Gary Denbo Replaces Mark Newman, Pat Roessler Out

Source: Gary Denbo will replace retired Mark Newman as Yankees Sr. VP of Baseball Operations.
— Mark Feinsand (@FeinsandNYDN) October 20, 2014

Gary Denbo has been named as the replacement for the all things prospects job previously held by Mark Newman in the New York Yankees organization. The official title is vice president of baseball operations but Newman definitely centered around the prospects more than anything else during his tenure. Denbo, 53 years old, has been the Yankees minor league hitting coach and manager (1990-1996), minor league hitting coordinator (1997-2000, 2006-2007), assistant minor league director (2000), hitting coach (2001), and scouting and player development consultant (2009-present). Denbo also played four seasons of minor league ball and was the hitting coach for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Japanese League Nippon Ham Fighters in his coaching career.

Source also says Pat Roessler is out as Yankees director of player development.
— Mark Feinsand (@FeinsandNYDN) October 20, 2014

The team's director of player development Pat Roessler, who has held the position since the 2005 season, is also said to be out of job today. This could be where former Mets GM, and personal friend of Brian Cashman, Omar Minaya fits in.

Yankees Considering Omar Minaya For Scouting Department Position

The New York Yankees are considering the San Diego Padres VP of Baseball Operations and former New York Mets General Manager Omar Minaya for a front office job in the organization. The Yankees are likely interested in Minaya for some sort of scouting job although no official statement has been released. It seems clear though that Minaya is not being considered at this time to replace Mark Newman as the head of the Yankees farm systems.

Mark Newman, VP of Baseball Operations, To Retire

Mark Newman is the vice president of baseball operations with the New York Yankees and is believed to be retiring after this season. Newman has been with the Yankees for 26 seasons and has spent the last 15 seasons as the head of the team’s minor league development system. Whether this was a forced retirement or Newman’s decision remains to be seen as if you remember last offseason Hal Steinbrenner vowed to review all aspects of the Yankees minor league system after a disappointing 2013 season. With the Yankees likely headed towards their second straight season without a playoff berth, although the Yankees system produced many more MLB caliber players this season than last, the heat may have been on Newman and company.

With Newman retiring the Yankees system may be in for a bit of a shake up with Newman being the first domino to fall. It’s no secret that since the 2009 World Series Championship team, the team that had the highest percentage of homegrown talent on the active 25 man roster, the Yankees have struggled to produce much in the way of MLB talent out of their system. That 2009 stat is also a little skewed as that included much of Gene Michael’s work with the Core Four and Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte on the team. That team, and about every team since then, has relied heavily on the free agent market and international market and news rules in the Collective Bargaining Agreement have changed the game and affected the way the Yankees do business.

No longer can teams just spend heavily and expect to win as free agents in their prime are not hitting the free agent market anymore. A definite importance has been placed on the farm system and cost effective full time players and the Yankees are not producing many of those outside of the plethora of bullpen arms they have shot to the Bronx over the last few seasons. This and other factors may have led to Newman’s retirement, although his contract was set to expire at the end of the season anyway.

Former Kansas City Royals manager Trey Hillman is being considered for the job as well as Damon Oppenheimer, the team’s vice president and director of amateur scouting. One member of the organization that does not seem likely to succeed Newman is Pat Roessler, the director of player development, as his job is likely to be vacant soon as well. 

Construction Happening At The Minor League Complex

If you are one of the few and lucky that have been down to the New York Yankees minor league complex down in Tampa you have noticed the likes of Derek Jeter and Dean Anna, among others, working out getting ready for spring training. You have also seen construction crews all over the place trying to better the Yankees minor league complex with new buildings to house meetings, a cafeteria for players, the four baseball diamonds being refurbished, and a dormitory for the players is also being discussed internally by the Yankees brass.

The Cincinnati Reds used to own this plot of land and Yankees senior vice president of baseball operations mentioned this in an interview from the NY Daily News:

“These fields have been here since Johnny Bench was an 18-year-old”


The Yankees also went all moneyball on us by hiring a guy with a PhD in advanced math and statistics and put his office right next to Newman's. The Yankees have added other scouts and personnel but this guy, who remains nameless, is devoted to the player development area that is really intriguing. Maybe there is some hope for the Yankees system after all.

Yankees Making Changes To Scouting & Development

According to Nick Cafardo's twitter account and his column on the Boston Globe the New York Yankees are set to make significant changes to their player scouting and development parts of the organization. This news breaks on the heels of many people inside the organization, Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner specifically, saying that a change was needed within the departments.

The Yankees Vice President of Baseball Operations Mark Newman and scouting director Damon Oppenheimer are reportedly going to be the first to go if there are any personnel changes so with this news dropping expect those two to get the ax. Honestly I cannot agree with making those moves as it is hard to develop a farm system picking at the end of the draft every season and when you do get someone who can make a significant impact, Jesus Montero for example, he is traded away. The Yankees have had a bad run of luck in the draft system as well which should not go unnoticed but if anyone should be under the microscope it should be Brian Cashman and not Newman or Oppenheimer. Just my two cents.

Dellin Betances Unlikely To Play In Winter Ball

In what is going to be a make or break season for Dellin Betances as a member of the New York Yankees things are not going as planned. Dellin asked for permission from the Yankees to go to winter ball and keep his arm fresh but, right now anyway, it seems unlikely that Mark Newman, senior vice president of baseball operations, and company will allow Betances to do that in an attempt to keep his arm fresh.

Betances believes that the extra work will help with him repeating his delivery and building on what was a strong 2013 season after being moved to the bullpen. Dellin may have a point as he posted a 6.00 ERA as a starter with the Scranton Railriders with 19 hits allowed, 19 runs allowed, 16 walks, and 25 strike outs in 24 innings. As a reliever Dellin posted a 1.35 ERA with 33 hits allowed, 26 walks, and 83 strikeouts in 60 innings. Dellin says the repetition of pitching every other day rather than every fifth or sixth day is the reason for his performance and confidence.

I can understand not wanting him to pitch all year round but it is not like the Yankees gave him a real shot to earn his spot this September. I can see both sides of the argument but you can limit him in winter ball if you really wanted him to go so I don't know. I just hope this does not effect Dellin in 2014 because he will be relied on heavily after the retirement of Mariano Rivera.