Yankees Minors: A Look at the Staten Island Roster (Postion Players)

MiLB finally has a roster up for the SI Yanks, but it is, at best a provisional roster, and won't be accurate for long, as more players signed and others are shuffled.   In fact, it may not even be accurate at game time.

The roster as it's currently constructed features 15 pitchers, and 16 position players.   I already think that's one too many.  But we'll see.

We'll start with the position guys, since we've been talking so much about pitchers lately.  Then I'll come back an talk about the pitchers in a separate post.

They're starting out with three catchers:

Radley Haddad

Collin Slaybaugh

Isaias Tejeda

Haddad was an undrafted free agent the Yanks signed last year.  He may already be an organizational player.   Tejeda is a former IFA who had a big year in the GCL when he first came to the states.  But, he's never really followed it up.   He's on the verge of irrelevance and needs good season to start progressing again.

Collin Slaybaugh was one of those senior draft picks with upside.  He's toolsy for a catcher and can hit and run,.  Plus he's a lefty hitter, so they'll probably keep him at C.   It will be interesting to see if he plays like a prospect or become a faster version of PJ Pilletere.

As of today, the are listing 5 1b's on the roster.

Chris Breen

Bubba Jones

Renzo Martini

Brady Steiger

Bo Thompson

Steiger is already 24 and didn't get much run for GCL2 last year.   The rest of the guys are younger and all of them are interesting.  

Chris Breen can flat out hit.   He was drafted as a catcher a few years ago and immediately had his glove taken away.  They list him as a 1B, but he'll probably play all the corners this year.   Big breakout candidate, and just 20.

Bubba Jones was another overslot draft pick, and he'll mostly stay on first.  A lefty swinger, he's had some moments of clarity in his first few years, and just needs to show consistency, to get off the short season merry go round.

Renzo Martini killed the DSL two years ago, and he's looking to establish himself in the states now.   Great name.

Bo Thompson will be 22 next month, but he's a big time power guy, with walks, that we drafted last week.   He'll be fun to watch, because the SI park is pretty offense neutral and you an hit homers there.  He also takes walks, and gets hit a lot, for a robust on base ability.   We'll see how he defends.  Could end up a right handed Papi.

So those are probably you're 1b's and the DH's, with Breen possessing some positional versatility for the corners.

They are only listing 2 2B's.   Though there must be more on the way.  For right now they are:

Jake Anderson

Jose Javier

Jake Anderson was an overslot guy from really a few years ago, now.  He was a rare non-pitcher who had TJS, and some other injury stuff.   The talent is there, or was, before all the injuries.  He's probably running out of time.

Javier is a slight former IFA who is already 22 and has limited upside.

At third, they are only listing:

Ty McFarland

Ty was drafted with the last pick of day 2.   This guy has some selectivity and lefty pop.  He's the son of a well known coach, but most people think his future is at 2b, and the future could be now considering who's playing 2b for SI.

Obviously, Breen and maybe Thompson will also play 3B, or maybe someone who hasn't signed yet.

At short they are only listing one guy, but Conde will probably join the team as soon as Vandy's season ends.

Thairo Estrada

Thairo is 18 and one of the group of young, toolsy shortstops the Yanks have been collecting in IFA.   He's obviously behind Avelino right now, but he's capable of putting himself on the prospect map starting now.  He's the youngest player on the team.

They are listing 4 OF's as of now.

Austin Aune

Devyn Bolasky

Daniel Lopez

Nathan Mikolas

Austin Aune, was the Yanks second pick in 2012.   He was a really good HS football player, as well as a baseball player and he leveraged that into a 7 figure bonus.   The next day we got Rob Refsnyder for less than half as much.   That's baseball econ.   Meanwhile, this guy hasn't hit at all.    This is probably a make or break season for Austin before he heads off into Carmen Angellini/Garrison Lassiter teenage millionaire baseball heaven.

Devyn Bolasky was drafted last week, and seems to have some on base, some defense and some lefty pop that may play up in Yankeeland.  Not sure about his speed, but we've had some success with these sorts of guys.

Daniel Lopez, was a higly regarded IFA a few years ago.  I think he was one of the post scandal guys they got at a reduced rate, but he was reportedly really fast, but so far he's shown an uncertain hit tool.

Nathan Mikolas is a corner guy they took a few years ago as a prep from Wisconsin.  I wrote before the draft how I don't like taking guys from cold places because they are missing so many at bats.  Witness Mikolas, who clearly has hitting talent, but has only had moments of clarity -- like Bubba Jones (also from a cold place).  It's a bit year for Nate, too.

Looking at the OF options, we'll probably have good D there.   No butchers, and the pitchers, who we'll talk about later, will be honored.  

I'll look at the pitchers in a few hours.  Things could change by then, so I might have to keep updating this post.  I wouldn't unpack if I was Haddad or Steiger.