Yankees Sign Daniel Aldrich

According to Mike Axisa on River Avenue Blues the Yankees have signed undrafted free agent Daniel Aldrich out of the College of Charleston. I will let you read Mike's scouting report, seen HERE, but he is definitely a very interesting sign. With those power numbers you can always find a spot in the minor leagues for him and hope for the best. Especially since we had 400K left over from our draft pool money which his $150 K contract, not confirmed... more assumed, will come out of. Thank you once again to Ty Hensley for signing that below slot deal!

Yankees Sign Jose Mesa

Again... so much for the draft spending stopping the big spending Yankees from getting who they want huh?

Jose Mesa said before the draft that if he did not get drafted in the top 10 rounds that he would not be signing with any team. Well the Yankees drafted him 24th overall and well outside the top 10 rounds. The draft pool signing cap for the rounds outside the top 10 is 100K unless you have money left over from the top 10 rounds, which the Yankees have 400K left. No word on what he signed for but he can sign for as much as 500K now after the Hensley sign. 

This may be the first of many guys that seemed not signable due to the new rules that the Yankees get. The Yankees always get their guy. 

Ty Hensley Signs With The Yankees

Looking Good Kid

The Yankees announced that they have reached an agreement with their first round pick Ty Hensley. Hensley signed for a below slot amount of $1.2 million a day ahead of tonight's deadline. Hensley signed lower then slot because of some "abnormalities" in his MRI in his throwing shoulder. We may want to keep an eye on that but he shows no symptoms of anything being wrong and he has no pain and the Yankees signed the deal so they must feel confident about it. That is enough for me. The Yankees have plenty of cash, around $650K last I checked, to sign players without surrendering a draft pick. So much for the draft spending stopping the Yankees from getting what they want.

Meet A Prospect : Yankees Draft Picks

Ty Hensley -

It's unlikely Oklahoma will see a bounty like it did in 2011, when local prepsters Dylan Bundy and Archie Bradley went in the top 10 of the Draft. It will be up to Hensley to represent the Sooner state and he should do just fine.Hensley has a fastball that's a tick above average, sitting 91-92 mph, and he can reach back for more, hitting 94 mph when he needs to. He has a hard curve with good downer rotation when he throws it right, though sometimes he drops his arm angle and it becomes a bit slurvy. His changeup is below-average right now, but he hasn't used it much and with more experience, it should be a usuable pitch in the future. He generally throws strikes and is very confident on the mound.Some of Hensley's issues stem from mechanics that can be cleaned up with time and experience. Strong and durable, Hensley may not have the ceiling of his Oklahoma predecessors, but he profiles as a very good starting pitcher at the next level.

Austin Aune - Amazingly he has already signed with the Yankees.


6'02" 185lbs DOB: 09/06/93
A two-sport star in high school, Aune has the ability to make it in either football or baseball. A potential five-tool player, Aune bats lefty and has potential plus power. He has good range at shortstop and a great arm, but some scouts think that a move to the outfield could be in his near future. Aune could potentially play center field at the next level, especially because of his great speed and arm. Although a bit raw, Aune's upside and great makeup should allow the toolsy outfielder to be picked in the early going of the Draft.


Peter O'Brien -


6'04" 225lbs DOB: 07/15/90 
This is a bit of a do-over for O'Brien, who entered the 2011 season as a strong catching prospect at Bethune-Cookman, but he decided not to sign after being drafted in the third round by the Rockies, instead transferring to Miami for his senior season. He's been more consistent with the Hurricanes, showing the kind of offensive ability most thought they'd see when 2011 began. He drives the ball to all fields and has above-average to plus raw power. He's not a bad runner for the position. His arm has always been a plus and he's shown some improvement behind the plate as well with decent hands and agility for someone his size. College catchers, especially with this kind of offensive potential, often do well on Draft day and it seems that O'Brien's decision to spend one more year in college may work to his advantage.


Corey Black -


Black has a good fastball that has good movement and can get into the upper 90s. Black also has relatively good secondary stuff and dominated the NAIA. A lot is still unknown about the righty from a small school in Alabama, but he could end up being a steal in the Draft.

Yankees Draft 2012

Congrats to Carlos Correa for being the first overall pick in the MLB First Year Player Draft! Welcome to the Houston Astros organization.

Congrats to Byron Buxton for being the second overall pick in the MLB First Year Player Draft! Welcome to the Minnesota Twins organization. 

Congrats to Mike Zunino for being the third overall pick in the MLB First Year Player Draft! Welcome to the Seattle Mariners organization. 

Congrats to Kevin Gausman for being the fourth overall pick in the MLB First Year Player Draft! Welcome to the Baltimore Orioles organization. 

Congrats to Kyle Zimmer for being the fifth overall pick in the MLB First Year Player Draft! Welcome to the Kansas City Royals organization.

The Yankees, with the 30th pick in the first round of the draft, select Ty Hensley. Welcome to the club Ty!

Yankees 2012 Draft Reminder

Reminder that the MLB First Year Player Draft will be televised tonight, starting at 6:00 pm ET, on MLB Network. 

CC Sabathia will be representing the Yankees on day 1. The Yankees have the 30th overall pick in the first round and have two draft picks in the second round (89th and 94th respectively). 

Yankees Draft History:

The last time the Yankees had the 30th pick they chose Andrew Brackman. The Yankees have twice had the first overall pick. They chose Ron Blomberg(1967) and Brien Taylor(1991) respectively. 

Yankees 2012 Draft : 10 Round Slot Values

Being Borrowed From River Avenue Blues

The amateur draft is a little more than three weeks away right now, and we know the new Collective Bargaining Agreement has imposed strict spending restrictions that figure to change the way clubs operate. The Yankees have been allotted $4,192,200 for their eleven picks in the top ten rounds, including $1.6M for their first rounder (#30 overall). Any money in excess of $100k given to a player drafted after the tenth round counts against the draft pool as well.

The penalties for exceeding the draft pool are pretty harsh, including a tax on the overage and forfeiture of future picks. They really don’t want teams spending on amateurs, it seems. Baseball America recently published a list of slot values for the top ten rounds of the draft, which breaks down like so for the Yankees…

Round	Pick	Slot
1	30	$1,600,000
2	89	$548,400	for 2011 unsigned 2nd rounder, LHP Sam Stafford
2	94	$507,800
3	124	$378,000
4	157	$275,000
5	187	$205,900
6	217	$154,400
7	247	$141,000
8	277	$131,700
9	307	$125,000
10	337	$125,000

If a team does not sign a player, they can not use that pick’s money elsewhere. So the Yankees won’t be able to just not sign say, their fifth rounder and use that $205,900 on other players. They can game the system a little but, most notably by selecting some low-cost college seniors — they usually sign for bonuses in the $1k-$20k range — and using the savings elsewhere. If they take college seniors with their ninth and tenth rounders and pay them $25k each, they’ll have an extra $200k to spend on other players. The Yankees can also exceed their draft pool by $209,610 (5%) before the penalties kid in.

The slot values themselves are not low at all, in fact they’re actually larger than recent years (at least for the first few rounds). The problem is the restrictions and penalties; the inability to exceed slot for one player without having to skimp elsewhere. It stinks, but that’s the system they decided to put in place.

Yankees 2012 Draft : Stryker Trahan

Being Borrowed From River Avenue Blues 

The 2012 amateur draft is less than two weeks away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Stryker Trahan | C

Background
Named after a character in a Burt Reynolds movie, Trahan stars in both baseball and football for Acadiana High School in Lafayette, Louisiana. He is committed to Ole Miss.

Scouting Report
One of those “country strong” types at 6-foot-1 and 220 lbs., Trahan produces a ton of hard contact from the left side and the ball makes a different sound off his bat. He projects to hit for big power down the road but there is some concern about his propensity to swing and miss at the amateur level. His hands and arm work well behind the plate but he needs to work on his overall receiving and footwork. Trahan is athletic for his size and runs way better than the typical catcher, so he’ll be able to shift to right field if the catching thing doesn’t take. There is star potential behind the plate, however.

Miscellany
Trahan is a back-half of the first round talent and recent rankings by Keith Law (24th), Baseball America (27th), and MLB.com (28th) reflect that. They put him right in the mix for New York with their first round pick (#30 overall) and for what it’s worth, Baseball Americahad the Yankees selecting Trahan in their latest mock draft. The Yankees prioritize catching depth in the minors, specifically catchers who can hit, and Trahan is one of the two or three best offensive catchers this draft class has to offer.

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Yankees 2012 Draft : Walker Weickel

Being Borrowed from River Avenue Blues

The 2012 amateur draft starts tomorrow, so I’m going to highlight some last-minute prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Walker Weickel | RHP

Background
Weickel has starred for Team USA throughout his high school career and has been on the draft radar for years. He attends Olympia High School outside of Orlando and is committed to Miami.

Scouting Report
Listed at 6-foot-6 and 195 lbs., Weickel went through a growth spurt last year and is still figuring out how to pitch with his new frame. He usually throws his fastball in the low-90s with a power curveball in the upper-70s, but this spring he’s been more upper-80s with the heat and low-70s with the curve. He also throws a changeup. Weickel has struggled with his delivery this spring and it’s led to his declining stuff. His frame oozes projection and there’s a lot to dream on here.

Miscellany
Keith Law (#29), MLB.com (#31), and Baseball America (#37) all have Weickel in the mix for the end of the first round, which is where the Yankees pick (#30 overall). For what it’s worth, Baseball America says he’s on the team’s radar in their latest mock draft. I would prefer to see the Yankees take a player who isn’t as much of a project early on, but Weickel offers a lot of upside and would be a fine first round selection. Talent is talent, and he has a lot of it.

Yankees Draft 2012 : Addison Russell

Being Borrowed From River Avenue Blues

The 2012 amateur draft is just about three weeks away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Addison Russell | SS

Background
A shortstop at Pace High School in Pace, Florida — on the panhandle near the Alabama border — Russell has battled weight issues in the past but dropped at least 20 lbs. over the winter and muscled up considerably. He is a committed to Alabama and is advised by Scott Boras.

Scouting Report
Listed at 6-foot-0 and 215 lbs., Russell is a bat-first prospect with big raw power to the pull side and the ability to drive the ball to all fields. His approach is fine but still needs some refinement, though he has shown the ability to handle velocity and quality breaking balls in showcase events. He’s a man of a thousand stances, tinkering with his setup constantly. That will have to change at some point. Russell’s defensive skills are surprisingly strong for a kid his size, as he sports smooth hands, a strong and accurate arm, and a quick first step. The long-term concern is that he’ll outgrow shortstop and slide over to third, though the bat works fine there and he should be an above-average defender.

Miscellany
Keith Law has the Yankees selecting Russell with their first round pick in his latest mock draft, and I figured that was as good a place to start our individual profiles as any. Baseball America recently ranked him as the 28th best prospect in the draft, which is right in line with the team’s first selection (#30 overall). Scouting director Damon Oppenheimer loves his bat-first high school position players and Russell certainly qualifies. His potential as a hitter is a bit more obvious than Dante Bichette Jr.’s, who had to clean up his swing after the draft in order to take off as a prospect. I can only assume Boras will want the full $1.6M first round slot money and then some.

Yankees 2012 Draft : Mason Melotakis

Being Borrowed From River Avenue Blues

The 2012 amateur draft is just about two weeks away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Mason Melotakis | LHP

Background
A Texas kid who wound up playing for Northwestern State in Louisiana, Melotakis has settled in as the Blue Demons’ relief ace over the last three years. His prospect stock really took off when he shined with the Bourn Braves of the Cape Cod League last summer, striking out 22 and walking just two in 18.2 IP across 14 appearances.

Scouting Report
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 205 lbs., Melotakis went undrafted out of high school because he was undersized and could barely crack 90 mph. He’s since gone through a growth spurt and has developed into a legitimate power arm from the left side, sitting 94-96 mph in relief. His power slider is a true put-way pitch. Melotakis doesn’t have a third offering and there is some effort in his delivery, which is why he’s shown the propensity to wear down after a few innings when working as a starter. He’s a true relief prospect with two strong pitches, exactly the kind of guy who could zoom up the ladder and contribute to the big league team sooner rather than later.

Miscellany
Keith Law and Baseball America recently ranked Melotakis as the 63rd and 88th best prospect in the draft, respectively. The Yankees have a pair of second round picks (#89 and #94 overall) and he’d fit best there, not as their first rounder (#30 overall). I’ve never been a fan of drafting relievers in the first round, feels like a waste. Anyway, the Yankees have done a splendid job of turning late-round picks into a valuable relief arms under Damon Oppenheimer, so drafting one relatively high seems to go against the grain. In fact, they’ve only drafted three pure relievers in the top five rounds since Oppenheimer took over in 2005: J.B. Cox in 2005, Scott Bittle in 2008, and Tommy Kahnle in 2010. Melotakis would be an atypical pick for New York but not a bad one after the first round.

Yankees 2012 Draft : Daniel Robertson

Being Borrowed From River Avenue Blues

The 2012 amateur draft is less than two weeks away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Daniel Robertson | SS/3B

Background
A California kid from the Los Angeles suburbs, Robertson (no relation to David as far as I know) stars at Upland High School and is committed to UCLA. He was also heavily recruited by Georgia and Arizona, so some of the biggest baseball programs in the country had their eye on him.

Scouting Report
Robertson is listed at 6-foot-0 and 190 lbs. and although the consensus is that he won’t have the mobility to remain at shortstop, he has all the tools to develop into a standout defender at the hot corner thanks to his arm, instincts, and soft hands. He’s projected to be a high-average hitter from the right side thanks to his quick bat and innate ability to get the barrel on the ball. Most of his power is into the gaps but Robertson has hinted at future power potential, so there’s a chance he’ll turn into a complete all-around hitter. He’s earned the “gamer” tag for his all-out style of play and has drawn raves for his advanced approach, baseball acumen, and polish.

Miscellany
Both Baseball America (35th overall) and Keith Law (38th) recently ranked Robertson and a fringe first round talent while MLB.com has him a little further down the list at #58 overall. Chances are someone will like him enough to grab him before the Yankees’ two second round picks (#89 and #94 overall) come around, so they’d have to grab Robertson in the first round (#30 overall) if they want him. The Yankees have had no trouble bucking the consensus and reaching for players the last few years, and Robertson fits their mold as a polished high school player with strong makeup and two-way skills.

Yankees Draft 2012: Duane Underwood

Being Borrowed From River Avenue Blues

The 2012 amateur draft is exactly two weeks away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Duane Underwood | RHP

Background
Hailing from Marietta, Georgia and Pope High School, Underwood is committed to the University of Georgia and would get a chance to contribute both as a pitcher and position player for the Bulldogs. He’s been dogged by inconsistency this spring, putting his draft stock in a state of flux.

Scouting Report
Standing 6-foot-3 and 210 lbs., Underwood has shown first round potential with a big fastball that has touched 97-98 but usually sits 92-94. His mid-70s curveball is a work in progress but he’s shown a feel for making the ball spin, so it’s just a matter of refinement. A fading low-80s changeup is his best secondary offering and is quite advanced for a high school arm. Underwood’s command can come and go because he throws across his body a bit and tends to rush his delivery, but the athleticism is there for him for repeat his motion. He’s drawn praise for his competitiveness and baseball aptitude as well, which is always a plus. It’s worth noting that Underwood will graduate at 17 and is young for his draft class.

Miscellany
As expected with the inconsistent spring, the consensus is very split on Underwood.MLB.com ranks him as the 34th best prospect in the draft, Keith Law ranks him 52nd, andBaseball America ranks him 104th. Depending on when you see him, you could see a first round arm for a third or fourth round type. Talent is talent though, and Underwood clearly has plenty of it. I like him best for either of New York’s two second rounders (#89 and #94 overall) but he might not last that long. The Yankees have drafted just two high school pitchers in the first (not sandwich) round in the last 20 years — Phil Hughes and Gerrit Cole — and they were instances of players who were expected to go top 15 but fell into their laps. Not guys who were inconsistent and fringe first rounders. Underwood does offer the size, power stuff, and makeup the Yankees like though, so they could buck the trend.

Yankees 2012 Draft : Clint Coulter

Being Borrowed From River Avenue Blues

The 2012 amateur draft is less than two weeks away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Clint Coulter | C

Background
A former state wrestling champion, Coulter hails from Union High School in Camas, Washington, which is right on the Oregon border and practically a suburb of Portland. His coach is former big leaguer Tom Lampkin, who spent parts of 13 seasons in the show and started over 400 games behind the plate. Coulter is committed to Arizona State.

Scouting Report
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 lbs. with a wrestler’s build, Coulter has some of the best power in the high school crop this summer. He hammers mistakes and has shown the ability to adjust to offspeed stuff and drive the ball to all fields from the right side. Although he has the arm and athleticism to catch, Coulter has a long way to go with his receiving and footwork before becoming a solid defensive backstop. He runs like a catcher but is a heady baserunner with strong instincts. Coulter is very coachable and an intense competitor who plays really hard, earning high grades for his intangibles.

Miscellany
Keith Law (35th), Baseball America (48th), and MLB.com (48th) all consider Coulter a fringy first round/firm supplemental round talent based on their most recent rankings. The Yankees pick 30th overall in the first round but do not have a sandwich round pick, so Coulter is one of those ‘tweener types who might not be worth a first rounder but won’t last into the second round. As I wrote two days ago, the Yankees prioritize offensive catchers in the minors and Coulter fits the mold to a tee.

Yankees Draft 2012: Mitch Gueller

Being Borrowed From River Avenue Blues

The 2012 amateur draft is exactly one week away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Mitch Gueller | OF/RHP

Background
Raised just outside of Olympia in Chehalis, Washington, Gueller is a two-way star at West High School. He’s committed to Washington State.

Scouting Report
At 6-foot-3 and 205 lbs., Gueller is the best athlete from the Northwest in the draft class. He’s a legitimate prospect both on the mound and as an outfielder, and the Cougars will allow him to do both if he makes it to school. On the mound, Gueller runs his fastball up to 94 with an advanced changeup and a slurvy breaking ball that is likely to settle in as a slider. As an outfielder, he offers a well-rounded game and all five tools. Gueller has the speed to steal bases and enough raw power from the right side to hit the ball out of the park, plus his arm is obviously strong. He is considered more advanced as a pitcher.

Miscellany
Gueller has quite a bit of helium at the moment. Keith Law ranked him as the 39th best prospect in the draft (as an outfielder) while Baseball America ranked him 107th (as a pitcher), and it’s definitely worth noting that the Yankees have been connected to him with their first rounder (#30 overall) by both Law and BA recently. New York selected a similar two-way prospect in Jake Cave last season, but Gueller has more athleticism and louder tools. Gueller could be surprise pick in the back-half of the first round.

Yankees Draft 2012 : Nick Wittgren

Being Borrowed From River Avenue Blues

The 2012 amateur draft is less than one week away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Nick Wittgren | RHP

Background
Wittgren was raised in Lafayette, Indiana and attended Parkland Community College (Illinois) for one year before transferring to Purdue. He was a shortstop in high school and didn’t begin pitching full-time until arriving at Parkland.

Scouting Report
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 205 lbs., Wittgren is a career reliever and owns an 88/19 K/BB with 21 saves in 84 innings for the Boilermakers over the last two springs. Although his fastball only sits at 89-91 and touches 93 on most days, the pitch plays up and generates swings and misses because of the deception in his delivery. His power curveball in the upper-70s/low-80s gives Wittgren a legitimate put-away offering. He throws both pitches for strikes despite his relative inexperience.

Miscellany
Considered a 7th-10th round type of talent, Wittgren starred on the Cape Cod League last summer is exactly the type of prospect the Yankees usually target in the later rounds — a strike-throwing reliever with two good pitches and a track record of success. Slot money for the post-fifth round is under $160k and that won’t net you any future stars, but it’s a solid investment for a potentially quick-moving bullpen arm. The expected return on a pick that late is basically zero anyway.

Yankees Draft 2012 : Ty Moore

Being Borrowed From River Avenue Blues

The 2012 amateur draft is less than one week away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

(Luis Sinco/The LA Times)

Ty Moore | OF

Background
A Southern California kid from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Moore stole the show at the National High School Invitational in North Carolina this spring. He has a strong commitment to UCLA.

Scouting Report
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 lbs., Moore isn’t a bat-first prospect. He’s a bat-only prospect. Despite an unorthodox setup and swing — he waggles the bat and uses an extreme toe-tap — Moore consistently squares the ball up from the left side and his best tool is his above average power. He’s relegated to left field because he’s not fleet of foot and doesn’t control the arm strength that allows him to pitch in the low-80s. Moore draws rave reviews for his makeup and all-out style of play, and he’s developed a reputation for being a big game player thanks in part to his excellent showings against top competition in showcase events.

Up Next
Even though he can hit, Moore is expected to be drafted somewhere in the 6th-8th round because he doesn’t provide any defensive value. The unorthodox hitting mechanics are another negative, at least in the sense that “it looks different and therefore must be bad.” You want late round picks to be able to do at least one thing well and he does just take with the bat. With slot money after the fifth round in the sub-$200k range, there’s a strong likelihood that Moore will end up in school next spring. If the Yankees decide to save some draft pool money by taking a few college seniors in the 9th or 10th round, someone like Moore would be an excellent place to reallocate the funds.