Loading Up On Lefties

The Yankees have a long tradition of running lefty starters out their and beating you. This started way before Gomez, Lopat, Ford, Downing, Guidry, John, Key, and Andy. Back when the Yanks' draft was being poorly run, one of their default settings was to take lefty pitchers. It was one of their brighter strategies, but as we know, goodness always trumps handedness and if given the choice between a RHP and a LHP, you take the better pitcher. They didn't always do that before Oppenheimer and Co. started running the drafts.

Anyway, there were a lot of intriguing lefties in the 2011 draft, and I think some of the ones the Yanks liked didn't quite make it to them, but they didn't force anything. They ended up taking 7 lefties:

88 Sam Stafford 6'4" 200 LHP College Junior

629 Daniel Camarena 6'0"" 200 LHP HS

749 Matt Tracy 6'3" 212 LHP College Senior

839 Chaz Hebert 6'0" 200 LHP HS

959 Aaron Bummer 6'2" 185 LHP HS

1199 Taylor Guilbeau 6'3 170 LHP HS

1469 Benjamin Wesley 6'1" 180 LHP HS

Notice how many picks when by between Stafford and Camarena. That's why I think they were missing out on a few of their favorites. Anyway, also notice that LSU's Matt Tracy is the only lefty we drafted who is sure to sign. The rest of them are either High School kids or in Stafford's case a college junior! Btw, if we don't sign Stafford, we get the pick back next year.

Now, I think they will sign Stafford, and probably pretty close to slot, though I think his team is still playing and they might give him some time off. Stafford has a lot going for him as an LHP, he throws hards, has good size, and is graceful and athletic. Along time ago, Bill James said in one of his columns that successful LHP's are almost always graceful and athletic. Ford used to play 3rd for a batter then go pitch as well pinch hit. Ron Guidry was the best athlete on the team for 15 years. Andy had the great move. And Boomer Wells and CC for all their size, bounce around quite athletically. You'll think of more and see James had a good point.

Anyway, Stafford has all that good stuff going for him, but he has control problems. Guess what? That's a characteristic of a lot of young lefties, including Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson, Jon Lester in the minors and many others. In other words, if he's athletic and graceful - or 6'10" wildness shouldn't stop you from grabbing your lefty. The Yanks have a good system in place for developing pitchers, even if they don't rush them along a some would prefer.

Nardi was a righty, but their are some former lefty pitchers around the organization including former pick Danny Borrell, who was a promising pitcher back in the era when the system was bad. He runs rehab for pitchers, and is down in Tampa. I'm sure he pitches in with the other EST stuff. If he hadn't gotten hurt, he would have made it, btw. He was good.

The bigger question is, out of the 5 remaining prep lefties, who are they going to sign if anyone? I'm going to guess three of them will sign. I know that seems a little high, but I believe LHP was a focus this year and I don't see them taking the two college kids and and not also taking some preps, otherwise they wouldn't be taking advantage of the pool and they wouldn't really be adding more lefties than in a year with a poor lefty pool.

So, who do I think they're add? I think it will be Camarena, Hebert and Guilbeau. So why do I think this: Camerena's a California Kid, and we always get a California prep pitcher. Sometimes more than one. That's David Keith's territory, and he always hooks us up with a signable prep or two. So that's my vote for one.

The other two, Chaz Hebert and Taylor Guilbeau, are both from Louisiana. This feels a little ringerific to me. The Yanks have a serious tradition of getting LHP's from Louisiana, notably Gator and Andy, but don't forget Ray Fontenot who was between them. In other words, the Yanks have been working the bayou for 40 years, and right now they have former draft pick Andy Cannizaro working the territory. Andy who just retired a few years ago, has seen his stock rise somewhat meteorically through our scouting system. He is pretty young and relatively inexperienced to have his own important territory. Yet he does and that means he's delivering. He could be dixie's answer to Matt Hyde in term of finding future Yankees. Anyway, I think we're getting both of these Andy Canni specials. Just a hunch.

Of course, it could work out totally differently. But it's fun to speculate. I do think they will bring in Tracy and 4 signability guys.

I think we'll look at the college relievers next and then Signability RHP's after that (there are tons). Go Yanks!

UPDATE: Matt Tracy has apparently signed.