Mat Latos the 2016 Version of Kyle Davies?

When the Miami Marlins decided to go "all-in" in the winter before the 2015 season the team made various deals including signing Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich to extensions and acquiring the likes of Dee Gordon, Dan Haren, Mat Latos and others in various deals. While the Stanton and Yelich extensions look good on paper and the middle infield including Gordon looks to be set for a long time the team has not received the best returns from Haren or Latos. Haren has pitched much better than Latos, and essentially for free mind you as the Dodgers sent Haren's $10 million in salary along with the right-hander in the deal, which led Jeffrey Loria's club to trade Latos to the Los Angeles Dodgers before the trading deadline. Latos did not pitch much better in the pennant race and has recently been designated for assignment and ultimately released by Los Angeles, could he be a minor league option for teams, especially the New York Yankees who love these sorts of deals, for the 2016 season?

The New York Yankees sign a veteran to a minor league deal virtually every offseason with relief pitcher Jared Burton and starting pitcher Kyle Davies the most recent examples of this strategy. Burton was not long for the team but Davies led the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders to the postseason as their "ace" after Luis Severino's promotion. Does Latos fit the mold and would the Yankees even want him?

The second question is much easier to answer than the first, of course the Yankees would want him if we're talking about a minor league deal. There is no such thing as a bad minor league deal, Hal Steinbrenner probably spends more on booze in a month than a MiLB free agent makes in a full season, and if Latos is willing to accept one then the Yankees, or any team, should pounce. At 27-years old I think Latos is far from done, even with a combined 4.95 ERA this season between the Marlins and the Dodgers. Latos is one season removed from an injury riddles 2014 season and two seasons from removed from his second consecutive 14-win season. 

It is not uncommon to see certain injuries carrying over the next season despite being fully healed, see Mark Teixeira's wrist injury from 2013, and it's not common for Latos to see his BABip above the .300 mark like it is in 2015. Latos strikes out enough batters to survives and contains the walks enough to be competitive while keeping the ball in the ballpark while keeping the ball on the ground enough to win ball games. If he wants to throw those strikes and ground ball outs in Scranton with an opt-out clause to come to the majors then sign me up, if not I think some team is going to get a ton of value on a relatively small MLB contract with Latos in 2016. Just a hunch. Plus I like his tattoos. 

Jared Burton is Back w/ New York

Jared Burron's locker still here. Burton says he's worked out agreement with the team, still rehabbing strained lat muscle. #Yankees
— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) March 27, 2015

Less than a week after releasing Jared Burton the team has reportedly brought back the relief pitcher on a new minor league deal. The Yankees would reportedly owe Burton a $100,000 retention bonus if the team did not carry him on their 25 man roster on Opening Day and are presumably using this new deal to get around that bonus. Burton will miss the reminder of the spring with a strained lat injury and will start the season on the disabled list.

Yankees Release Jared Burton

The New York Yankees have released Jared Burton from his minor league deal today thus ending his comeback attempt with the team. Burton has thrown four scoreless innings this spring allowing just one hit and striking out two before an oblique injury ended his spring. Burton faced a ton of stiff competition for one of the last bullpen spots in the Yankees bullpen but the injury really derailed his chances and ultimately got him released. That or the mustache.

Jared Burton Diagnosed w/ Strained Lat

Jared Burton had hopes of breaking camp with the New York Yankees and traveling north in the bullpen for the Yankees on Opening Day… and then a strained lat muscle happened. Burton was diagnoses with a strained lat muscle during the latest Yankees spring training game on Thursday with the Philadelphia Phillies and may be headed towards the disabled list.

Burton has multiple opt out dates written into his contract so just because he likely won’t make the Opening Day roster doesn’t mean he couldn’t make an impact later down the road. Burton has pitched in four games this spring and only allowed two hits against the 15 batters he faced. It may just be spring but the guy has proven that he can get MLB hitters out before while with the Minnesota Twins so I’m not ready to count this guy out just yet.

I also apologize for this being so late but I was away from a computer for most of last night and today and straight talk wireless has this little joke they like to play on people where they turn your auto refill off so when you wake up in the morning you have “service” because you have Wi-Fi but as soon as you leave the house and try to use your phone you have nothing. It’s a brutal joke and this is the fourth time in recent memory it has happened to me so I don’t recommend them. Anyway, go Yankees? 

ICYMI: Will the Yankees Ever Allow Facial Hair?

Will the New York Yankees ever end their policy that keeps players from having anything more than a neatly kept mustache? I sure hope not. Looking through the Yankees Photo Day pictures I kind of enjoy not seeing the Jayson Werth’s, the Danny Espinosa’s and the Charlie Blackmon’s of the league. Straight off the top of my head I can only remember Jared Burton, the reliever from the Twins that is over on a minor league deal, having any facial hair on the team this season other than maybe a five o’clock shadow. This is one of those trends that started in the 1970’s and has made a comeback with the “idiots” from the Boston Red Sox in the mid- 2000’s.

Little known fact that facial hair was considered to be “ungentlemanly” in Major League Baseball up until the 1973 season when Reggie Jackson came to the Oakland Athletics spring training camp with a mustache. The A’s owner Charlie Finley did not want Jackson to stand out so he paid each of his players $300 for growing a mustache that season and the 70’s exploded with facial hair in the game. That explosion is back and it’s as disgusting as ever. I’m not a facial hair hater, I tend to only shave once or twice a week and I have at least a five o’clock shadow every single day, but I think some of these beards have gotten out of hand and they are generally unattractive.

This is not Duck Dynasty, this is Major League Baseball, start acting like it. 

MLBTR: Jared Burton/Scott Baker Article XX(B) Free Agents

According to MLB Trade Rumors the New York Yankees have a pair of Article XX(B) free agents this spring training in Jared Burton and Scott Baker. What makes a Article XX(B) free agent is a player that has signed a minor league deal despite having at least six seasons of major league service time. If neither of these players make the 25 man opening day roster the Yankees owe each oft hem $100,000 bonus. Each player also automatically receives June 1st opt-out date on top of any other opt-out dates that are already written into their contract.

Burton already has four opt-out dates written into his contract so he looks to be destined for the pay day and the transfer to the minor leagues while Baker is attempting to fill in for the injured Chris Capuano.

Will the Yankees Ever Allow Facial Hair?

Will the New York Yankees ever end their policy that keeps players from having anything more than a neatly kept mustache? I sure hope not. Looking through the Yankees Photo Day pictures I kind of enjoy not seeing the Jayson Werth’s, the Danny Espinosa’s and the Charlie Blackmon’s of the league. Straight off the top of my head I can only remember Jared Burton, the reliever from the Twins that is over on a minor league deal, having any facial hair on the team this season other than maybe a five o’clock shadow. This is one of those trends that started in the 1970’s and has made a comeback with the “idiots” from the Boston Red Sox in the mid- 2000’s.

Little known fact that facial hair was considered to be “ungentlemanly” in Major League Baseball up until the 1973 season when Reggie Jackson came to the Oakland Athletics spring training camp with a mustache. The A’s owner Charlie Finley did not want Jackson to stand out so he paid each of his players $300 for growing a mustache that season and the 70’s exploded with facial hair in the game. That explosion is back and it’s as disgusting as ever. I’m not a facial hair hater, I tend to only shave once or twice a week and I have at least a five o’clock shadow every single day, but I think some of these beards have gotten out of hand and they are generally unattractive.

This is not Duck Dynasty, this is Major League Baseball, start acting like it. 

Meet a Prospect: Jared Burton

Jared Burton signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees after spending much of his career setting up and closing for the Minnesota Twins and Cincinnati Reds. Burton has an invitation to Spring Training camp this season and will look to latch on to the Yankees overly crowded bullpen with a strong camp so now is a better time as any to get to know the soon to be 34 year old RHP. This is Meet a Prospect, the Jared Burton Edition.

Levi Jared Burton was born on June 2, 1981 in Westminster, South Carolina where he attended West-Oak High School. Burton spent his college years attending Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina where he caught the attention of the Oakland Athletics who drafted him in the eighth round of the 2002 MLB First Year Player’s Draft. Burton spent five seasons in the A’s farm system before being eligible for and picked up in the Rule 5 Draft by the Cincinnati Reds.

Burton made his major league debut with the Reds on April 4, 2007 pitching one third on an inning while walking three batters. Four days later he found himself on the disabled list with a strained hamstring which was the icing on the cake to his miserable beginning as a major league player. Burton spent more time on the disabled list on July 19, 2008 when he suffered from a strained muscle in his chest which also led to a setback in August that cost him another two full weeks. Burton spent more time on the disabled list in 2009, he began the 2011 season on the DL with shoulder inflammation and ended his Reds tenure after the 2011 season before latching on with the Minnesota Twins.

Burton latched on with Minnesota for the 2012 season after signing a minor league deal and impressing the team with a strong spring beating out now potential teammate Scott Baker for a spot. Burton made the roster out of Opening Day and went on to appear in 64 games that season posting a 3-2 record with a 2.18 ERA and 55 strikeouts, definitely his break out season. Burton’s ERA rose a bit in 2013 to a respectable 3.82 but his record fell to a miserable 2-9 mark in 71 games for Minnesota. Burton’s ERA continued to climb in 2014 and his fastball velocity continued to dip, now below 92 MPH, which led him to becoming a free agent this offseason.

New York signed Burton to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training as the RHP tries to find a way into a very deep and extremely crowded Yankees bullpen. Good luck to you Jared and pitchers and catchers report TODAY to the Yankees complex in Tampa. The mission starts here. 

Yankees Sign Jared Burton to Minor League Deal

The New York Yankees continue to stockpile pitching with invitations to Spring Training camp in 2015 as the team announced today the signing of Jared Burton to a minor league deal. His deal will include an invite to Yankees spring training camp this season. Burton has spent the last two seasons in the Minnesota Twins organization and has spent the last eight seasons in the major leagues.

Nothing wrong with a little depth, a little insurance and a minor league deal. Not much to see here but the 33 year old could be quite the piece if a David Carpenter struggles out of the gates. Stay tuned...