NY minor league prospect news (2013 edition)

[jon abbey]

It's like 20 years of bad luck all crammed into one season.

 

[jon abbey]

And the hits keep coming:
 
"Brian Cashman said he does not expect Vidal Nuno to make it back from the disabled list this season."
 
All that SP depth a few weeks ago, now Pineda, Phelps and Nuno are all out.

 

[ThePrideofShiner]

Betances called up, Adams sent down.
 
Abbey gets his wish.

 

[jon abbey]

My wish would actually be to have A-Rod burned at the stake in center field during the game, but this is good too. 

 

[jon abbey]

Or Joba, either or both. 

 

[jon abbey]

Melky Mesa wins the IL AAA offensive player of the week with a ridiculous 1.324 OPS (.429/.467/.857, 7 G, 12-for-28, 3 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 7 R, 1 BB, 6 K).
 
So glad NY is locked into another year of Vernon Wells next year, I hope they can extend him another few seasons.  :smithicide:

 

[jon abbey]

Betances went right back to being dominant in his return to AAA, 4.1 2 0 0 2 6 in two outings since being sent down in favor of the fat tub of goo formerly known as Joba. 

 

[mabrowndog]

Melky Mesa wins the IL AAA offensive player of the week with a ridiculous 1.324 OPS (.429/.467/.857, 7 G, 12-for-28, 3 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 7 R, 1 BB, 6 K).
 
So glad NY is locked into another year of Vernon Wells next year, I hope they can extend him another few seasons.  :smithicide:

 
Mesa before that little 6-day hot streak: .245/.273/.418/.691 in 256 PA.
Mesa after that little 6-day hot streak: .243/.308/.378/.686 in 41 PA.
 
I stand by my assessment in the opening post of this thread. The guy sucks and is being vastly overrated by scouts and analysts based on pedigree and "potential" despite a now 10-year track record of shitty plate discipline. I have no earthly idea how one hot week in the minors, and a hot 5-game stretch when he was called up to NYY in late July (.385/.429/.538/.967 in 14 PA) makes this guy the second coming of Sammy Sosa. On his best day he's Wily Mo Pena without the Atlas build or the "wow" factor.
 
If Mesa is their alternative, they'd be better off with another decade of Vernon Wells.

 

[jon abbey]

I don't think he's really being overrated as no one rates him especially highly that I know of. 

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

All you have to hope for is that a Seattle or a Houston or a Miami rates him highly.

 

[jon abbey]

Actually it looks like he got released last week in a 40 man roster squeeze, since he was hurt and unable to help the team down the stretch, and was out of options going forward:
 
http://calltothepen.com/2013/09/01/new-york-yankees-release-melky-mesa/

 

[mabrowndog]

<removes cap, holds over heart, solemnly and apologetically bows head>

 

[terrynever]

There is nobody in the minors who can replace Granderson if Yankees let him walk. So Cashman gets to go after another bad veteran outfielder, righthanded hitter please, this winter. That worries me.
 
Let's not forget, Vernon had a great April and early May. Cashman was a genius in May when all his retreads were overperforming.

 

[Doctor G]

There is nobody in the minors who can replace Granderson if Yankees let him walk. So Cashman gets to go after another bad veteran outfielder, righthanded hitter please, this winter. That worries me.
 
Let's not forget, Vernon had a great April and early May. Cashman was a genius in May when all his retreads were overperforming.

Vernon was OK until the weather warmed up and the pitchers started to get a feel for their offspeed stuff.   

 

[derekson]

There is nobody in the minors who can replace Granderson if Yankees let him walk. So Cashman gets to go after another bad veteran outfielder, righthanded hitter please, this winter. That worries me.
 
Let's not forget, Vernon had a great April and early May. Cashman was a genius in May when all his retreads were overperforming.

 
 
The Yankees have an OF of Soriano - Gardner - Ichiro with Wells as a backup all already signed for 2014. Meanwhile they need to re-sign or replace Cano at 2B, figure out what to do at SS (sign Drew?), probably sign a 3B unless ARod somehow gets his entire suspension repealed in appeal, replace Mariano at C or get a few setup arms if they make Robertson closer, and rebuild a starting rotation that has no one signed beyond Sabathia and Nova. 
 
I don't think re-signing or replacing Granderson is a high priority this off-season.

 

[jon abbey]

They have Phelps for the rotation also, he was pretty solid before going down, and Warren probably deserves a shot too. I think they'll offer Granderson the qualifying offer assuming all or most of A-Rod's salary is off the books. 

 

[jon abbey]

NY's AA Trenton team blows through both rounds of the playoffs (3-1 and 3-0) and wins the Eastern League championship. Mason Williams, Gary Sanchez and Tyler Austin are all on this team, hitting 1st/4th/5th tonight.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

It was just one mopup inning of course, but Betances looked good last night.  98 on the fastball, and mixed in the curve very nicely.

 

[LMontro]

I know this is more than a month late, but Jon Lester is terrible. He had a couple good years but really I wouldn't be much more confident running him out there then I would be with Phil Hughes.

 
In honor of 2.50's (possible) last start as a Yankee.  It was a helluva run.  

 

[mabrowndog]

BA rated 6 Yankees among their GCL Top 20 Prospects
 
10. Luis Torrens, C
11. Miguel Andujar, 3B
13. Abiatal Avelino, SS
15. Gosuke Katoh, 2B
17. Luis Severino, RHP
20. Thairo Estrada, SS

 

[Sampo Gida]

Only 1 prospect made Sickels end of season top 75 (42, Gaby Sanchez)
 
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/9/27/4775038/minor-league-ball-top-75-prospects-end-of-season-update.%C2

 

[Hoplite]

Lately, both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus have made heavy criticisms of the Yankees farm system.
 
@ProfessorParks 3h
The @RedSox farm is so much better than the #Yankees farm that I would encourage NY fans to drink heavily for the next decade.

@ProfessorParks 2h
@JohnBotelhoSJ Sanchez is Yankees top prospect; would rank in the 4-6 range for Sox. No other Yankee would crack RedSox list.
 
http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2014-new-york-yankees-top-10-prospects/
 
 
 

 
…nearly all of the Yankees’ potential impact prospects took a step back. Outfielder Mason Williams struggled with weight gain and poor performance. Outfielder Slade Heathcott was just getting going before knee tendinitis ended his season. Outfielder Tyler Austin missed significant time at Double-A with a wrist injury.
The Yankees haven’t produced an everyday player since the 2005 draft, which yielded Brett Gardner and Austin Jackson…
All of this highlighted the major deficiencies at the upper levels of the Yankees system, evident even though Double-A Trenton won the Eastern League title. If there were viable internal options, acquisitions such as past-prime vets Vernon Wells or Mark Reynolds wouldn’t have been necessary.

 

[rembrat]

There was a time when Damon Oppenheimer was highly regarded.

 

[Murderer's Crow]

It's bad drafting and worse luck. Every pitcher they draft with upside needs TJS and flames out. Plus their best hitting prospects continue to just fizzle throughout the upper levels. It's a testament to the terrible depth they have.

 

[terrynever]

It's bad drafting and worse luck. Every pitcher they draft with upside needs TJS and flames out. Plus their best hitting prospects continue to just fizzle throughout the upper levels. It's a testament to the terrible depth they have.

I think you have to factor in the quality of coaching at the lower levels. It must be inferior to have such a bad track record for position players drafted since 2005. At AAA ball, the Yankees constantly bring in AAAA players to block the progress of the few prospects trying to make the leap from AA.

 

[jon abbey]

Yeah, there are a bunch of reasons for NY's currently poor farm system, including bad luck with injuries, but maybe the biggest is their inexplicable refusal to abuse the international system and the US draft before the CBA made it pretty much impossible to do so. We questioned that for years here, now we're seeing the (lack of) results. 

 

[Hoplite]

I am by no means an expert on the Yankees farm system, but it seems like this is a combination of poor drafting, an over-willingness to trade their best prospects (Clippard, Jackson, Melancon, Kennedy, etc.) and a lack of international presence. It seems like an ownership with such deep pockets should be more willing to sign players who wouldn't count against their international draft money like Jose Dariel Abreu. The Yankees also failed to sign some pretty good players that they drafted, including Chris Davis, Doug Fister, Gerrit Cole and Daniel Bard. But that's often as much the player's fault is it is the team that drafted them.

 

[Murderer's Crow]

I am by no means an expert on the Yankees farm system, but it seems like this is a combination of poor drafting, an over-willingness to trade their best prospects (Clippard, Jackson, Melancon, Kennedy, etc.) and a lack of international presence. It seems like an ownership with such deep pockets should be more willing to sign players who wouldn't count against their international draft money like Jose Dariel Abreu. The Yankees also failed to sign some pretty good players that they drafted, including Chris Davis, Doug Fister, Gerrit Cole and Daniel Bard. But that's often as much the player's fault is it is the team that drafted them.

 
I don't think trading any of those prospects were bad moves at the time. Kennedy, the outlier of that group, was a top prospect in our system who they projected with a ceiling of a number 3. I would do Jackson for Granderson every time.

 

[rembrat]

It's bad drafting and worse luck. Every pitcher they draft with upside needs TJS and flames out. Plus their best hitting prospects continue to just fizzle throughout the upper levels. It's a testament to the terrible depth they have.

Yea, isn't it their M.O. to select guys with high upside who fall in the draft because injury concerns or wonky mechanics? It worked with Joba for a bit but nothing ever since.

 

[Murderer's Crow]

Yea, isn't it their M.O. to select guys with high upside who fall in the draft because injury concerns or wonky mechanics? It worked with Joba for a bit but nothing ever since.

 
Didn't the new agreement limit their ability to hand out signing bonuses? 

 

[Hoplite]

 
I don't think trading any of those prospects were bad moves at the time. Kennedy, the outlier of that group, was a top prospect in our system who they projected with a ceiling of a number 3. I would do Jackson for Granderson every time.

 
Even if you ignore the Ian Kennedy component of that deal, Jackson for Granderson seems like a pretty big loss for the Yankees. Since 2010, Jackson has been worth 14.6 WAR and has cost the Tigers $4.84 million and Granderson has been worth 13.8 WAR and has cost the Yankees $36.75 million.