The Yankees Shortstop Depth is Disgusting… In a Good Way

The New York Yankees have a gluttony of shortstop prospects right now and it’s absolutely disgusting… in a good way. As we all know by now, because even people under rocks have cell service and Wi-Fi these days, the Yankees traded Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs for their top prospect Gleyber Torres who joins elite company at the shortstop position in the Yankees farm system. The intention of this post is to showcase some of this talent a bit.

Gleyber Torres is the Yankees top prospect according to my post-trade Top Prospects list we posted on the blog this week while fellow shortstop Jorge Mateo was bumped to second. Torres and newly acquired outfielder Billy McKinney also bumped a fellow shortstop Wilkerman Garcia down from the 8^th position to the 9^th position while Tyler Wade finished 12^th on the list. Those are the names you likely know, here are a few that you may not.

Hoy-Jun Park was one of the many names the Yankees signed during that international free agent haul from a few seasons back and has absolutely been tearing up Pulaski since his signing. Thairo Estrada is another who has been toiling around in short season ball while Abi Avelino just got the call up that Jorge Mateo was hoping for in Trenton this week.

Some of other shortstops who may see either second base or their base in their future due to development and/or the absolute logjam the Yankees have going on right now at the position include Vince Conde who was drafted out of the University of Texas, Kyle Holder who was drafted last year by the organization and Angel Aguilar. Conde seems to be more polished than Holder despite both being college picks in the draft while Aguilar seems to be the farthest from the Major Leagues in the group.

This impressive list of stars is why you don’t worry about acquiring a Torres in a Chapman trade. You don’t worry about having a young and impressive shortstop in Didi Gregorius already in the Major Leagues because shortstops are shortstops for two reasons. Well maybe more than two reasons but two main reasons, arm strength and the range and flexibility that allows you to go all over the diamond. That translates well at second base and it translates at third base as well. And if it doesn’t you can always trade from a strength and get the positions filled that you need so don’t fret Yankees family, having too many shortstops is a good problem to have.

Ian Desmond and the New York Yankees?

Earlier on during our annual Prospects Month I discussed the state of the Yankees farm system and specifically showcased New York's plethora and stable of upcoming shortstop prospects. I broke all these shortstops down to future shortstops, assuming they stay in this organization, and future third or second baseman, again assuming they stay here in the Bronx, but the Texas Rangers gave me something else to think about when they signed former Washington Nationals shortstop and second baseman Ian Desmond. The Rangers did not sign Desmond to replace Elvis Andrus at short or to take over in the infield at all though, the team has plans of having him play in left field in Arlington Park in 2016. Is this something the Yankees could conceivably be doing with all their shortstop talent they have down on the farm?

Truth be told the Yankees have a ton of outfield prospects as well but none of them are the "can't miss" or blue chip prospects that every team covets. Ben Gamel won the MiLB Player of the Year Award in 2015 and Mason Williams, Dustin Fowler, Slade Heathcott and others look to be very usable and capable MLB pieces going forward but outside of Aaron Judge the Yankees are lacking true impact and game changing talent. Could the Yankees use all their shortstops to build a complete team full of versatility and flexibility? In a word, yes!

For the sake of consistency and not contradicting myself I will leave the likes of Jorge Mateo, Thairo Estrada, Hoy-Jun Park and Wilkerman Garcia at the shortstop position since we kept them there in previous posts here on the blog. This leaves, and this is obvious an incomplete list but I picked the most notable shortstops left in the organization, Cito Culver, Abi Avelino, Tyler Wade, Vince Conde, Angel Aguilar and Kyle Holder as potential outfielders for the club. Could any of them hack it? No pun intended.

Culver's biggest issue as a Yankees prospect has been his inability to hit, not to defend, and you need a certain amount of offense out of any outfielder leaving Culver on the outside looking in once again. Meanwhile Avelino is a small guy standing at 5'11" and weighing in at 186 lbs and has seemingly shown little in the power department hitting just seven home runs in four professional seasons. Avelino is just 21-years old but it seems unlikely he'll ever have the bat to carry him in the outfield at the Major League level. The same can be said for Wade and Holder, although Holder is still considered raw with the bat and elite defensively in the middle infield, but Angel Aguilar may have a true shot.

Aguilar is just 20-years old and has already shown a patience at the plate that could lead towards big power numbers and a higher batting average. Aguilar also has the frame for an outfielder standing at 6'0" and 170 lbs. with plenty of time still to grow into his frame and add power. As a member of the Gulf Coast Yankees Aguilar played center field, albeit for a single game, and did not look out of place giving the Yankees a glimmer of hope if they choose to move the talented middle infielder to the outfield. The Yankees need to move someone, probably multiple people, off the shortstop position to make room for them all and Aguilar may be the best bet to move from the shortstop position to the outfield.

TGP Prospects Night Open Thread featuring Cito Culver

Cito Culver may be on his way out of the New York Yankees organization sooner rather than later. Culver will hold his final stand in 2016 with the organization as he runs out of minor league options and the options behind him get stronger and stronger. Once thought of as a top prospects Culver just never seemed to come around with bat unfortunately and is in danger of being overtaken by the likes of Jorge Mateo, Kyle Holder, Abi Avelino, Thairo Estrada and others. 

In what could be Culver's penultimate stand we bring you this interview that was conducted in September of 2015. Enjoy because Prospects Month is almost over.

The Future of the Yankees System - The Second Baseman

Earlier today we looked at the state of the Yankees farm system and specifically the state of the Yankees organization as it relates to the shortstop position. This post will also focus on the Yankees shortstop position but with a little bit of a twist. In this post we will once again focus and showcase the Yankees prospects but the prospects that I don't believe will stick at the shortstop position, these shortstops will likely move to second base when all the dust settles. And not because these shortstops are necessarily bad or lacking in any facet of their game, no, but more so about just how stacked the Yankees system is at the position right now.

Abi Avelino has a ton of talent and is seemingly wasting it away in the Yankees system. That sounds harsh but it sounds worse than it really is. The Yankees have an absolute ton of talent at the shortstop position and were forced to move some of their talent to the second base position. Avelino was one of those shortstops that drew the short straw playing in 61 games at second base and 10 games at third base in 2016. That may be his future, especially the longer he sticks in the Yankees system.

Tyler Wade, a Top 10 Prospect to some and a bonafide top prospect in the Yankees system regardless of his ranking, also played 24 games at second base in 2015. Wade also played all over the infield during his brief stay with the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League. His bat may not be strong enough to justify keeping him at the shortstop position and he may be forced to the second base position eventually anyway.

Another Yankees shortstop and another prospect that played a ton of games out of position in 2015. Vince Conde played a whopping 51 games at second base last season and even played another 16 games at third base out of necessity.

Angel Aguilar is the final Yankees shortstop prospect that may find a future at a position other than the shortstop position. That's not because Aguilar cannot handle the shortstop position, because he can, but because the Yankees simply don't have enough affiliates and enough shortstop positions to play all of their talented shortstops. Aguilar played 26 games at second base and 13 games at third base in 2015 behind the liked of Jorge Mateo, Wilkerman Garcia and Thairo Estrada.

The final prospect, and I am on the bench about this I assure you, is one of the Yankees first round picks from the 2015 MLB Draft Kyle Holder. Sure his defense is said to be elite and his defense is said to be MLB ready at this point but his bat leaves much to be desired. Can the Yankees truly get by with a future shortstop that hits .220 but plays a strong defense? Maybe on the bench, see Brendan Ryan, but as a starter they probably can't.

That's an absolute ton of talent. A trade is definitely coming.

TGP Prospects Month Top 29 Prospect List - #8 Wilkerman Garcia

Now that we are in the Top 10 of our Top 29 Prospects List countdown that technically turned into a Top 30 just because we are starting to really showcase some of the top notch talent hidden in the Yankees farm system. The Yankees have arms, the Yankees have outfielders, catchers and they have recently began stockpiling middle infield talent. Some of that middle infield talent will be on display today with our #8 prospect on our list, Wilkerman Garcia.

Garcia joins an impressive group of middle infielders in the Yankees upper levels including Jorge Mateo, Abi Avelino, Tyler Wade, Angel Anguilar and Thairo Estrada and Garcia may eventually be the best of the bunch. Yes, better than Mateo eventually. It's already thought that Garcia will be the better offensive player of the two while the defense is up for grabs and the speed belongs to Mateo. Garcia began the season in the Dominican Summer League and ended up with the Gulf Coast Yankees where a hamstring injury derailed much of his 2015 campaign. Garcia, 17-years old, has plenty of years of development left to make up for the injury though thankfully.

Garcia is average to above average at every single "tool" scouts judge on and he especially opened eyes on his speed and offensive game. With a strong spring and beginning to 2016 Garcia could find himself in Staten Island with the SI Yankees and may end up with the Low-A Charleston Riverdogs or even the High-A Tampa Yankees by season's end. Garcia is an awfully long way away but he is a prospect I am going to salivate over for the next three or so seasons regardless.

8. Wilkerman Garcia
9. Ian Clarkin
10. Brady Lail
11. Jacob Lindgren
12. Bryan Mitchell
13. Drew Finley
14. Mason Williams
15. Slade Heathcott
16. Abi Avelino
17. Hoy-Jun Park
18. Luis Torrens
19. Cale Coshow
20. Chance Adams
21. Miguel Andujar
22. Jonathan Holder
23. Tyler Wade
24. Nick Rumbelow
25.Jordan Montgomery
26.Trey Amburgey
27. Ben Gamel
28. Austin DeCarr
29. Thairo Estrada
30. James Pazos

Weekly Check In: Jorge Mateo

The New York Yankees minor league affiliates will see their season’s end here in just about two weeks meaning many of the Baby Bombers have just a few weeks left to leave an impression on their clubs. That list includes the Yankees best shortstop prospect Jorge Mateo who has a very outside shot at stealing over 100 bases in one minor league season after eclipsing the 80 stolen base plateau earlier in the week.

With the August revocable trade waivers deadline ready to expire in a couple of days Mateo has to be holding his breathe a little. After being dangled at the last minute to San Diego for Craig Kimbrel and Jedd Gyorko as a player you always have to worry about the team revisiting the deal later on before the deadline. I can’t see it happening though, the Padres seem content with standing pat and Brian Cashman seems content with watching his young 20-year old shortstop flourish and blossom inside the Yankees system.

Just as a side note, do you think the Yankees would or could eventually move Mateo, Tyler Wade, Abi Avelino or Kyle Holder to second base since the team is now so stacked at the position? May be something to think about. 

Year	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	A-A+	116	498	66	125	23	2	40	82	43	98	.280	.346	.394	.740
2015	A	96	409	51	98	18	2	33	71	36	80	.268	.338	.378	.716
2015	A+	20	89	15	27	5	0	7	11	7	18	.329	.382	.463	.845

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Weekly Check In: Jorge Mateo

In last week’s post we learned that Jorge Mateo was called up from Low-A Charleston to the High-A Tampa Yankees at just 20 years old and Mateo has started right where he left off with the Riverdogs. Mateo is still hitting the ball at an improved and impressive clip while taking pitches, working walks and getting on base in order to pad his stolen base totals. It seems unlikely that Mateo could close the gap to 100 stolen bases in a single season with minor league seasons ending in three or four weeks but I am not willing to put my money against him that much is for certain.

To think, Mateo was almost reportedly packaged in a deal along with other minor league players for Craig Kimbrel and the atrocious contract of Jedd Gyorko. While the Yankees improve in the interim that trade would have had all the makings of a disaster in the long term, especially if Didi Gregorius ends up not being the shortstop of the future after all.

Mateo leads an impressive crop of shortstops for the Yankees that includes Abi Avelino, Kyle Holder and Tyler Wade but none of them have put up the sheer numbers that Mateo has this season. 

Year	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	A-A+	104	444	57	113	21	2	36	76	38	88	.284	.350	.402	.752
2015	A	96	409	51	98	18	2	33	71	36	80	.268	.338	.378	.716
2015	A+	8	35	6	15	3	0	3	5	2	8	.455	.486	.667	1.152

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Abi Avelino Named FSL Player of the Week

Abiatal Avelino Named FSL Player of the Week

Tampa, Fla. - The Florida State League named Tampa Yankees Infielder Abiatal Avelino Player of the Week today. This honor was for games played July 27 - August 2, 2015.


Avelino played in eight (8) games and collected 13 hits in 30 plate appearances for a .433 batting average. He had one (1) homerun, scored eight (8) times and had two (2) RBI's. He had six (6) stolen bases, an OBP of .452 and a slugging percentage of .533.


This is the third year of professional baseball for the 2011 non-drafted free agent from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.


The Tampa Yankees are the Single-A Advanced Affiliate of the New York Yankees. For more information about the Tampa Yankees call (813) 673-3055 or visitwww.tybaseball.com.

Weekly Check In: Jorge Mateo

The minor league All-Star Games are over, the All-Star break is over and it is back to work as usual for everyone in Major League Baseball and the lower affiliates in the farm system. This includes the Yankees top shortstop prospect Jorge Mateo as he continues his chase at 100 stolen bases in a single season. Mateo’s pace his lowered in recent weeks, well after crossing the 50 stolen base plateau, but the batting average is on a steady rise and so are many of his offensive numbers.

The defense has never really been an issue as Mateo leads an impressive group of Yankees shortstop prospects in the lower levels including Tyler Wade, Abi Avelino and others. Mateo may not steal 100 bases but it is looking more and more likely that the 20 year old won’t be spending much more time in Charleston either. Mateo seems primed, and more importantly ready, for a promotion to Tampa.

Year	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	A	81	346	44	84	13	7	2	31	60	30	64	.273	.342	.380	.722

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Weekly Check In: Jorge Mateo

After the New York Yankees drafted defensive-minded shortstop Kyle Holder with the 30^th pick overall in the MLB First Year Player’s Draft the fans were left wondering why. Why would New York draft another slick fielding shortstop who could or couldn’t have “elite” defense when they already have the likes of Didi Gregorius, Brendan Ryan, Stephen Drew, Abi Avelino, Tyler Wade, Ali Castillo and the top shortstop prospect of them all Jorge Mateo. While the Yankees brass, mainly Damon Oppenheimer, were quick to defend their pick of Holder and his offensive abilities you have to wonder what the team really thinks of Mateo and his ability to swing the bat.

Mateo can pick the ball and Mateo can take his walks, run the bases and steal said bases but whether Mateo can swing the bat enough has always been and will always be the biggest question surrounding him. When you look at the stat line you may think that he isn’t hitting that bad or that he’s hitting like an average MLB shortstop but you have to consider what level he’s hitting at. It’s only going to get tougher from here although he is only going to get older, more mature and fill out more from here as well and I totally understand that.

I’m not down on Mateo, not at all, but I am trying to temper expectations a bit for the young man. He’s not going to be ready this year, next year or the next and he may never be more than what we currently have in Didi Gregorius. I am hopeful for more and I think the team can get more out of a young Mateo but if they don’t that has to be okay too. 

Year	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	A	53	227	26	53	6	5	2	22	39	9	16	48	.259	.314	.366	.680

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

RiverDogs Announce 2015 Opening Day Roster

Roster highlighted by highly-touted shortstop Mateo; USC’s Jordan Montgomery

CHARLESTON, SC-- With Opening Day this week, the New York Yankees have revealed the players who will don Charleston RiverDogs uniforms to open the 2015 season on April 9 at The Joe against the Lexington Legends.

Luis Dorante returns at the helm of the RiverDogs for the second-consecutive season and fields a team that has 10 players with prior experience in Charleston. Featured returners include the talented double-play combo of second baseman Gosuke Katoh and shortstop Abiatal Avelino and outfielder Dustin Fowler who tallied nine homers in a RiverDogs uniform during the 2014 campaign. Former University of South Carolina Gamecocks pitcher Jordan Montgomery will also be a RiverDog.

Highly touted shortstop Jorge Mateo breaks camp and heads to Charleston after spending the 2014 season with the Gulf Coast Yankees. Mateo (Yankees No. 3 prospect, Baseball America and MLB.com) signed with the Yankees in 2012, but made his U.S. debut last season playing in 15 games with the Gulf Coast League Yankees where he hit .276 with six extra-base hits and 11 stolen bases. His speed on the bases and range in the field highlight the great potential for his inaugural season in the South Atlantic League.

Avelino (Yankees No. 15 prospect, Baseball America, No. 21 MLB.com) returns to the RiverDogs’ roster after logging 53 games in Charleston during the 2014 season. He hit .232 with 15 extra-base hits and 11 stolen bases. His arm is well above average and defense solid as he committed just seven errors from one of the most-important spots on the diamond.

Katoh (Yankees No. 28 prospect, MLB.com) logged 121 games with the RiverDogs in 2014, third most on the team, and hit .222 with 28 extra-base hits, 37 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 30 attempts. He ranked second in the SAL with 71 walks.

Surrounding Katoh, Avelino, and Mateo on the corners of the diamond will be third baseman Allen Valerio and first baseman Connor Spencer. Valerio played the hot corner in 42 of his 43 Gulf Coast League games and committed just nine errors in the field. His offense was solid as he hit .292 with 19 extra-base hits, 24 RBI and an OBP of .404. Spencer, an 8th round pick by the Yankees in the 2014 draft, made his pro debut with Staten Island and paced the Yankees by hitting .364 with 14 doubles, a triple, and 11 RBI in 51 games in the New York-Penn League.

Jose Javier rounds out the infielding core for the RiverDogs. He spent 2014 with the Staten Island Yankees in the New York-Penn League where he hit .241 with 2 homers and 16 RBI.

Fowler, Austin Aune, Chris Breen, and Brandon Thomas will patrol the outfield at The Joe to begin the 2015 season. The duo of Fowler and Thomas, which combined for 14 home runs, 80 RBI, and 25 stolen bases, returns to Charleston for this season and will again split time in center. Aune and Breen both advance from Staten Island and will spend most of their time in the corner outfield spots for the RiverDogs. Aune, a second-round pick of the Yankees in 2012 hit .218 with 4 homers, and 23 RBI for the SI Yankees. Breen, a 12th rounder from the 2012 draft, crushed a team-high 8 homers and hit .281 with 16 doubles, 5 triples and 28 RBI in 63 games.

A pair of backstops break camp and head to the Lowcountry. Eduardo de Oleo returns to the South Atlantic League after playing in 78 games with the ‘Dogs in 2014. The 22-year old catcher clubbed a team-high 12 home runs and threw out a team-high 21 base stealers in his first year of A-ball. Alvaro Noriega makes up the other half of the catching duo and advances from the Gulf Coast League where he hit .252 and threw out 17 opposing base stealers.

The RiverDogs’ pitching staff is highlighted by native South Carolinian and former South Carolina Gamecock Jordan Montgomery who returns to his home state with the RiverDogs. The left-handed pitcher hails from Sumter and was selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of last year’s draft. He went 1-1 with a 3.79 ERA across 19.0 innings in 10 games (seven starts) between Staten Island and the Gulf Coast Yankees 2. Montgomery’s three-year college career saw him go 20-7 with a 2.87 ERA over 253.2 innings with the Gamecocks. The southpaw attended Sumter High School and earned 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year honors in South Carolina and was named to the 2011 All-USA baseball squad by USA Today. He tallied a perfect 11-0 record with a minuscule 0.38 ERA and struck out 114 batters over 74.1 innings during his senior season.

Other members of the pitching staff include 2014 draftees Jordan Foley, Sean Carley, Justin Kamplain, Joe Harvey, and Andre Del Bosque.

The righty Foley was selected in the fifth round and is the second-highest draftee from the class of 2014 on the RiverDogs roster. He began his professional career last season with the Gulf Coast Yankees 2 and Staten Island Yankees and went 0-2 with a 4.10 ERA in 13 games across the two levels. Foley was initially drafted by the Yankees out of high school in the 26th round of the 2011 draft, but opted to attend and play baseball at Central Michigan University. Carley was selected in the 14th round out of West Virginia University, in his hometown of Morgantown, WV. The righty compiled a 1-4 record with a 5.19 ERA in 12 games, 6 starts, across two levels below the South Atlantic League.

Kamplain and Harvey were taken back-to-back in the 18th and 19th rounds respectively. Both pitched together in Staten Island before the lefty Kamplain progressed to Charleston to finish the season out. He started six games for the RiverDogs and went 0-0 with a 2.78 ERA in 22.2 innings in the South Atlantic League. Harvey had a stellar pro debut out of the bullpen and finished his first season 0-2 with two saves and a 1.74 ERA in 15 games between the Gulf Coast Yankees and Staten Island. Del Bosque was selected in the 38th round of the draft and pitched in four GCL games during his first pro season.

Right-handed pitcher Domingo Acevedo (Yankees No. 30 prospect, MLB.com) rounds out the four players on the roster recognized as top 30 prospects by either Baseball America or MLB.com. Acevedo is regarded as the hardest thrower in the Yankees system working 95-97 MPH and hitting 100 MPH on occasion. He started five games for the Gulf Coast Yankees 2 and went 0-1 with a 4.11 ERA across 15.1 innings striking out 21 hitters and walking just six. He will begin the season on the disabled list.

Rony Bautista, Cale Coshow, and Chaz Hebert is a trio of returners that make their way back to the Lowcountry following their 2014 stints with the RiverDogs. Bautista made his debut with Charleston on May 12th and made 10 appearances out of the ‘pen for Dorante’s club before he finished the season in relief for Staten Island. Coshow’s season took him to three stops across the Yankees’ minor league system, the second of which was Charleston. The burly righty pitched in six games out of the bullpen and went 1-1 with a 5.19 ERA. Of the returners on staff, Hebert made the most appearances last season with 15. The southpaw went 3-3 with a 2.49 ERA in 65.0 innings with the RiverDogs.

Righty David Palladino spent the last two seasons with Staten Island, but makes his way to Charleston’s staff to open up the 2015 campaign. The Yankees’ fifth-round pick of the 2013 draft and Emerson, New Jersey native earned a career-high six wins in 14 games last season, which marks the highest total of wins on the RiverDogs’ opening day staff.

Caleb Frare, Joey Maher, and Yoel Espinal round out the RiverDogs’ 13-man active pitching staff that will be under the tutelage of former RiverDog and current pitching coach Tim Norton (2005). Neither pitcher made has pitched in a game since 2012. Frare was drafted by the Yankees in the 11th round of the 2012 draft and went 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA in 10 GCL appearances during his first pro season, but missed both 2013 and 2014 seasons due to Tommy John surgery. Espinal was signed as a Minor League Free Agent in 2014 following his release from the Detroit Tigers. He looks to rebound from injury and get the 2015 campaign off on the right foot. Maher, a native of Bedford, NH, pitched for the Gulf Coast Yankees 2 team and went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 3.1 innings pitched.

Pitchers Ty Hensley, Dallas Martinez, and Jose Pena along with infielder Ty McFarland are on the 60-day disabled list, but have been placed on the RiverDogs roster. Former Citadel standout and Greenville, South Carolina native, infielder Bo Thompson is on the RiverDogs roster as well, but remains on the suspended list.

Mortgaging The Future May Not Be A Bad Idea

As I write this article I understand that it may be a little tongue and cheek, cliché, or downright wrong but I am going to go ahead and post it anyway. If the Yankees did it right, and that’s the keyword of the statement, mortgaging the future may not be the worst idea they have ever had. This post may seem negative at times but I assure you it’s more for strategy purposes than anything. I love this team and want nothing but the best for it. I am not advocating for selling anything not tied down just for the heck of it and I’m not saying I would sacrifice the future for a lost cause, again I only suggest this if it’s done the right way, but I am saying that maybe selling high on guys wouldn’t be the worst idea we have ever had.

As we all are painfully aware of the Yankees have struggled with developing their own talent out of their farm system, specifically with starting pitchers. The Yankees have caught more lightning in a bottle with lesser known names and late drafted players then they have the “can’t miss” prospects. Why not trade away the Yankees top notch guys for say a Troy Tulowitzki, who has hinted at wanting out of the losing environment in Colorado, to play for a perennial contender, and to be the man to replace the retiring Derek Jeter, and roll with what we have left to fill the other voids. New York won’t have the big name draws to the park but the Yankees can survive it and still produce true Major League talent circa 1996-2000.

So many times have we seen a Jesus Montero, Drew Henson, even as far back as a Brien Taylor fizzle out and never reach their true potential. De Ja Vu all over again as we see Gary Sanchez struggling at an advanced stage, although improving defensively, and being suspended for undisclosed reasons in Trenton. We were all on the Mason Williams and Tyler Austin bandwagons only to be let down this season and last once again, not that they don’t have plenty of time to turn things around. Rafael DePaula breaks my heart every time he has a bad outing because nobody was as high on the guy as me, I had him listed in our Prospects Month prospect list at the #2 slot behind Sanchez. I’m not sure why these guys don’t work out and frankly I wouldn’t begin to know how to explain it but I also wouldn’t hold onto them based on projections alone. If the right deal were to come around I’d move them in a heartbeat, here’s also looking at you Cole Hamels.

The Yankees have gotten more out of the likes of Adam Warren, David Phelps, Dellin Betances, David Robertson, Francisco Cervelli, John Ryan Murphy, Brett Gardner, Robinson Cano, Shane Greene recently, etc. then they have out of these can’t miss guys. Whether it’s the lack of spotlight or eyes on the players or if the Yankees are just unlucky is yet to be determined but the fact remains the Yankees bread and butter has been lesser known prospects and later in the draft type prospects rather than blue chips. Currently tearing up Triple-A and outperforming most on the current Yankees roster are players like Jose Pirela, Robert Refsnyder, Adonis Garcia, Kyle Roller, John Ryan Murphy, and others that most casual fans would not know if they met them walking down the street. My point being this, the hype and the name only goes so far and the talent speaks for itself. These guys have the talent and the mental makeup to go with it, some of the blue chip prospects simply don’t and that’s baseball.

I said all that to say this, if the Yankees can make a deal that “empties” the farm and has us listed low on all these pre-season and midseason prospects lists, so what? These lists are made from people that don’t cover the team or watch the team daily and their opinions are just that, opinions. Who cares if we win a Triple-A championship? I, personally, am more concerned with winning #28 in the Bronx and while I am the biggest supporter and follower of prospects and the young guys I still want to see the big league team win. If the Yankees can swing a trade that involves Luis Severino, Abi Avelino, Gary Sanchez, etc. then do it if it makes sense and it’s done right. The Yankees may not have a Top 10 prospects list on Baseball America next January but we’ll have plenty of guys to shine up another trophy for the trophy case in November. 

Ninja Cashman, I Have A Plan! Please Read?

This is going to seem a little far fetched and honestly unrealistic but that's usually when Ninja Cashman, Brian Cashman's alter ego when he is actually a good GM, is at his best. Enter the Philadelphia Phillies and their lackluster 2014 season. The Yankees need pitching and the Philadelphia Phillies definitively have it, but would they be willing to trade some of it? Sure, why not?

The Yankees may have lost CC Sabathia for the season, and possibly forever, while Michael Pineda is still playing catch, Brandon McCarthy and his three win season and plus five ERA is considered an upgrade, and Chase Whitley may have hit an innings wall in the rotation. The Yankees have gotten by with this makeshift pitching staff and it's finally starting to show holes, let's plug them. The Phillies have three starting pitchers this season to trade, but only two of them the Yankees would want, in AJ Burnett, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels. Ninja Cashman, make the call.

Lee looks like a pure salary dump at this point of the season as he struggles to come back from an elbow injury. Lee is owed $25 million this year and next and the Phillies franchise isn't going anywhere with that contract on the books. To take on that kind of salary the Yankees could pay less in prospects and save their better pieces for a run at Hamels. Hamels, like Lee, is weighing down the club with $22.5 million a season through the 2018 season and a has a club option written into his contract for 2019 worth $19 million. Whether Sabathia and/or Alex Rodriguez retires or not the Yankees could easily absorb these contracts with the likes of Hiroki Kuroda and others coming off the books after this season.

Before you jump down my throat saying how I am out of touch the Phillies are going nowhere, they know it and we know it. The only players Philadelphia has under the age of 30 years old are Ben Revere, Cody Asche, and Domonic Brown who are hitting a combined .221 in 2014. The Phillies have finished in third, fourth, and look likely to finish in last place in their last three seasons respectively and it may be time to hit the reset button in Philadelphia.

The Phillies could sell off their high priced talent much like the Red Sox did a few seasons ago and re-tool and rebuild. Gary Sanchez or John Ryan Murphy could replace the departing Carlos Ruiz. Robert Refsnyder could replace the departing Chase Utley. Abi Avelino could replace the departing Jimmy Rollins. Ian Clarkin and throw in Shane Greene/Chase Whitley could replace Hamels and Lee and the rest is history.