16 Yankees Minor Leaguers Hit Free Agency

16 members of the New York Yankees have officially hit the minor league free agent market. Here is the list:



Andury Acevedo (AAA)

Scottie Allen (AA)

Joel de la Cruz (AAA)

Diego Moreno (AAA)

Wilking Rodriguez (AAA)

Cesar Vargas (AAA)
Jose De Paula (AAA)

Aaron Dott (AA)
Francisco Arcia (AA)

Juan Graterol (AAA)

Kyle Higashioka (AAA)
Cole Figueroa (AAA)

Ali Castillo (AAA)

Jose Rosario (AA)
Ericson Leonora (Hi A)

Rico Noel (AAA)

Pinder In, De La Cruz to Trenton, Davies to Scranton

The revolving door that has become the bullpen for the New York Yankees continues to spin as the team made another round of transactions before tonight's finale in Baltimore. New York has outrighted Kyle Davies off the roster where he will presumably go back to Scranton to pitch for the RailRiders. Joel De La Cruz was called up and did not get into a game before being optioned back to Trenton before the game tonight. 

Major League Baseball has an odd rule that states you cannot call up a player on your 40 man roster for the first 10 days of the new season unless an injury occurs. 10 days is officially up and New York called up Branden Pinder for a fresh arm in the bullpen tonight. Pinder last pitched on Monday so he is presumably available out of the pen tonight. 

Welcome to the show Branden and officially welcome to the family. 

Yankees Select Joel De La Cruz, Designate Kyle Davies

And the revolving door of scrub relief pitchers for the New York Yankees continues as the team made another roster move for a fresh arm in the bullpen. On Friday the team bought the contract of Matt Tracy only to designate him for assignment the next night in favor of Kyle Davies. Davies lasted a day as well and has now been designated for assignment in favor of Joel De La Cruz who will be with the team tonight in Baltimore.

De La Cruz is a right handed starting pitcher that was on the Double-A Trenton Thunder roster before the call up.

2015 New York Yankees Minor League Free Agents

When a minor league player spends seven seasons in a major league farm system they must be added to the 40 man roster or they become minor league free agents. None of these players were added before the deadline of January, 15 2015 and were not added to the 40 man roster, like Jose Pirela was this past September, so they became minor league free agents. Here is the list as a reminder as we inch closer and closer to Spring Training 2015:

LHP Jeremy Bleich (27)
SS Ali Castillo (25)
LHP/RHP Pat Venditte (29)
C Kyle Higashioka *signed back* (24)
RHP Joel De La Cruz (25)

2015 New York Yankees Minor League Free Agents

When a minor league player spends seven seasons in a major league farm system they must be added to the 40 man roster or they become minor league free agents. The deadline is January, 15 2015 and if these players are not added to the 40 man roster, like Jose Pirela was this past September, they become minor league free agents. Here is the list:

LHP Jeremy Bleich (27)
SS Ali Castillo (25)
LHP/RHP Pat Venditte (29)
C Kyle Higashioka (24)
RHP Joel De La Cruz (25)

Tyler Austin Headed To The AA Disabled List

The Trenton Thunder, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, announce outfielder Tyler Austin has been placed on the Disabled List Thursday morning with a lower body injury.

Austin, the No. 17 prospect in the Yankees system, is batting .250 on the season in 14 games played and most recently went 0-for-2 Wednesday night in right field with 2 BB, 2 SB, RBI and R. In his last four games, Austin had been 5-for-14 (.357), 3 BB, 3 RBI, 5 R. 

With Austin being placed on the DL, RHP Joel De La Cruz was transferred back to the Thunder roster prior to Thursday’s 10:35 a.m. first pitch. De La Cruz, 24, who was signed by the Yankees as a minor league free agent in 2010, is expected to be the starting pitcher Thursday morning. De La Cruz has a 2-1 record and a 2.95 ERA with nine strikeouts and four walks over 18.1 IP in his first season in Double-A.

In his most recent start, April 17 against the Erie SeaWolves, De La Cruz tossed 5.2 innings of shutout ball on six hits and two walks.

ICYMI: Yankees Add Seven To MLB Spring Camp

In case you missed it yesterday the New York Yankees added seven minor league players to major league camp as insurance in case they are needed. The list includes first basemen Kyle Roller, shortstop Cito Culver, third basemen Zach Wilson, RHP Joel De La Cruz, RHP Charley Short, RHP Graham Stoneburner, and shortstop Dan Fiorito. These men were called up just to fill in for all the split squad games the Yankees are playing lately but it was still cool to see Culver in Panama last night, even if the Yankees got no hit.