Yankee Draft: The Bullpen Strategy

The Yanks have had a lot of bad draft ideas over the years.  Like, drafting football players and thinking they could make them baseball players.   Or spending high picks on former players' kids.  Or overdrafting preps after a good workout.   One good idea they've had, that they keep doing it drafting relievers.

The reason why drafting relievers is considered a bad bet is because they can't be turned into starters as easily as failed starters can be made into relievers, though Chase Whitley is currently challenging this draft "wisdom."   Having said that, the idea of turning them into starters should almost never be part of the calculous of drafting a reliever.

Clearly, the Yanks had seen the advantage to have Mo and having a strong bridge to him.

This really first showed up in 2005, when they took JB Cox in the second round.    He didn't work out, and the 2nd round was maybe a little high to start looking, but, that's probably where they first reasoned that they could use the draft to find eventually plus bullpen guys.  Side note:  they took Brett Gardner in the third round, and he has paid for the entire draft through the money he's saved the Yanks.

2006 was when it really got going. That was when they took Mark Melancon and David Robertson.   Of course, they foolishly made Joba a reliever from that draft, too, and last year they threw Betances in the pen and are having awesome results.   All these MLB pitchers came from the 2006 draft.

2007 draft featured Brackman, who they thought would be an ace or a closer eventually, rather than the Euro League Hoop player, which he is.    They gave him a major league deal.   Yikes.  Although Manny Barreda is still in the system, this draft doesn't look like it will ever play for itself.  They seemed to be using the draft from 2007 on to figure out what a draftable bat was, though they were also drafting a bunch of Brett Gardner clones and still do from time to time.

2008 they didn't really get anything done on the plus reliever side, though,  David Phelps is probably close to paying for the draft and he's been better off as a starter.   Bleich is still around and battling and he may someday be a lefty reliever.

In 2009, they took Warren, who has looked best as a reliever, as well as Sean Black, Shane Greene, Brett Gerritse and Graham Stoneburner who may all contribute at some point.  Caleb Cotham could also still end up in the pen.   But in the years between 20006 when they did, and 2009, the Yanks backed off going for good college relievers and drafted arms with the idea that they'd land where they did.   Heathcott and Murphy will probably end up paying for this draft.

In 2010 they realized there was an easier way.   They took Tommy Kahnle early, who they have lost to the rule 5.   Then started taking college relievers in the middle rounds, staring with St. John's closer Danny Burawa.  Later they took Chase Whitley and Preston Claiborne.   Burawa is the only one who hasn't pitched in the bigs, and that's because of injuries.  He has a monster fastball and could be up later this year.   They also took Zach Nuding in that draft as a reliever and thus far are using him as a starter.

In 2011, the focus was on prep bats (and it's paying off, early) but they also took Phil Wetherell, Zach Arneson and Mark Montgomery in the early rounds. Montgomery was meteoric till he got hurt.  Wetherell is still at it.  They also took Nick Goody who looks great when healthy, but he wouldn't sign till they took him again a year later.   They also took Brandon Pinder.

In 2012, they took Corey Black, who because of his size was projected to be a reliever, though he was a starter before they traded him.   Then they took Nick Goody for keeps.  They also took Dietrich Enns whom they've swung between starting a relieving.  All the other pitchers from that draft are either starters, injured or still figuring it out.

Last year,  they took a Nick Goody, also from LSU, named Nick Rumbelow and he's been shredding it and is already in high A.  They also took Tyler Webb, who doesn't have the big fastball but has ice water in his veins and swing and miss junk.  The rest of the guys, like the ones from `12 are either starting now,  injured or status unknown because they are not pitching yet.  But Rumbelow and Webb have already looked good.

Anyway, starting with Dave Robertson, drafting college relievers has probably been the Yanks best bet.   Though that could be changing.   Pretty soon, they should be at a point where they don't have to hire free agents for the big league bullpen and can be wholly self sustaining.  That would be a big money saver for the Yanks.

Now, if they could only develop top of the rotation starters.