Meet the 2019 Yankees: James Paxton

The New York Yankees had one mission this offseason, to improve their starting rotation, and they did just that on November 19, 2018 when the team acquired left-handed starter James Paxton from the Seattle Mariners. The Yankees sent LHP prospect Justus Sheffield back to Seattle along with right-hander Erik Swanson and outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams. While Paxton doesn’t come without at least some concerns, most notably his ability to stay on the field, if healthy he gives the Yankees one of the best rotations not only in the American League, but in all of baseball. Let’s meet likely the Yankees #2 starter this season, Mr. James Paxton.

James Paxton, 30-years old, is 6’4” tall and 235 lbs. and has earned the nickname “Big Maple” for his birthplace and his intimidating presence on the mound. Paxton, a left-handed starting pitcher, will enter the field inside Yankee Stadium with a 96 MPH four-seam fastball, an 82 MPH knuckle curve, a 90 MPH cutter and a 96 MPH sinker strapped to his left side. Paxton also rarely throws a changeup that touches around 87 MPH. Paxton generates a lot of swings and misses with his fastball, but on the flip side he also has stats trending in the wrong direction as far as fly balls go with his heater. Fly balls inside Yankee Stadium is never a good thing, ever. Paxton’s curve ball generates a 12-6 movement while his cutter has a natural sinking motion to it when he throw it. Paxton generates a lot of swings and misses as well as ground balls with his sinker while his changeup is an extreme flyball pitch compared to others changeup’s around the league. Paxton only threw 10 changeup’s all season long in 2018, thank goodness for the Yankees.

James Alston Paxton was born on November 6, 1988 in Ladner, Canada. Eh. Paxton attended Delta Secondary School in Ladner, British Columbia before playing for the North Delta Blue Jays of the British Columbia Premier Baseball League (PBL) and for Team Canada at the Junior National level. After graduating High School, Paxton attended the University of Kentucky and played baseball for the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team. Paxton began his collegiate career as a reliever, but quickly worked his way into the Wildcats starting rotation as a sophomore. Paxton was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2009 MLB First Year Players Draft in the first round, 37^th overall, but opted to return to school for his senior season. After returning to school the NCAA ruled him ineligible for his senior season, stemming from his contact with agent Scott Boras. This led Paxton to pitch with the Grand Prairie AirHogs of the Independent American Association in 2010, passing the time until the Seattle Mariners drafted him in the fourth round of the 2010 Draft. Paxton signed immediately and began his professional career in Single-A with the Clinton LumberKings.

By the 2013 season Paxton was already in Triple-A and by September of that year he was called up to the major leagues. Paxton began the 2014 season in the Mariners rotation, but injuries cut his 2014 season to just 13 starts. The injury bug would hit Paxton once again in 2015 as he was limited to just 13 starts for a second consecutive season. Paxton began the 2016 season back in Triple-A before an injury to Felix Hernandez brought the big lefty back to the majors and back to the Mariners starting rotation. Paxton began the 2017 back in the Mariners rotation, but once again Big Maple saw his season cut short due to a pair of arm-related injuries.

Paxton hoped to finally put it all together in 2018, and that he finally did for the Mariners. Paxton threw a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 8, 2018 throwing just 99 pitches in a 5-0 victory. Paxton finished a healthy and productive 2018 season with an 11-6 record and a 3.76 ERA. In the winter before the 2019 season the New York Yankees acquired Paxton from the Mariners for three minor league pitchers, thus beginning his tenure in the Yankees pinstripes. Welcome to the team, welcome to the organization, and most importantly… welcome to the family!!

My Thoughts on the James Paxton Acquisition

In case you have been living under a rock for the past 24 hours, the New York Yankees acquired left-handed starter James Paxton from the Seattle Mariners for LHP prospect Justus Sheffield, RHP Erik Swanson and outfield prospect Dom Thompson-Williams. Here are my thoughts on the trade, for what they are worth.

My initial thought process was one of a bit of confusion. I didn’t immediately love the trade, but at the same time I didn’t exactly hate the trade either. I am a prospect humper, deal with it, but at the same time I understand that nine times out of a ten that a trade is supposed to hurt. As a prospect humper, this trade hurt… and that makes me optimistic for the future.

Is Paxton the ace that the Yankees “need” this offseason? Probably not, not as it stands today anyway, but the fact of the matter is… he could be. Health concerns aside, which you have with any pitcher, Paxton is entering his prime as a starting pitcher. Sometimes it takes pitchers a little longer to figure it out, health wise, than others. AJ Burnett is a great example of this. While his statistics in New York were not anything to write home about, he had seemingly turned the corner into his 30’s and learned how to build up his body to pitch an entire 162-game schedule. There’s no reason that Paxton cannot do the same.

Losing Sheffield sucks but I do understand that some scouts have been down on him lately. He has a small frame, which scares most talent evaluators, and his control has been suspect at times. I would have loved to have seen Justus figure it out in the Bronx, but I understand that he needed to be included in the deal to get it done. If the Yankees didn’t include Justus then we would be reading about Paxton wearing a Houston Astros uniform right now, and after the Justin Verlander and Gerritt Cole debacles that was just not an option. Losing Swanson also sucks, but he needed to be protected on the 40-man roster before the Rule 5 Draft and I honestly felt like there were too many arms ahead of him on the depth chart to warrant his protection. Lose him in a Paxton trade, or lose him for nothing next month. I’ll go with the former. Thompson-Williams, no offense, is a throw-in in the deal in my opinion.

The trade for Paxton hurt, but it made the Yankees starting rotation a whole lot better. Paxton, at worst, can slide into the middle of the Yankees rotation alongside Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka. At best, the Yankees got an ace for the price of a #2 starter. Adding Patrick Corbin to this rotation would only make the starting five that much better, and that idea excites me. As a prospect humper the deal has me worried, but as a Yankees fan this deal has me excited for the 2019 season. Go Yankees!

Yankees Acquire James Paxton...

Photo by Christian Petersen

Top Prospect Justus Sheffield joins the ranks of “former” Yankees…

The news broke suddenly yesterday afternoon. After a fairly quiet November (up to that point, the only significant MLB trade had been Seattle’s catcher Mike Zunino to the Tampa Bay Rays as the start of Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto’s “re-imagining” of his roster), reports came hard and fast like a James Paxton four-seam fastball that the Yankees had acquired the talented lefty from Seattle.  

My initial reaction was ‘it’s a start, but we need more’. I didn’t expect the Yankees to lose Miguel Andujar in a trade for the much talked about trade speculation involving the 6’4” Big Maple and fortunately he was not involved. For a frontline ace like Corey Kluber, you’d part with the young third baseman but not for Paxton. 

Photo by Al Bello, Getty Images

When it was announced the Yankees had sent top prospect Justus Sheffield, breakout minor league starter Erik Swanson, and rising minor league outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams to Seattle for Paxton, Yankee fans were immediately trying to find flaws in the prospects sent to the Northwest. I am not going to join the crowd and trash Sheffield. The fact remains he is only 22 and still has an excellent chance to be a difference-maker. For a team that is prepared to win in 2019, this is a trade that makes sense. Paxton makes the Yankees better when they step back on the grounds of Yankee Stadium next year. Sheffield is probably a few seasons away from reaching his potential. This is totally a ‘win now’ move.  

The Yankees also needed to make room on the 40-man roster for Swanson or he would have been eligible for next month’s Rule 5 Draft so this saves a spot for someone else.  

So where do we go from here? I really hope the Yankees continue their pursuit of free agent lefty Patrick Corbin. He was and continues to be my top choice. I’d love to have Corey Kluber but I don’t really expect the Cleveland Indians to trade their ace without asking for a King’s ransom. Admittedly, I will be disappointed if the Yankees sign J.A. Happ to fill the last spot in the rotation. Happ was great during his short time as a Yankee last year, but as a long-term piece, let’s say I would be a little underwhelmed. I would have been fine with Happ to go with Corbin, but not paired with Paxton who carries injury risk. I know, all pitchers carry injury risk. It’s the nature of the beast, but Paxton has consistently missed time over the last few years.  

If the Yankees are successful in signing Corbin, the newcomers, along with Masahiro Tanaka, will certainly ease some pressure off Luis Severino to be “the man”.  I suppose it’s not out of the question for the Yankees to sign both Corbin and Happ. Last year proved, once again, you can never have too many starters.  Personally, I preferred signing Happ over long-time Yank CC Sabathia for the back end of the rotation. But regardless, you know that one or more starters in the rotation will miss time for various ailments and the Yankees need to be prepared. I really hope we’re not facing more rollouts of Luis Cessa to fill those spots. Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisiga and Chance Adams will have every opportunity to help, I am sure, but I hope we’re not leaning on those guys in multiple spots like we were at times last season.  

Seattle fans seem to be taking the trade in stride. I think they realized that their team was mired in mediocrity in a division with some very strong teams. They have a few players with bloated contracts like Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez, and Kyle Seager. I have always loved Cano but the back half of his huge contract is not going to be pretty for the 36-year old. I am glad the Yankees were able to acquire Paxton without having to take on any of unmovable contracts. The M’s can use the young pieces received in the Zunino and Paxton trades to position themselves for 2021 or so. I read one Seattle columnist who said Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto basically had the choice of getting punched in the mouth or hit by a truck. He chose the former.  

I fully expect Domingo German to give up #65 for Paxton. It’s not exactly like German is married to the number. I believe Jonathan Holder was wearing the number at the start of last season until he opted for a lower number in the 50’s.  The number still reminds me of Phil Hughes but no doubt, in time, Paxton can make it his own.

There may be minor moves made today as teams finalize their 40-man rosters for Rule 5 eligibility next month. I doubt we’ll see anything as major as the Paxton trade, but there’s always a chance for the inevitable Sonny Gray trade now that his spot in the rotation has been filled. Otherwise, I expect the remainder of the week to be fairly quiet with no significant moves until we get past the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.  

Paxton is the first step toward the enhancement of the 2019 Yankees (if you don’t count the re-signings of Brett Gardner and CC Sabathia). Multiple moves remain necessary before this team is ready to take down the Boston Red Sox. Another starter, at least two more for the bullpen, and an interim solution at shortstop. Yet, my excitement for February is building. It only gets better from here.  

As always, Go Yankees!

Hypothetical: Scranton RailRiders vs. New York Mets – Who Wins?

Hypothetical, but serious question. If the New York Mets were to play the Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders in a seven-game series who do you think would win the series? Let’s analyze and discuss.

RailRiders 25-Man Roster:

C: Kyle Higashioka

1B: Tyler Austin

2B: Tyler Wade

SS: Thairo Estrada

3B: Brandon Drury

LF: Billy McKinney

CF: Shane Robinson

RF: Clint Frazier

DH: Mike Ford

BN: Wilkin Castillo

BN: L.J. Mazilli

BN: Ronald Torreyes

BN: Mark Payton

SP: Justus Sheffield

SP: Chance Adams

SP: Erik Swanson

SP: Josh Rogers

SP: Brady Lail

CL: Cody Carroll

RP: David Hale

RP: Tommy Kahnle
RP: J.P. Feyereisen
RP: Giovanny Gallegos

RP: Nestor Cortes

RP: Daniel Camarena  Oliver Perez

BOLDED players are currently on the Yankees 40-man roster

Mets 25-Man Roster:

C: Devin Mesoraco

1B: Wilmer Flores

2B: Asdrubal Cabrera

SS: Amed Rosario

3B: Todd Frazier

LF: Yoenis Cespedes

CF: Michael Conforto

RF: Jay Bruce

DH: Dominic Smith

BN: Brandon Nimmo

BN: Jose Reyes

BN: Kevin Plawecki

BN: Jose Bautista

SP: Jacob deGrom

SP: Noah Syndergaard

SP: Steven Matz

SP: Jason Vargas

SP: Zack Wheeler

CL: Jeurys Familia

RP: Jerry Blevins

RP: Anthony Swarzak
RP: Robert Gsellman
RP: Chris Beck

RP: Tim Peterson

RP: Drew Smith

Game 1

Jacob deGrom vs. Justus Sheffield

If the RailRiders were going to steal a game in this series I truly think it would be in Game One behind Justus Sheffield. The Mets would undoubtedly come into the series confident and would possibly overlook the Yankees Triple-A affiliate, so just because I am going to give Scranton the victory and the early 1-0 series victory.

Scranton leads series 1-0

Game 2

Noah Syndergaard vs. Chance Adams

Chance Adams has struggled throughout much of his Triple-A career with his command and control and that will be the key reason why Scranton will fall in Game Two. Syndergaard is a tough pitcher to give a lead to, but that is exactly what Chance would do presumably under the bright lights and in front of all the eyes watching on this big stage.

Series even 1-1

Game 3

Steven Matz vs. Erik Swanson

Erik Swanson has taken many by surprise this season with his great pitching. Swanson has seemingly come out of nowhere this season and has broken out leading the RailRiders to victory after victory, a trend that will continue tonight in Game Three. Swanson was dominant and Matz made that one mistake to Clint Frazier that cost the team the victory in the middle innings.

Scranton leads the series 2-1

Game 4

Jason Vargas vs. Josh Rogers

To be completely honest I had to Google who the Mets 4^th starter was, that’s how unimpressed with that other team from New York I am. Rogers has pitched well in Triple-A, but many wonder if his stuff will translate well into the Majors as a starter. Vargas did just enough to win behind a strong night from Jay Bruce and Yoenis Cespedes to even the series.

Series tied 2-2

Game 5

Jacob deGrom vs. Justus Sheffield

Sheffield cannot beat deGrom twice in a row, can he? Unfortunately, I have to say no. The RailRiders may have caught deGrom and the Mets by surprise in the first start, but I cannot see lightning striking twice. deGrom comes out with a victory and a bit of retribution.

Mets lead series 3-2

Game 6

Noah Syndergaard vs. Chance Adams

Chance Adams had a much better game in Game Six while Syndergaard matched him zero for zero late into the contest. Partly because we haven’t mentioned him yet, and partly because I want to see a seventh game in this hypothetical series, Brandon Drury comes up with the big home run late to send the series to a deciding and final game. RailRiders win.

Series tied 3-3

Game 7

Steven Matz vs. Erik Swanson

You didn’t really think I was going to let the New York Mets win, did you? Hell no. 13 runs later and another dominating performance by Erik Swanson later and the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders have just beaten the New York Mets in a seven-game series. How embarrassing.

Rosters are all assuming health and is all hypothetical. This post was written in fun, take it that way and enjoy.

Sonny Gray, We Found You!...

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Ed Zurga)

Yanks win eighth consecutive Series...

Backed by uncharacteristic run support (at least for him), Sonny Gray finally pitched on Sunday like the guy who was an ace in Oakland. We've seen few glimpses of that guy since he became a Yankee last July. I know, it was against one of the worst teams in the American League but it was a great Sonny Gray start. For a game anyway, this warrants a 'Sonny Gray DOES NOT suck' from me.  

As you know, I am quick to criticize Gray so I owe it to him to recognize a wonderful performance. Gray (3-3) pitched eight innings, holding the Kansas City Royals to four hits and a single run. He didn't allow the run until the eighth inning when he was starting to tire. He walked a batter and struck out five in the 10-1 victory. The four homers, including two by Tyler Austin, were fantastic but there was no doubt Gray was the star of this game.

A.J. Cole, in a rare appearance, pitched a clean ninth inning. Sure, he had a big lead but ask the Miami Marlins about holding a big lead in the ninth inning. They had a 9-4 advantage Sunday against the Atlanta Braves (a team many are starting to liken to the 2017 Yankees) and had Brad Ziegler on the mound to close it out. Six runs later, the Braves walked off the field a winner. So, I try to never underestimate a mop up role like the one Cole faced. 

Now for the home runs. Tyler Austin is making a very convincing case to stay with the Major League club despite the impending return of Greg Bird. I've felt all along Austin is the most susceptible for a demotion to Triple A to make room for Bird. Even with his two home runs on Sunday, I still think he'll be the odd man out since he has options remaining. The Yankees aren't getting rid of Ronald Torreyes and I don't see them cutting bait with Neil Walker. Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media speculated this morning that the Yankees will DFA Walker and trade him for a minor leaguer to use the remaining balance of his $4 million contract at the trading deadline (in addition to the space they already have) to open a spot for Bird. I suppose he may be right but I have liked the versatility Walker brings and he has hit better of late. But I have to admit that a tandem of Bird-Austin at first base is a bit scary (in a good way).    

Photo Credit: The Kansas City Star (John Sleezer)

Miguel Andujar and Austin Romine tacked on solo homers in the ninth which did more to help their personal statistics than the team's result.  

Yankees Twitter was aghast before the game when the lineup was posted. Many had expected to see Gary Sanchez at DH, Didi Gregorius at short, and Clint Frazier in left. Instead, Giancarlo Stanton was the DH, Brett Gardner in left, and Ronald Torreyes was the shortstop for the second day in a row. I understood the move with Sir Didi who is mired in a 1-for-45 slump. Nothing against the great Brett Gardner, but I would have preferred to see Red Thunder in left. But at the end of the day, it didn't matter. The Yankees cranked out fourteen hits with Aaron Boone's unpopular lineup to power the offense.  

Nice job by Austin Romine. During the off-season, so many Yankees fans (maybe even me) wanted the Yankees to sign Alex Avila to replace Romine as the backup catcher. Yesterday, Romine had perhaps his greatest game as a Yankee. He was 3-for-5 with two RBI's. He had a run-scoring single in the fourth inning in addition to the ninth inning dinger. It's worth noting that Romine is batting .326 in 48 plate appearances with the homer and nine RBI's, while Avila is only batting .132 with two homers and four RBI's in nearly twice as many plate appearances and has opened the door for more playing time for former Yankee John Ryan Murphy with the Snakes.   

It was great to see the Yankees dominate two consecutive games against the lowly Royals after Friday night's disappointing loss. It had been a very tough week for the Yankees with the rainouts in Washington, D.C. It was not surprising they played sluggishly in their only loss in the Royals series, but I was glad to see that it lasted only one game before they were back in expected form.  

The lone disappointment yesterday was the option of outfielder Clint Frazier to Triple A after the game. I know, it was inevitable. It was a numbers game and Frazier is better served by playing every day for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He'll head to Pennsylvania and await the next call to Yankee Stadium. It's not what you want (to borrow Joe Girardi's line), but Frazier is only an injury away from returning. 

The Yankees now head to Dallas/Fort Worth to face the Texas Rangers. The Rangers have under-performed this year (18-30) but they are generally a handful for the Yankees. The first two games of the series feature Yankees Past and what could be Yankees Future. Today, the Yankees will face a former Yankee in the ancient Bartolo Colon while Tuesday features 2009 World Series foe Cole Hamels, whose name has been mentioned as a possible trading deadline candidate for the Yankees. There are other trade candidates I'd like to see over Hamels, but he is a proven veteran arm. After the Yankees finish the three game series in Texas, they'll head back to the Bronx to meet up with Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a series that starts Friday night.  

David Hale just keeps coming back like a bad penny. I really thought we'd seen the last of Hale when he was designated for assignment for the second time this year by the Yankees. When he elected free agency after his most recent DFA, I felt sure he'd go elsewhere. It was not to be as Hale signed another minor league deal with the Yankees and will head to Scranton, PA to join the starting rotation for the RailRiders. His addition led to the release of former Yankees prospect Daniel Camarena. I had hoped for better results from Camarena who had been re-acquired from the Chicago Cubs earlier this year after signing a minor league free agent contract with the Cubs in the off-season. But a 2-3 record and 5.08 ERA (44 hits and 20 walks in 39 innings) led to Camarena's second exit from the organization. I wish him the best with his next opportunity.  It's unfortunate he was unable to realize his dream in Pinstripes.

Speaking of the RailRiders starting rotation, their latest addition (besides Hale) is prospect Erik Swanson. Swanson's name hasn't really been mentioned much since he was acquired in the trade that sent Carlos Beltran to the Texas Rangers a couple of seasons ago. Dillon Tate was the more highly regarded name in the trade, but Swanson is the minor league pitcher of the moment. The guy has been sensational in Double A this year. The 24-year-old righty started six games for the Trenton Thunder, winning five with no defeats. He has given up a paltry two earned runs in 40 2/3 innings (0.44 ERA) while striking out 52. He has only allowed 12 walks. The superb performance led to his recent promotion to Triple A. In an organization with so many talented young prospects, Swanson has illuminated his name.  

Photo Credit: Martin Griff, via Pinstriped Prospects

The Yankees did so well with the 2016 trades of Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, they are generally recognized as the trades that highlight the genius of GM Brian Cashman. Nevertheless, the returns for Beltran (namely Swanson and Tate) and Brian McCann (Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman, who helped bring Giancarlo Stanton to New York) were spectacular.  Cashman and Company were certainly well prepared when they made those "under-the-radar" trades that opened roster space for younger, more talented players.

Unfortunately, the Boston Red Sox keep winning so the Yankees and Sox remain tied atop the AL East although the Yankees (30-13) continue to hold a slight advantage in winning percentage.  New York is at .698 while the Red Sox (32-15) are .681.  Boston is off today so the Yankees could pick up a half-game to take sole possession of first place or they could lose to fall into second place.  With 119 games to play, I suppose it does not really matter either way in the grand scheme of things but I always prefer to see the Red Sox in the rear view mirror.  

Credit: Frank Galasso Illustration

Go Yankees!

Meet a Prospect: Erik Swanson & Nick Green

The New York Yankees made a lot of big trades before the August 1st trading deadline this year and the team went from having a farm system that was widely considered to be “middle of the road” to arguably one of the best if not the best. The big names that propelled the Yankees to or near the top are Gleyber Torres, Clint Frazier, Billy McKinney and Dillon Tate but on top of the immense amount of talent the Yankees already had they added a few key pieces that many aren’t talking about. I unfortunately could not find enough information to justify a post for each of Erik Swanson and Nick Green, the two additional prospects the Yankees received from Texas in exchange for Carlos Beltran, so I figured I would lump them together and introduce the Yankees fan base to them both at one time. So this is Meet a Prospect: The Erik Swanson and Nick Green Editions.


Nick Green and Erik Swanson are both right-handed pitchers who were both drafted out of Iowa based junior colleges in the 2014 MLB First Year Players Draft. Green has an easy delivery and a good pitching frame that helps his fastball touch 95 MPH, although he sits closer to 92-93 comfortably, and his changeup hit around 81 MPH keeping batters off balance. Green also throws a 12-6 curveball but the pitch is just considered to be average at this point. Green is 21-years old and still pitching in short-season ball though which shows his projectability and his future with the organization. He may surprise a lot of people, Adam Warren and David Phelps were never considered to be aces in the making either by any means, so stay tuned for Green.


As far as Erik Swanson goes he is just another in the long line of big-bodied right-handed power pitchers that throw really, really hard in the Yankees system. Swanson pitched Iowa Western to a national title in 2014 and has been seen throwing gas up to 99 MPH as recently as this season. Swanson sits comfortable at 94-97 MPH and has enough movement to not become another Nathan Eovaldi from his Miami Marlins days. Swanson also throws a slider and a changeup but both are considered raw and below-average at this point meaning Swanson will have to add at least two more pitches if he wants to be a starter and at least one more if he wants to be a reliever at the Major League level. If not he could just be an organizational filler. The sky is the limit though and there is projectability there, his changeup is showing improvement from everything I have read, and that’s good enough for right now.

So join me in welcoming both Erik Swanson and Nick Green to the organization and to the Yankees family. We’re glad to have you.

Meet a Prospect: Dillon Tate

The New York Yankees seemingly have a new philosophy these days as we finally close the chapter on the George Steinbrenner era and I think our very own Bryan Van Dusen said it best when he said, to paraphrase, “If you can’t draft in the first round then just trade for first round picks” and that’s exactly what the Yankees have done. The team has added a stable of great prospects that came with pre-draft hype to their organization including Gleyber Torres, our weekly check in showcase from this morning Clint Frazier and today’s introduction to the Yankees fan base, Dillon Tate. Tate was drafted with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 MLB First Year Players Draft and the Yankees took the chance on his upside when they traded away veteran right fielder Carlos Beltran, now let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Dillon Tate Edition.

Dillon Michael Tate was born on May 1, 1994 and began his collegiate pitching career at the University of California, Santa Barbara. It was there that he caught the eye of the Texas Rangers who drafted him fourth overall in the 2015 Draft signing him to a $4.2 million signing bonus. In his first professional season Tate made his debut for the Class-A Short Season Spokane Indians before getting the call up this season to Low-A Ball where he will likely begin his Yankees tenure and career with the Charleston Riverdogs.

Tate is a buy-low candidate for the Yankees to be completely honest but the stuff is there. During spring training of this year Tate was throwing a 96 MPH with a plus-slider and an above-average changeup but the fastball velocity had dipped a bit and Tate spent time on the disabled list this season. The DL stint was for a hamstring and not his arm, which is encouraging, but without your legs you can and eventually will throw your arm out so with the dip in velocity you were just a bit.

Either way Tate possesses #2 starter potential and is a work in progress inside the Yankees system. Tate adds another high-end potential starter into the mix and one can never have too many of those so welcome to the team Dillon, welcome to the organization and most importantly welcome to the family.

Yankees Trade Ivan Nova, Carlos Beltran

The 2016 August 1st trading deadline has come and gone and the New York Yankees have traded both Ivan Nova and Carlos Beltran before the deadline. This haul, which includes five players, are on top of what the team already added in the Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller trades from earlier last month.

Beltran was traded to the Texas Rangers for three prospects including Dillon Tate who was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 MLB First Year Players Draft. Nova was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for two prospects that were marked as players to be named later.

Here is the write up on the three prospects New York is getting back in the Beltran deal via Lohud:

RHP Dillon Tate -- Fourth overall draft pick in 2015. He missed time this season with a hamstring strain, which might help explain his disappointing 5.12 ERA in Low-A. The upside is significant, but the current results surely made him available. MLB Pipeline has alreadypegged Tate as the 11th-best prospect in the Yankees' suddenly loaded system. He lands in their ranking right behind James Kaprielian and ahead of Wilkerman Garcia.

RHP Erik Swanson -- Eighth-round pick in 2014. Missed the second half of last season with a strained forearm flexor. Moved from the bullpen to the rotation this year and has a 3.43 ERA as a 22-year-old in Low-A.

RHP Nick Green -- Seventh-round pick in 2014. The Yankees drafted him out of high school back in 2013, but he went to a community college and improved his draft stock. Turned 21 in March but has yet to pitch above short-season ball. Has a 4.98 ERA but 11.5 K/9 this season.