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Minors

Checking in on the Young Guns

Chad Jennings brings us an update on his conversation with Nardi Contreras about a bunch of minor league pitchers.

The two guys who interest me the most (with Cox and Melancon just missing the cut) are Humberto Sanchez and Daniel McCutchen:
Humberto Sanchez
Throwing bullpen sessions, but Contreras said he's not at 45 pitches yet. Forty five is an important number because if the Yankees are going to use Sanchez as a starter, they want him throwing at least 45 pitches before they let him pitch to hitters. If he's a reliever, he can start at 35 pitches. It has been my understanding that Sanchez will work as a reliever, at least that's what I was told this spring, but Contreras made it sound as though that's not set in stone... it sounds like Sanchez could be -- could be -- fairly close to pitching in games.
On Chase Wright and Dan McCutchen I asked if it was possible that one of those two could be with the Triple-A team some time soon. Contreras didn't answer. He instead smiled and said he's going to Trenton tomorrow. Don't know exactly what that means. Might mean something, might mean nothing. Guess we'll find out in the next few days.
Good times.

3 comments | 0 recs

Bronx Bound- Week 5

It's a couple days late because I've had a buddy staying with me the last couple days, but here's your minor league update for April 27- May 3.

A strong performance by Betances has his K:BB rate to almost 2:1.
TJ rehabber JB Cox was called up to AA on the 27th, and he looks great.
Still no sign of Alan "I'll only miss one turn in the rotation" Horne. He's been throwing down in Tampa and might see an intersquad game next week.
The Daniel McCutchen crusade continues at AA: less than a baserunner per inning, more than a strikeout per inning; call him up already!
PitcherAgeLevelGIPHBBERK
Jonathan Albaladejo25Called up------------
Dellin Betances20A15.03326
Chris Britton25called up------------
JB Cox23called up to AA34.02004
Alan Horne 25AAADNP-----
Jeff Marquez23AAA211.2 12387
Daniel McCutchen25AA17.0 10158
Mark Melancon23A+25.03105
Scott Patterson28AAA43.26216
Edwar Ramirez27called up------------
Humberto Sanchez24DL------
Jose Veras27AAA22.01003
Eric Wordekemper24AA11.01011
HitterAgeLevelABH2B3BHRBBKSBCS
Colin Curtis23AA2060011300
Brett Gardner24AAA2770003710
Austin Jackson21AA1730001601
Jason Lane31AAA2461005310
Juan Miranda24ishAAA to DL1231002500
Jesus Montero18A2433001300
Cody Ransom32AAA25102012710
Jose Tabata19AA served team suspension1120000201

2 comments | 0 recs

Tabata Suspended for Pulling a Sosa

Caught this over at My Pinstripes:
The Yankees front office won't talk about it and neither will the Trenton Thunder management. Mike Ashmore, who covers the Thunder, says that Jose Tabata was apparently suspended for one game after an incident that occurred on April 27. Having struck out, Tabata slammed his bat, went into the clubhouse, and apparently left.

Though it was a one game suspension, manager Tony Franklin sat the 19-yr old prized prospect until last night's game. His return was less than triumphant as he went 0-3.
Now, Ashmore's post actually says that he heard this from a commenter, and that the FO won't discuss the situation.

Still, this explains why Tabata hasn't been in right field...

6 comments | 0 recs

Bronx Bound- Week 4

Daniel McCutchen watchers, check out his line from Friday's game:
7IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 run, 12K.
I'd say he's learned what he can in AA. Let's get the college boy up to Scranton.

Jose Veras' continued dominance at AAA (11IP, 11 baserunners, 18K) is starting to make me rethink my lack of support for him. We only saw him for a month last season.

On the other side of the ball, while Tabata and Jackson get all the attention, Colin Curtis is tearing up AA. The lefty from Arizona State is hitting .307/.388/.420 in 23 games. 16 K vs 12 BB.

Brett Gardner got caught stealing twice, he's 4 for 8 on the season; he also hit his second home run.

I try to avoid the hype machine, so when I point out that 99ABs into the season catcher Jesus Montero is hitting .364/.382/.545 as an 18 year-old, I'm also going to point out that he's got 17K against only 2 BB. But wow.

In other news, Jose Tabata had a terrible week (and is hitting .200/.308/.233 on the season); TJ rehabbers JB Cox and Mark Melancon got knocked around; and Eric Wordekemper is making the saves very exciting in Trenton.

Check it out:

PitcherAgeLevelGIPHBBERK
Jonathan Albaladejo25AAA12.01312
Dellin Betances20A16.02317
Chris Britton25AAA22.25231
JB Cox23A+22.03001
Alan Horne 25AAADNP-----
Jeff Marquez23AAA15.04123
Daniel McCutchen25AA214.071316
Mark Melancon23A+23.16213
Scott Patterson28AAA22.02012
Edwar Ramirez27AAA22.00002
Humberto Sanchez24DL------
Jose Veras27AAA33.01206
Eric Wordekemper24AA33.15203
HitterAgeLevelABH2B3BHRBBKSBCS
Colin Curtis23AA2282105110
Brett Gardner24AAA2151015312
Austin Jackson21AA3693001610
Jason Lane31AAA1920011300
Juan Miranda24ishAAA2182004400
Jesus Montero18A31134010501
Cody Ransom32AAA1963001110
Jose Tabata19AA2530002900

0 comments | 0 recs

Bronx Bound- Week Three

In the search for a spot starter, am I crazy to suggest Daniel McCutchen? He struggled to locate his curve last season, so he spent the time really working on his change, which enhances his 2- and 4-seam fastballs (low 90s). Now he's got both pitches working and is off to a hot start.
Going AA to MLB isn't that rare for a starter, but he's not on the 40-man, so you'd have to put somebody through waivers.

It looks like they've got top reliever Mark Melancon on a very aggressive pitching schedule- 2IP every third day.

For all you Dellin Betances fans, his BB:K ratio now stands at 15:28 in 20.1IP.

Austin Jackson collected a hit in each game this week, while Jose Tabata has taken the opposite approach- 3 multi-hit games, no other hits.

I was at the SWB Yankees (AAA) game last night. Brett Gardner (he of the 83% SB success rate) was caught stealing in the first. Shelley Duncan was at bat with one out, Gardner on second and Castro on first. In a 3-2 count the runners took off. The pitch sailed in, and Duncan started for first. The umpire stepped away from the plate, which usually means a ball, and the runners slowed down. The catcher threw to third, and then the umpire called strike three. They had trouble with that ump all night, and then the firstbase ump blew a call when Chris Stewart beat out an infield single but was called out anyway (I think because he signaled "safe" as he crossed the bag).
PitcherAgeLevelGIPHBBERK
Jonathan Albaladejo25AAA11.01100
Dellin Betances20A110.087212
Chris Britton25AAA22.22206
JB Cox23A+33.03111
Alan Horne 25AAADNP-----
Jeff Marquez23AAA15.18256
Daniel McCutchen25AA17.04204
Mark Melancon23A+36.04004
Scott Patterson28AAA23.03202
Edwar Ramirez27AAA11.00000
Humberto Sanchez24DL------
Jose Veras27AAA33.01206
Eric Wordekemper24AA44.01213
HitterAgeLevelABH2B3BHRBBKSBCS
Colin Curtis23AA2893004711
Brett Gardner24AAA2681103612
Austin Jackson21AA2792106301
Jason Lane31AAA2572002600
Juan Miranda24ishAAA2260015400
Jesus Montero18A2581000300
Cody Ransom32AAA2531012500
Jose Tabata19AA2962003500

2 comments | 0 recs

Mark Melancon Update

Saber-Scouting stopped by the Tampa Yankees game yesterday, and brought us a report on Mark Melancon:
[Melancon] proceeded to pitch at 90-93 with some solid movement and deception from his funky delivery. His spike curve was a 78-80 and flashed above-average with some late snap while his change was a 80-81 with late sink and deception and also flashed above-average.
The pre-injury crispness to his command and stuff isn’t back all the way, but that’s just more upside for the kind of talent should move quickly.
Melancon is, of course, one of several pitchers coming back form TJ surgery. Serendipitously, I'm in the middle of Will Carroll's excellent book Saving the Pitcher (it came out back in 2004, but I've always been a little behind the times). Remember a couple weeks ago, when we discussed why Melancon is starting the season in Tampa? Carroll writes that the Yankees possess a secret weapon in the TJ recovery process: head minor league trainer Mark Littlefield. Many other teams have tried to interview Littlefield over the years, and every time the Yanks pay him more money to keep working his magic in Tampa.

When I read that, not only did starting Melancon in Tampa make perfect sense, but I also felt infinitely better about the trade for Humberto Sanchez and the drafting of Andrew Brackman (the Yanks knew they were TJ candidates).

5 comments | 0 recs

A Mid-Week Minor League Teaser

I'll be heading to my first Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees game of the season this Saturday, so my Sunday update will (hopefully) have a little more color than usual.

In the meantime, here's something to think about:
Every single AAA reliever has a lower WHIP and ERA than Kyle Farnsworth and LaTroy Hawkins.
Edwar (7IP), Britton (7IP), Jonny A. (5IP) and Sean Henn (2IP) have yet to allow any runs.
Every one of those relievers would make the major league minimum ($390,000). The combined salaries for the entire AAA bullpen (counting Jonny A.) would be $3.1M, a million dollar saving on LaTroy Hawkins and a $2,400,000 saving over Farnsworth.

5 comments | 0 recs

Bronx Bound (Week 2)

Week 2 of minor league baseball is in the books, so I've got your Sunday update ready to go.

It was a great week for Edwar, Jonny A., and Austin Jackson. Alan Horne got hurt, Jeff Marquez got hit hard, and Dellin Betances showed that while he has A+ stuff (8K) he's got to work on repeating his delivery to refine his control (6BB).
TJ rehabbers BJ Cox and Mark Melancon
PitcherAgeLevelGIPHBBERK
Jonathan Albaladejo25AAA24.03003
Dellin Betances20A15.12628
Chris Britton25AAA34.23002
JB Cox23A+11.02010
Alan Horne note25AAA12.04012
Jeff Marquez23AAA29.1144114
Daniel McCutchen25AA15.24124
Mark Melancon23A+23.06262
Scott Patterson28AAA22.23220
Edwar Ramirez27AAA34.02007
Humberto Sanchez24DL------
Jose Veras27AAA33.05025
Eric Wordekemper24AA21.24011
HitterAgeLevelABH2B3BHRBBKSBCS
Colin Curtis23AA2660002700
Brett Gardner24AAA1461201310
Austin Jackson21AA28102005640
Jason Lane31AAA2671043500
Juan Miranda24ishAAA2550015200
Jesus Montero18A32104021600
Cody Ransom32AAA2961011700
Jose Tabata19AA2781004410
A few thoughts:
  • I've included each player's age to try to help casual observers separate the prospects from the role-players.
  • I've put the update into this hand-dandy chart form for two reasons- I think it's easy to read, and it'll be way easier to update each week.
  • With great trepidation I have added columns for extra base hits- I'm far more interested in consistent contact and a good eye than in power. Players grow into their power.
  • 6 comments | 0 recs

    Horne out a week with 'strained biceps muscle'

    Here's some good news from Tyler Kepner regarding Alan Horne and the injury he sustained last night:

    Horne had a magnetic resonance imaging exam and was found to have a strained biceps muscle. He will report to Tampa and be shut down for a week, but the Yankees are not concerned about long-term damage to Horne, who had reconstructive elbow surgery in college.

    "It’s not a rotator cuff, not a labrum, not a medial collateral ligament – it’s none of the stuff that concerns you as a long-term issue," said Mark Newman, the senior vice president for player personnel. "It’s a pulled muscle – not connective tissue, not the stuff that causes problems."

     

    2 comments | 0 recs

    Bronx Bound

    Every Sunday I'm going to try to check in on the progress of the Yankee prospects I'm keeping an eye on. You'll notice that I'm not really watching anyone who figures to spend the season below AA- the reason for this is that I'm not really interested in minor league baseball; I'm interested in identifying the players who can help the Yanks this year and next.

    If there are players (at any level) you'd like me to add to my list, just let me know.

    Jonathan Albaladejo (AAA): has not pitched yet.
    Chris Britton (AAA): 1G, 1.1IP, 1H, 0BB, 0R, 1K.
    JB Cox (DL): has not pitched yet.
    Brett Gardner (AAA): 11ABs, 4H, 1HR, 1SB, 0CS
    Alan Horne (AAA): 6IP, 5H, 2BB, 2R, 6K.
    Austin Jackson (AA): 8ABs, 0H, 2BB, 0SB, 0CS, 1K
    Jeff Marquez (AAA): has not pitched yet.
    Daniel McCutchen (AA): 5IP, 3H, 3BB, 0R, 7K
    Mark Melancon (A): 1G, 1.2IP, 0H, 0BB, 0R, 1K
    Humberto Sanchez (60 day DL): has not pitched yet.
    Jose Tabata (AA): 9AB, 1H, 1BB, 2SB, 0CS, 3K
    Eric Wordekemper (AA): 1G, 1IP, 3H, 1BB, 2R, 2K

    10 comments | 0 recs



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