankees): What’s that we were saying about the Yankees? Ah yes, another such player. The 23-year-old just ran up over a hundred innings of 2.06 ERA ball in the upper minors, with 9.0 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. He has held his own as a starter this spring, too. With the O’s in need of both lefty relievers and rotation depth, he seems to be on track for a job.

  • Mike Ford, 1B, Mariners (from Yankees): An injury to Ryon Healy initially looked like it could help to open a door for Ford, but it’s a fairly short-term issue for Healy, and Ford is hitting just .150/.292/.325 through 48 PAs this spring. With Daniel Vogelbach on hand as another lefty swinging first base/designated hitter option, Ford could have a tough time sticking in Seattle.

  • Jose Mesa, RHP, Orioles (from Yankees): Indications are that Mesa is not quite keeping pace with his two fellow Rule 5 hurlers. Indeed, he has surrendered five walks and five earned runs in his 5 2/3 innings of Grapefruit League action.


Mike Ford struggling with the Mariners, I have to say, is a tad bit disappointing given the Yankees lack of a true first base backup for Greg Bird this season. Sure, Austin Romine and Neil Walker can get the job done in a pinch but what if the Yankees run into a preidcament like they did in 2017 with Bird? Are they prepared to go with Walker at the position for the remainder of the season? Maybe. I just have to think the team would feel better if they had a hard hitting first baseman down in Triple-A that was knocking on the door is all. Disappointing. Gomez and Cortes seem like locks to stick with their new teams, while I'd take back Mesa just because. Mesa has struggled, and did so a lot with the Yankees in their Minor League system, but I love a good reclamation project, and Mesa with the right instructor could be just that.

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