Meet a Prospect: Jonathan Diaz

The New York Yankees are doing anything and everything they can to prepare for the 2016 season. New York's plan seems to be to have as much depth and insurance as possible in the minor leagues while relying on the farm system, finally, while waiting out these long and bulky contracts that have hampered the organization for so long. In just a couple years the contracts of Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Carlos Beltran and CC Sabathia will be gone and the names of Luis Severino, Greg Bird, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez will be leading the next Yankees dynasty. That's the plan anyway and the best plans need Plan B and Plan C, one of those Plan B's or Plan C's include the latest minor league signing, Jonathan Diaz.

This is Meet a Prospect: The Jonathan Diaz Edition. Jonathan Diaz was born on April 10, 1985 and spent his High School years at Coral Gables High School. While at Coral Gables Diaz played aside fellow Major League players Yonder Alonso and Eddy Rodriguez who watched Diaz finish his High School career with a strong .323 average in his senior season with six doubles and a home run. Diaz went to NC State to continue his baseball career but struggled in his freshman year. Diaz improved during his sophomore and junior years at NC State and caught the eyes of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 12th round, 360 overall, in the 2006 MLB Draft.


Diaz was placed at the shortstop position to begin his professional career and spent the 2006-2012 seasons in the minor leagues with varying degrees of success for Toronto. Diaz was never known for his bat but it was his defense that led Toronto to invite him to Spring Training camp in 2011 where he almost made the team as one of the final cuts. Diaz was back with the club in the spring of 2012 as well but was cut after just 23 games despite hitting .405 with seven RBI and nine runs scored. Diaz finished the 2012 season still in the Toronto minor league system and never made the Major Leagues as a member of the Blue Jays.


Diaz moved on from Toronto after the 2012 season and moved to their AL East rival Boston Red Sox after signing a minor league deal on December 16, 2012. Another trip to spring training in 2013 and another late cut and assignment to the minor leagues. Boston did come calling on June 29, 2013 and promoted him to the Major Leagues to make his MLB debut against the team that drafted him, the Toronto Blue Jays. Diaz was called up because Brock Holt and Stephen Drew were injured while Will Middlebrooks was ineligible to get called back up due to the 10 day rule. Diaz lasted until July 6 of that season when Holt was ready to return and Diaz was sent back to Triple-A.


Diaz returned to Toronto for the 2014 and 2015 seasons and began the 2014 season with the big league club after a Jose Reyes injury gave him the opportunity. Diaz received his 2013 World Series ring during that 2014 season and was up and down between the minor leagues and major leagues before ultimately being designated for assignment. Diaz came back to the team in 2015 to give the team some insurance for Reyes and once again a Reyes injury allowed Diaz a trip back to the Major Leagues. Diaz appeared in just seven games in 2015 and batted .154 with two RBI before hitting free agency once again.


Diaz will now look to latch on with the New York Yankees during the 2015 season after signing a minor league deal with the club. Diaz will look to win a job in spring training or start the season in Triple-A with the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders. Welcome to the organization Jonathan and welcome to the family as well.

Meet a Prospect: Tyler Olson

The New York Yankees were in a pretty unique situation up until this week that gave the team the freedom to basically do as it pleased this offseason. The team was able to not only clear enough roster spots to accommodate all the 60 Day DL players on the roster but the team cleared a couple extra spots as well for flexibility this winter. Some of that flexibility allowed the team to add players like Lane Adams, Ronald Torreyes and a former member of the Seattle Mariners.... Tyler Olson. This is Meet a Prospect: The Tyler Olson Edition.


Tyler Ray Olson was born on October, 2 1989 in the state of Washington where he spent his High School days attending University High School in Spokane Valley, Washington. Olson then went to Gonzaga University and pitched for the Gonzaga Bulldogs baseball team pitching five years there including a redshirt season in 2010 due to a shoulder subluxation. Olson did enough to catch the attention of the Oakland Athletics in the 2012 MLB First Year Players Draft as the A’s drafted him in the 17th round. Olson did not sign and returned to Gonzaga for his senior year at Gonzaga posting a9-4 record with a 2.48 ERA in 101.2 innings. Olson won the West Coast Conference’s Pitcher of the Year Award which led the Seattle Mariners to draft him 207th overall in the 2013 MLB Draft with their seventh round pick. Olson almost immediately signed and began his professional career inside the Mariners organization and farm system.


Olson stayed in the Mariners farm system for two years before being invited to Spring Training camp in 2015 where he made Seattle’s Opening Day roster. Olson would injure his knee in May and land on the disabled list and when he came back he found himself without a spot in the Mariners bullpen. Olson was optioned back to Triple-A when he was activated and that’s where he stayed for the remainder of the season before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 18, 2015 for cash considerations. Olson lasted all of three weeks with the Dodgers before being designated again and traded again, this time to the Yankees.


Let me be the first to welcome you not only to the team but to the organization and most importantly to the family as well. Enjoy your stay Tyler!

This Day in New York Yankees History 2/28: Cocaine is a hell of a Drug

On this day in 2000 Yankees outfielder and DH Darryl Strawberry is suspended for one year after testing positive for cocaine last month. Bud Selig would not allow Strawberry back early from the suspension based on good behavior. This would essentially mark the end of Strawberry's career.

TGP Prospects Night Open Thread featuring Mariano Rivera

We are almost done with Prospects Month 2016, thank the calendar Gods for Leap Year and the extra day, and we have to go out with a bang. What bigger bang was there in his day than Mariano Rivera, the Sandman? Mariano broke onto the scene as a starting pitcher in 1995 and found his true niche in the Yankees bullpen in front of John Wetteland. 

In this video Rivera throws 3.1 inning of scoreless baseball against the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS. Rivera struck out five and continued to put his name on the map for not only the Yankees but for the league as well. My Baseball Reference won't load right now but from what I remember he did pretty well after this 1995 season and playoff trip, no? If anything he was solid. 

Twitter Poll: Do the Yankees Fans Give David Ortiz his Standing Ovation?

@GreedyStripes FUCK NO

— Spring Training 2016 (@Draft2Dynasty) February 24, 2016

David Ortiz doesn't need another painting and he doesn't want another rocking chair, all the 40-year old Red Sox legend wants is a standing ovation in his final game at Yankee Stadium from the Yankees crowd. Should we, the fans, give it to him? Assuming we get our real tickets in hand and don't have to rely on printing them and assuming the extremely wealthy allow us to sit with them in the Bronx? I can't really answer that so I left it up to you in our latest Twitter Poll.

@GreedyStripes if a standing ovation is a swift quick in the ass on the way out then hell yes!

— Sal Scampone (@saucy_smooth) February 24, 2016

@GreedyStripes I think they absolutely should not. Can't wait for the "they would never do that at the Old Stadium" rants though.

— Josh Sepich (@J_Dub_Sep) February 24, 2016

@GreedyStripes I think we have too,they gave Jeter and Mo classy send offs.Honestly surprised some media/fans say we shouldn't.

— steven (@net_steven) February 24, 2016

@GreedyStripes Not a standing ovation but some small polite applause and no booing, once would be the classy thing to do

— The Reverse Trump (@newkingofmedia) February 24, 2016

@greedystripes Absolutely not

— Alex DeMarchena (@cubano_mufasa) February 24, 2016

@GreedyStripes comparing David Ortiz to Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter is ridiculous. He shouldn't get a standing O because he wasn't classy

— Steven Tsakanikas (@SteveTsakSS) February 24, 2016

@GreedyStripes who?

— Steve (@stvngbsn) February 24, 2016

@GreedyStripes not at all

— Jon Black (@JonathonBlack) February 24, 2016

@GreedyStripes No - appreciate how kind they were to Mo & Jeter, but as he even said, he's not them pic.twitter.com/LgUBDGv2kw

— Jessica (@FinnGirlJess) February 24, 2016

@GreedyStripes No way. Especially since he had the balls to actually request one.

— MG LaValva (@MGLaValva) February 24, 2016

To be involved in our next Twitter Poll head over to Twitter to give @GreedyStripes a follow. Then just be on the lookout for our next Twitter Poll tweet where we won't use your answers without your permission.

@greedystripes We shouldn't treat him like the Sox fans treated DJ and Mo but how they will treat A-Rod. No ovation.

— Alex DeMarchena (@cubano_mufasa) February 24, 2016

ICYMI: Yankees Broke a 103-Year Old Record in 2015

The New York Yankees broke a Major League record that has stood for 103 seasons in 2015 when they sent catcher rookie catcher Gary Sanchez up to the plate. The first at bat for Sanchez last season was also the first at bat of his MLB career and his Major League debut. Sanchez was the 18th member of the New York Yankees to make his Major League debut which is an MLB record that passed the 1903 New York Highlanders. 

The 2015 season can easily be described as the Year of the Prospect as many top prospects have made their way to the Major Leagues this season. The Cubs seemingly have a new stud rookie starting at every position this season, the Twins called up MLB's top prospect Byron Buxton and the Dodgers called up new MLB top prospect Corey Seager this season and the Yankees even called up their top prospect in Luis Severino. In fact the Yankees have called up a lot of prospects this season and let a slew of them make their Major League debut's with the team, 18 of them to be exact setting a new MLB record that stood for over 100 seasons.


Back in 1912 the New York Highlanders watched as a whopping 17 rookies made their Major League debut's including George Batten, Curt Coleman, Iron Davis, John Dowd, Benny Kauff, Ray Keating, Jack Little, Pat Maloney, Jack Martin, Bill Otis, Del Paddock, Al Schulz, George Shears, Klondike Smith, Dutch Sterrett, Homer Thompson and Tommy Thompson.

The impressive list of Yankees players to make their MLB debut's with the team in 2015 included Matt Tracy, Branden Pinder, Slade Heathcott, Jacob Lindgren, Ramon Flores, Mason Williams, Danny Burawa, Jose De Paula, Diego Moreno, Nick Rumbelow, Robert Refsnyder, Caleb Cotham, Nick Goody, Luis Severino, Greg Bird, Gary Sanchez, James Pazos and Rico Noel.


Any time a team gets this close to breaking a record I sort of hope for it to happen, I can't lie. I am a sucker for history. The main difference between the 1912 New York Highlanders and the 2015 New York Yankees is that the Highlanders only won 50 games while the Yankees would have finished a mere 50 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox had it not been for a September collapse of sorts. The latter may be a slight exaggeration but it goes to show you just how far the Yankees farm system, as underrated as it is, has come in recent seasons.

TGP Prospects Month Top 29 Prospects List - #3 Aaron Judge

The first cookie has crumbled and his name is Aaron Judge. I have to be completely honest here I feel like the top three prospects in the Yankees system are completely interchangeable when it comes to these lists. Some will put Judge at the top of the rankings, others will have Jorge Mateo and some may even buy into what Gary Sanchez did last season in Trenton, Scranton and in Arizona with the Surprise Saguaros. Me personally I go with Judge only because of his struggles with the RailRiders in the second half of the season.

I truly believe that the struggles came along with that lower back "injury" he had last season because it coincides with the game logs you can find on Baseball Reference. With that said though I have the likes of Mateo and Sanchez ahead of Judge because those struggles could be a sign of whats to come as well. Judge has always struck out a little too much and he's always had a problem with chasing away and getting fooled by the soft stuff away. Back injury or not that may continue to show its ugly head in the future, not that this would keep Judge from being an All-Star caliber player for the majority of a long Major League career.

3. Aaron Judge
4. James Kaprielian
5. Robert Refsnyder
6. Domingo Acevedo
7. Dustin Fowler
8. Wilkerman Garcia
9. Ian Clarkin
10. Brady Lail
11. Jacob Lindgren
12. Bryan Mitchell
13. Drew Finley
14. Mason Williams
15. Slade Heathcott
16. Abi Avelino
17. Hoy-Jun Park
18. Luis Torrens
19. Cale Coshow
20. Chance Adams
21. Miguel Andujar
22. Jonathan Holder
23. Tyler Wade
24. Nick Rumbelow
25.Jordan Montgomery
26.Trey Amburgey
27. Ben Gamel
28. Austin DeCarr
29. Thairo Estrada
30. James Pazos

Meet a Prospect: Kirby Yates

The New York Yankees are not above taking a chance, especially in their bullpen, and the team is taking another chance this season with Kirby Yates. Yates was recently acquired by New York from the Cleveland Indians in a deal that saw cash considerations go back to Cleveland. Yates will presumably fight for and win a spot in the Yankees bullpen this spring although the possibility of starting the season down in Triple-A with the Scranton RailRiders is always there. Either way Yates is the newest member of the Yankees organization and the Yankees family so we here at The Greedy Pinstripes will welcome him the best way we know how. This is Meet a Prospect: The Kirby Yates Edition.


Kirby Kali Yates was born on March 25, 1987 and joined his brother Tyler Yates on their goal of playing in Major League Baseball. Both have made it to the big show and both have taken significantly different paths. Kirby was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 26th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft out of Kauai High School in Lihue, Hawaii. Yates did not sign and ultimately attended Yavapai College where he missed both the 2006 and 2007 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery. With this knowledge in the back of many teams and scouts heads Yates went undrafted in the 2009 MLB Draft.


Yates signed a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays to begin his professional career and almost immediately rewarded the team with a Triple-A All-Star Game nomination in 2013. This earned Yates the opportunity to be added to the team’s 40 man roster on November 20, 2013 and set him up to make his Major League debut on June 7, 2014.


Yates stuck around with the Rays through the 2015 season before the team ultimately designated him for assignment and traded him to the Cleveland Indians for cash considerations. Yates was not long for Cleveland though after undergoing the same treatment with the Indians. Another designation for assignment and another trade for cash considerations, this time to the New York Yankees. Kirby and his fiancée Ashley Rowe will now look to stick in the Bronx with the big league Yankees and not suffer the same fate three times in an offseason.


Welcome to the organization Kirby and welcome to the family. Aloha.

Randy Levine Battles StubHub, Makes Yankee Fans Look Bad

The ongoing battle between the secondary ticket market, specifically StubHub and the New York Yankees continued this week with the Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr., StubHub representative and the Yankees Randy Levine having a war of words over the Yankees print-at-home ticket ban. You would think that Diaz, a lifelong Yankees fan who confessed his favorite player of all-time was Graig Nettles, would side with the Yankees but like many of us the new policy and the recent comments by the Yankees COO Lonn Trost has left a bitter taste in many of our mouths.

To put the entire squabble in a nutshell and to paraphrase Diaz is upset that the Yankees fans are being disrespected and slapped in the face, and they are, while Levine thinks it’s all because the Yankees no longer “comp” tickets for Diaz to conduct business with at Yankee Stadium. Levine went on to say in an interview that “I guess there are no greater problems in the Bronx that he needs to spend time on than ticketing.” Naturally Diaz’s camp denies being comped tickets by the Yankees and now the Bronx borough president is considering siding with StubHub.

Not that my vote matters but I am on StubHub’s side too. Just saying. 

This Day in New York Yankees History 2/27: Pinstripes are Born, Almost Literally

On this day in 1985 Toby Harrah is traded by the Yankees to the Texas Rangers for outfielder Billy Sample and a player to be named later. The 36 year old veteran infielder was originally a member of the Texas Rangers and will become the club's manager for one year in 1992.


Also on this day in 1912 the Yankees announced that they would begin wearing pinstripes on their uniform, something they obviously still do today. The Yankees wouldn't actually start physically wearing them until April 22, 1915 but either way it became a reality.