Yankees Clearing Roster Space...

 

Jake Bauers (Photo Credit: Corey Sipkin/NY Post)

Wanted: Quality Major League Players…

The Yankees made a trade on Friday even if it was not the one everyone had been waiting for.

First baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers, who was not expected to be part of next year’s club (at least not by the fans), was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers for two prospects.  Something is better than nothing. The two prospects are minor league outfielders Jace Avina and Brian Sánchez. Avina, 20, is the higher-rated prospect (appearing twenty-ninth on the Brewers’ top 30 prospects according to MLB.com). He was drafted by the Brewers in the 14^th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft. 

Jace Avina (Photo Credit: Carolina Mudcats)

A left-fielder, Avina is 5’11” and 180 lbs. The Nevada native is right-handed and spent 2023 in Single-A.  He had 22 doubles, 14 home runs, 50 runs batted in, 56 walks, and 10 stolen bases but he also had 118 strikeouts in 326 at-bats (399 plate appearances).  He hit .233/.373/.442, with .815 OPS.  Despite his slow start in Single-A, he was named the Brewers Minor League Player of the Month in August. If he is unable to cut down the strikeouts, he will not advance far in the Yankees organization, but if he can, he might be a diamond in the rough. I am okay with lottery tickets for players like Bauers. 

The nineteen-year-old Sánchez, also a left-fielder, signed with the Brewers as an undrafted free agent in February 2023.  The Venezuelan native is 6’3”, 170 lbs. He is a lefty bat and throws right-handed. Playing 33 games for the DSL Brewers 1 (Rookie League), Sánchez batted .297/.414/.446 (.860 OPS). He was 30-for-101, with 7 doubles, 19 RBIs, and 20 walks. He stole 8 bags. 

Bauers had some nice moments as a Yankee, but he is who he is…replaceable.  I had expected the Yankees to release him at some point, so getting a couple of lower-level prospects was a better-than-expected outcome. I wish Bauers the best in Milwaukee. He will get to play for a respected veteran professional/collegiate manager with the new Brewers’ manager Pat Murphy. The team and city are adjusting to being jilted by former manager Craig Counsell, who departed for the “greener” pastures with the Chicago Cubs, and a chunk out of Cubs owner Tom Ricketts’ wallet.   

With the Bauers trade, the Yankees’ 40-man roster was reduced to 39 players. On Friday, the Yankees made several other moves that further reduced the roster to 36 players when they non-tendered RHP Albert Abreu, RHP Lou Trivino, and LHP Anthony Misiewicz. No surprises here. For Abreu, his departure has been overdue. Abreu, Trivino, and Misiewicz are now free agents. Goodbye, and please do not let the door hit you on the way out.

The players who were tendered contracts are 2B Gleyber Torres, RHP Clay Holmes, RHP Jonathan Loáisiga, RHP Michael King, RHP Clarke Schmidt, LHP Nestor Cortes Jr, C Jose Trevino, and C Kyle Higashioka. If there is one of these players that I thought could be non-tendered, it is Higgy. With six catchers currently on the 40-man roster, it seems a given that a few catchers will be moved. I expect Higgy to be one. The early forecast shows Trevino and Austin Wells as the catching tandem for the upcoming season. The Yankees will need to choose who will represent the minor league depth. The other catchers on the 40-man roster, besides Higgy, are Carlos Narvaez, Agustin Ramirez, and Ben Rortvedt. It seems like at least two of these four catchers will find themselves in new homes by next season. 

Other Moves

I was surprised to see the Milwaukee Brewers non-tendered RHP Brandon Woodruff. Woodruff is expected to miss the 2024 season after shoulder surgery. Woodruff only made two starts in 2023 before he was shut down with shoulder tightness. He ended up missing the rest of the season and had surgery last month to repair a sub-scapular strain in his throwing shoulder. I get Milwaukee’s financial constraints and if he had been healthy, Woodruff was expected to make $11.6 million in salary arbitration. Woodruff made $10.8 million this past season. As much as I would like to see the Yankees offer him a two-year contract with an eye toward his return in 2025, there will be competition. Honestly, it would not surprise me if the Chicago Cubs and Woodruff’s former manager were successful in snagging him. Woodruff will be 32 when the 2025 season opens. He is a chance worth taking even if there are durability concerns. Signing Woodruff seems like a better option (higher potential reward) than re-signing Frankie Montas even if the latter will be ready to pitch in 2024.

Brandon Woodruff (Photo Credit: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

The Colorado Rockies were the successful team in acquiring RHP Cal Quantrill from the Cleveland Guardians (who had designated the pitcher for assignment earlier in the week). A talented but struggling pitcher going to the Mile High City…what could go wrong? I did think the Yankees might try to make a play for Quantrill. It would have been interesting to see if Matt Blake and Sam Briend could help Quantrill recapture his potential. Given the Rockies were able to grab Quantrill for a low-level minor-league catcher, it seems like the Yankees could have done better without much effort.

Among former Yankees, Mike Ford was non-tendered by the Seattle Mariners. His departure from Seattle was expected when he was designated for assignment earlier this week, but the non-tender cuts the veteran first baseman free.  Best of luck to him with his next opportunity. He keeps bouncing to and from the Mariners so it would not surprise me to see him sign a minor league contract with Seattle. 

Miguel Andujar signed a one-year deal with the Oakland/Las Vegas A’s. The A’s had claimed Andujar on waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this month. Good for Miggy. He gets $1.7 million for 2024 and will head to the Arizona desert for Spring Training for the first time in his career. Hopefully, Miggy has better luck with the A’s than the City of Oakland has in recent years. 

The Cincinnati Reds have non-tendered reliever Reiver Sanmartin. The 27-year-old lefty appeared in only 14 games for the Reds this season, pitching to an unsightly 7.07 ERA by giving up 11 earned runs in 14 innings of work (13 runs overall). Originally drafted by the Texas Rangers, Sanmartin was in the Yankees organization from November 2017 to January 2019. The only reason I mention his name is he was the other player sent to the Reds in the Sonny Gray trade. I guess his post-Yankees career has not gone as successful as Sonny, the runner-up for the AL Cy Young Award this season.   

For moves NOT made, I have no interest in Boston’s Alex Verdugo or Tampa’s Manuel Margot, the most recent rumored trade targets. Even if Verdugo could help the Yankees, it is not worth helping the Red Sox improve. Sending Gleyber Torres to Boston for Verdugo makes no sense to me as Gleyber is the better player. Margot may be talented, but he seems to be a regular on his team’s Injured List and the Yankees have had too many of those kinds of guys in recent years. I am not sure where these rumors come from. The Yankees tend to be a tight-lipped organization, and there is no benefit to the team by spreading those rumors. For a team looking to reinvigorate the fan base and restore their confidence in the team’s direction, leaking the potential for unpopular trades is not exactly a recipe for success.

MLB insider Hector Gómez is reporting the Los Angeles Dodgers will not only be very aggressive in their pursuit of 2023 AL Most Valuable Player, free agent Shohei Ohtani, but they will also be pursuing a trade for Angels outfielder Mike Trout. Trout scares me a little with his recent injury history, but when healthy, he remains one of the best in the game. No doubt the Dodgers would have more success with Ohtani and Trout in their lineup than the Angels did with their ability to surround the duo with much better players.  I am old enough to remember when the Yankees were the most aggressive big-market team. They have been supplanted by the Dodgers and the New York Mets.  Whatever it takes to distract the Dodgers from signing Japanese RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Speaking of Yamamoto, he is expected to be posted on Monday, and his 45-day negotiating period will begin on Tuesday. With so many teams interested in Yamamoto, it will be interesting to see how aggressive the Yankees will be in their pursuit. I guess we will soon find out if Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner is ‘in it to win it’. Signing Yamamoto and acquiring Juan Soto in the same offseason would be huge for the Yankees. The additions would go a long way toward protecting the best years of Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge and reopening the team’s championship window.   

American League Cy Young Award Winner

Congratulations to Gerrit Cole for his unanimous selection as the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner. Not sure why Sonny Gray’s name kept popping up as a potential surprise winner given Cole had the more dominant season, but in the end, it was Cole as it should have been. 

Gerrit Cole (Photo/Text Credit: NY Post)

Cole becomes the sixth Yankees pitcher to win the award and the first Yankee since Roger Clemens in 2001. The other winners are Bob Turley (1958), Whitey “The Chairman of the Board” Ford (1961), Sparky Lyle (1977), and Ron “Gator” Guidry (1978).

Cole, 32, was 15-4 with a 2.63 ERA. In 209 innings pitched, he struck out 222 batters while walking only 48 batters. After giving up 33 home runs in 2022, Cole reduced the total to 20 homers this season. Admittedly, it is hard to get excited about individual awards in a team-oriented sport, but I am happy for Cole. He met fans’ expectations this season and proved Hal Steinbrenner was right in his decision to sign Cole. Hopefully, the next award Cole wins is a World Series trophy.    

He Said, She Said

There was too much drama with General Manager Brian Cashman and Giancarlo Stanton’s agent, Joel Wolfe this week.

Cashman recently said that injuries seem to be part of Stanton’s game. He is 100% correct, but the words triggered a response from Stanton’s agent.  In a released statement, Wolfe said: “I read the context of the entire interview. I think it’s a good reminder for all free agents considering signing in New York both foreign and domestic that to play for that team you’ve got to be made of Teflon, both mentally and physically because you can never let your guard down even in the offseason.” The words had implied ramifications since Wolfe also represents impending Japanese free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto. 

Wolfe has not retracted his statement, but Cashman subsequently stated that he and Wolfe have spoken to clear the air. Anyone who believes it will adversely affect the Yankees’ ability to sign Wolfe clients is mistaken. Wolfe needs Cashman as much as Cashman needs Wolfe. In the end, Wolfe clients will sign for the most money wherever that may be. 

I like Giancarlo Stanton, and I am impressed at how he has handled playing in baseball’s largest market after spending years in low-pressure Miami. Yet, if the Yankees could convince Stanton to waive his no-trade clause, I would be in favor of moving the player to another team. If he remains a Yankee, I am hopeful that new hitting coach James Rowson can help G rebound from his disastrous 2023 season. 

Is Juan Soto a Yankee yet?

As always, Go Yankees! 

MLB.com 2016 Top Amateur Prospects Watch

Jason Groome

The New York Yankees avoided signing a single Major League free agent this winter thus avoiding one of the strongest free agent markets in recent memory. While the Yankees still added to the team via trade the team did not sign any high-priced free agents and maybe more importantly they did not sacrifice a draft pick in doing so. With a few notable free agents left on the board that have rejected qualifying offers left on the board the Yankees may pick 18th or below in the 2016 draft. With this in mind I wanted to look at the Top 30 amateur free agents ready to hit the draft this July according to MLB.com. Click Here for the original post. 

1. LHP Jason Groome
2. LHP AJ Puk
3. RHP Alex Hansen
4. RHP Riley Pint
5. OF Corey Ray
6. OF Buddy Reed
7. OF Blake Rutherford
8. OF Kyle Lewis
9. OF Bryan Reynolds
10. SS Delvin Perez
11. RHP Connor Jones
12. RHP Jordan Sheffield
13. OF Mickey Moniak
14. 3B Nick Senzel
15. 3B Bobby Dalbec
16. OF Nick Banks
17. 3B/RHP Josh Lowe
18. OF William Benson
19. 3B Drew Mendoza
20. RHP Cal Quantrill (former Yankees draft pick)
21. LHP Matt Krook
22. RHP Kevin Gowdy
23. RHP Kyle Funkhouser (my pick for the team's 16th pick in 2015 instead of James Kaprielian)
24. RHP Daulton Jeffries
25. RHP Zack Brown
26. RHP Robert Tyler
27. RHP Logan Shore
28. RHP Ian Anderson
29. 3B Nolan Jones
30. RHP Ian Hamilton

ICYMI: Where Are They Now? Yankees Unsigned Draftees

by: Ben Embry, (guest contributor from The Bronx Empire)

The MLB Draft is just three weeks away and I'll have a couple articles as a preview, this being the first. I'll update my compilation rankings for one final time a day or two prior to the event.  Then following the draft I'll have an article reviewing the picks.

One interesting wrinkle of the draft is when players decide not to sign. Most of the time they're HS'ers who would rather go to college than straight to the pros.  I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at the past few drafts and check in with 9 kids that declined to sign with New York over the past 3 yrs.  Some of the kids turned out well, and some not so much...

Garrett Cave (2014 Draft -  17th Round - pick 512)
Cave took a big step forward in the Spring prior to the draft, pushing his velo from the high 80s touching 90 the yr before to low 90s touching 95.  Cave was very projectable with a lean 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame and  a loose arm and athleticism. He flashed average curveballs and changes.  He was rated the 151st best prospect on my comp board and 103 best prospect by Baseball America.

Cave has struggled this year for FIU, with a 5.26 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, and only 7.7 K/9 in 25 2/3 IP. He's started 4 games for the team this Spring. Hopefully he can sharpen his game and raise his profile over the summer in a summer league.

 

Will Toffey  (2014 Draft - 23rd Round - pick 692)
Toffey was from Salisbury Prep, the same post-grad school as Yankees 3rd rd pick Austin DeCarr.  In addition to baseball, he was one of the top hockey players in the northeast.  Will played SS as a 19 year old at Salisbury but profiled better as a third baseman with an above-average arm that that flashes plus. He projected to have an average hit tool with at least average power.  Being a Vanderbilt commit he was considered a tough sign.

Toffey played in the Futures League last summer where he was rated the number 1 prospect by Baseball America. He drew rave reviews from scouts for his hitting. He's been a standout hitter for the Commodores this Spring, hitting .305/.385/.426 with 3 HR in 190 AB. I expect Toffey to be high on draft boards when he becomes eligible again.

Mariano Rivera, Jr.  (2014 Draft -  29th Round - pick 872)
Anybody here remember this kid's Dad? I sort of recollect this unhittable righty out of the pen that dominated hitters with one pitch and broke a bunch of records and collected a whole bunch of World Series rings.  Apparently the greatest closer of all time has some pretty consistent genes because his son Mariano Jr is more than just a kid with a famous Dad; he can pitch. Junior appeared in 13 games last year, making 12 starts. He finished the season with a team leading 50 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched. His selection in the 29th rd last year was viewed as a favor to his Dad. He told the New York Post "In my mind I wanted to be a top 10-rounder,” Rivera III recalled. “I was set on coming back, no matter what. I wanted to prove to myself I can do this, I can do more. I wanted to see how far I could push myself and what I really could do with the talent and skills I have now."

Rivera has been Iona's ace this season; the hard-throwing righty has a 2.53 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 11.6 K/9 in 78 1/3 innings. Each start this spring has drawn between 10 and 15 major league scouts, cross-checkers and executives among them. He was recently ranked 95th on Keith Law's top 100.

Cal Quantrill (2013 Draft - 26th Round - pick 794)
The son of former All-Star pitcher Paul Quantrill, Cal had the kind of makeup and advanced understanding of the game expected of a Major Leaguer’s son. Like his father, Quantrill was a sinker baller and had a nice change-up. He also throws a curveball and a slider. Of his secondary pitches, his changeup is the best and has the potential to become a plus offering.  Cal received a lot of attention playing for the Canadian junior national team.  He was ranked 109th on my final comp two years ago and it was obvious when he lasted until the 26th round he would be practically impossible to sign due to his commitment to Stanford.

Cal played a big role on the Stanford squad his freshman year.  He started on opening day, making him the first Cardinal freshman pitcher to do so since Mike Mussina in 1988.  Though the season started rough with a 10-3 loss to Rice, he finished the season with 6 wins and a 2.65 ERA, holding his opponents to a .215 BA.

Cal played 3 games this year before elbow problems led to Tommy John surgery in March.  There had been buzz about Quantrill being a 1-1 candidate prior to the surgery; Kiley McDaniel recently ranked Quantrill the 12th best player in the 2016 draft.

Josh Pettitte (2013 Draft - 37th Round - pick 1124)
It may be unfair to Josh, but the first thing that has to be said about him is he the son of Yankee legend Andy Pettitte.  Josh deserves acclaim on his own merit, having thrown 2 no-hitters and broke the school ERA and strikeout records his senior year at Deer Park HS in Texas.  He was actually drafted on the day his father won his 250th game.  Andy recounted to reporters that Josh was in the clubhouse and told him he had been drafted by the team after the game.  Pretty cool.

Josh intended to keep his commitment to Baylor all along and was never a serious consideration for signing.  He never appeared in a game for the Bears his freshman season and underwent Tommy John surgery.  In April 2014 news broke that he would transfer from the school. Eventually he ended up at Rice. Josh has not fared well this season, as evidenced by his 6.16 ERA and 1.58 WHIP in 19 IP. His K/9 is nice though at 12.78.

Cody Thomas (2013 Draft - 30th Round - pick 914)
Cody was a 2 sport star at Colleyville Heritage HS near Dallas, TX, being highly recruited both as a QB in football and OF in baseball.  He threw for over 4,100 and 51 TDs for the football team as a senior at Colleyville then hit .482 with 15 HRs for the baseball team.  That's a pretty amazing year.  Rivals.com and ESPN both had Thomas rated a 4 star QB prospect.  Baseball America ranked him the 165 best baseball prospect headed into the draft.

Cody redshirted on the football team his first year on campus and had a pretty disappointing year on the diamond, having just 1 hit in 12 AB.  In his redshirt freshman season for the football team, he started 3 games. He is not presently on the baseball team roster.  It appears his baseball career, at least for now, is over.

Ty Moore (2012 Draft - 25th Round - pick 787)
Ty Moore was an OF from baseball (and sports in general, actually) powerhouse, Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California.  Ty was the 246th ranked prospect in the Baseball America Top 500.  He was a USA Today All-American and named California's State Player of the Year, which is impressive considering Lucas Giolito and Max Fried were also from Cali.  Ty was known going into the draft as a tough sign, explaining why he lasted until the 25th round and the 787th pick.  The OF was known for having a solid bat but lacking in speed.

He followed through on his UCLA commitment and appeared in 27 games for the Bruins his freshman, starting in 19.  Ty struggled at the plate, going 15 for 72, (.208 BA), with .292 OBP and .293 SLG, (.585 OPS).  The Bruins went 40-17 during the season and won the NCAA championship.

He followed that year up with a better year statistically but much less successful in the win column. Ty hit .294/.375/.417 with 2 HRs in 211 ABs.  The team won just 25 games and did not get a chance to defend their crown. His junior season has fared MUCH better with a .353/.428/.484 slash line with 4 HR in 190 ABs batting at the top of the lineup for the Bruins.  UCLA is currently ranked 2nd in the country by BA. I recently asked ESPN scout Eric Longenhagen whether he thought Ty was a top 5 rd talent and he said no.

DJ Stewart (2012 Draft - 28th Round - pick 877)
DJ Stewart was another high school OF taken in the late rounds by the Yankees.  Like Moore, DJ was known to have a strong commitment to go to school, with DJ committed to attend Florida State.  He was a 2 sport star, (baseball and football), at the Bolles High School in Jacksonville, Florida.  He had a stalky, solid frame standing at 6' and weighing in at 215 lbs, which sounded more like a fullback body than an OF body.  That being said, he was known to be a good athlete with a strong arm and a good power bat.

At Florida State, DJ started in 56 of the 60 games the Seminoles played his freshman year.  Florida State played extremely well, finishing the season in the top 10.  On top of hosting a regional, the team was the number 7 national seed.  DJ had a much stronger year than Moore statistically their first college season; he hit .356/.458/.543 with 4 home runs and 58 RBIs.  He was always on base!

DJ followed that up with a .351/.472/.557 slash line with 7 HR in 94 ABs his Sophomore year.  Florida State had an excellent year and was one of the favorites to win the national championship but the team was unable to make it out of the Regionals. So far this season DJ has hit .326/.520/.593 with 12 HRs in 172 AB. He's played in all but 1 game for the 9th ranked Seminoles.  

His below average defense makes him a LF profile.  His draft stock is reliant solely on his bat, which is good with above average hit and power tools.  He ranked 28th on my latest compilation rankings.

Vincent Jackson (2012 Draft - 23rd Round - pick 727)
Vincent Jackson is the third OF from the 2012 draft for us to look at, and going into that draft he was considered by Baseball America to be the best of the three.  BA ranked Vincent the number 174 prospect for the draft, which is a pretty strong ranking.  Vincent stood 6'4" and weighed 190 lbs going into the draft.  The Georgia OF had crazy athleticism with the possibility of sticking in CF, but long term probably RF, (his strong arm making him a RF instead of a LF).

Vincent performed ok for UT his freshman year; he hit .290/.317/.426 with 2 HRs and 15 RBIs in 155 AB and 43 games, (he started 38 games).  He was out on the SEC All-Freshman team that year.  He followed that up with a down year statistically, hitting .235/.311/.325 with 2 HR in 154 AB.

Jackson has appeared in 23 games for the Vols in 2015, hitting .321 with three doubles, one triple, seven RBIs and 12 runs scored. I asked Kiley McDaniel in February if Jackson was a top 2-3 rd talent and he said just south of that. He was listed as a "Big Tools, Questions about Performance" guy that could go no earlier than the 3rd on his latest rankings.

Well that'll do it for today. It'll be interesting to see if any of the 4 players listed above who are draft eligible, (Rivera, Moore, Stewart, Jackson), are selected by the Yankees again. It happened last year when they took Jordan Foley for the second time. Considering I've been following their college careers from the start I've grown fond of them all and would like to see them all end up as Yankees. I'd expect Stewart to be a late 1st or 2nd rd pick, Rivera to go in rounds 3-5, Jackson 4-7, and Moore 6-10. Remember I'll have one more compilation ranking just prior to the draft.  Until then, have a good day!

Five Yankees Draft Picks Announce They Wont Sign

Five of the players that the New York Yankees drafted in the 2013 MLB First Year Players Draft have announced that they will not be signing with the Yankees. Ryan Butler was the Yankees 16th round pick and has announced that he will be going to UNCC. 26th rounder and son of former Yankees player Paul Quantrill, Cal Quantrill, has announced that he will not be signing with the Yankees either. The Yankees 30th round pick Cody Thomas has also announced his intentions to not sign with the Yankees. Finally the Yankees 37th and 38th round picks Josh Pettitte and Andrew Schmidt have announced that they will not be signing with the Yankees either. No real surprises with Quantrill and Pettitte not signing and the teams usually do not get too tore up when players in the 15th round or beyond decided to go to college or not to sign. You look to lock up your first ten rounds or so and the Yankees have locked up every one of them but 1st round pick Aaron Judge and 7th round pick Nick Rumbelow. Hopefully the Yankees will get both of these guys signed pretty quick.

The rest of the guys that the Yankees have not signed or heard back from regarding signing or not includes 17th rounder Hever Bueno, 18th rounder Dustin Fowler, 20th rounder Drew Bridges,  25th rounder Jordan Floyd, 29th rounder Charlie White, 33rd rounder Shane McCarley, 35th rounder Nick Green, 36th rounder Nestor Cortes, and 40th rounder Kyle Buchanan.

Yankees Draft Trio Of Former Yanks Family

The Yankees, in my personal prospect hugging opinion, did quite well for themselves in this years MLB First Year Players Draft drafting legit first round talent and likely stealing a few key guys in the later rounds. The Yankees used those later rounds to draft a trio of former Yankees players family members.

In the third round the Yankees drafted Michael O'Neill, nephew of former player and YES broadcast announcer Paul O'Neill, with the 103rd overall pick. O'Neill seems almost certain to sign with the Yankees so water coolers beware because another O'Neill is on the way.

The Yankees used their 26th pick to draft Cal Quantrill, the son of former Yankees pitcher Paul Quantrill, with the 794th pick overall. Quantrill is committed to Stanford but the lure of pitching for the Yankees may bring the 6'2" right hander to New York.

With their 37th round pick the Yankees took Andy Pettitte's son Josh Pettitte. Josh has two no hitters already this season but is expected to go to college unfortunately to iron out his weaknesses. The right hander will more than likely go to Baylor and work on his velocity and his secondary pitches. Plus his dad wants him to go to college so it is more than likely going to happen.

Will any of these guys make it to the majors? Who knows, it is still enjoyable to see recognizable names in a draft littered with guys we have never heard of and probably never will again. I personally look forward to buying those cheap Yankees tickets and seeing these guys down in the minors if they sign.