Yankees Draft Review, Pt. 4: Pitchers
First two notes.
1) I am hopping on a plane in 3 hours and heading East till Sunday, so this will be my last update before Sunday.
2) Pitching is weird. And the way people try to stack pitcher is sort of a waste of time - no one is a totally finished package when they are drafted. Guys can an do add velocity and learn new pitches. Heck, look at what learning the slider during ST did for Ron Guidry? Look at what learning the cutter did for Mo. Look what learning the splitter has done for lots of pitchers. To that end I'm a believer in using draft to stockpile arms.
Back to our review.
In round 1 at 16, the Yanks took James Kaprielian the swing and miss righty from UCLA. First, his velo has been up, and if it stays that way, JK has ace potential. And if his velo recedes, guess what he's still got ace potential. Movement is more important that velocity and he's already got good movement. And he's a strike thrower. May not be our most exciting pick, but we could end up loving him for long time.
Next, they took LHP Jeff DeGano. I love this pick and feel like we could have something special, first off he's already had TJS so as long as he's not Christian Garcia, it's just about building from here. He has a "slurve" which he changes shapes with, sometimes making it more of slider, other times more of a curve. But he gets swing and miss, and has 90-94 and up on his fastball. Needs to work on his change or add a split, but as exciting rebuilty arm to have.
At #92 in round 3, the Yanks took RHP starter Drew Finley. This guy is the high school version of Kapierlian, and what's more, the 6'3" 200 department of pitcher is place where the Yanks shopped heavily this week. He has filthy breaking stuff already, and even though he doesn't seem to be your typical throws 96 prep righty, and should have a lower ceiling -- swing and miss is better than hard and straight and he's already got that. Huge addition to the system.
In round 5, they took Adam Chance, a typical Yankee bullpen pick. Chance does throw hard and has a swing and miss slider. Just turn him loose.
In round 10 the Yanks took LHP James Reeves from The Citadel. Another 6'3" 200 hundred guy, and a pitchability senior pick. We'll see what else he can learn.
And uh-oh-- I'll have to finish this Sunday night or Monday morning. Have a great weekend everyone!
posted by Kalel9 @ 7:55 AM
52 Comments:
I hope that Kaprielian signs quickly. He could lose a year of development if he doesn't, and Boras knows that better than anyone.
Phil, thanks for taking out the time to do these draft reviews, and thanks for keeping us updated as the picks flowed in. Much easier checking out this blog than scrolling through countless Twitter posts on the draft.
Phil;
You are 4 for 4 with these recaps. Well done. Have a safe flight.
Just a quick note. Someone on another site came across someone from the Citadel that the guys are coming in. Looks like we may lose the #10 pick. But, money talks. We shall see.
Slightly OT, but McCann is no longer popping up much: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/how-brian-mccann-stopped-popping-it-up/
McCann has had good months in the past before tailing off, but last year it was AVG or SLG without much OBP. This year we are seeing much more balanced upside.
July 2014: .287 .312 .402 .714
Sept 2014 .222 .281 .519 .799
May 2015 .244 .323 .477 .800
June 2015 333 .360 .542 .902
Well, he isn't walking in June, but if you hit .333 and SLG .542, it doesn't matter nearly as much.
This isn't draft related but Shane Greene was sent to the minors today.
Also, Mason Williams is starting in CF.
Developing pitchers is hard.
Stinks for Greene. Mason didn't miss a beat when promoted to AAA, let's hope the hot hitting continues.
Pineda has been pretty inconsistent.
So Williams can't hit LHP?
@JackCurryYES: I understand why Girardi would pinch-hit Young for Williams, but Williams did hit .346 vs LHP at AAA.
Girardi is a problem if this team is serious about developing youth.
Curry is a terminal homer and he sees it but had to sanitize it.
I really, truly cannot understand the logic behind this team's roster construction. Can anyone legitimately defend why the likes of Rogers, Capuano and three infielders who can't hit are all on the roster?
at this point, it's all girardi-- he must have someone's ear upstairs
So, we've got Girardi dictating who's on the big-league roster while he continues to be allowed to keep Drew, Capuano and Rogers around and pinch-hitting a promising young hitter in Mason Williams in favor of Chris Young, with Cashman either unwilling or unable to step in and demand the kids get a real shot. We've got Levine lying in the weeds waiting to overrule the baseball people and make a dumb move, and Hal and co. not having the stomach to get into bidding wars over top international prospects.
My goodness, it would be hilarious if it weren't so sad to see.
Here's Jed Weisberger on Brendan Ryan:
@nyyankeefanfore Watched him last weekend. No reason of be blocking kids. Other teams' scouts are getting a big laugh out of it.
Welp, I just read Rogers was outrighted off the 40-man. At least someone seems to be paying attention. Capuano needs to go when Nova returns.
There is blame for the GM too.
I mean, who hired Girardi, or the guy who finds fools 'gold" like Rogers? Eppler.
This franchise was declining before Joey G. was hired.
It was partially obscured by Stick's core and the massive spending.
So yeah, Goofy Joe blows, but to deny that the GM blows too is silly.
To replace Rogers, the Yankees will purchase Sergio Santos's contract. They just recently signed him to a minor league deal.
So, one retread to another. Chortle.
LINJ, at this point, if Cashman truly is Girardi's boss, he needs to lay down the law and tell him they're going to develop the kids, and you need to play them or else. It's ridiculous that he keeps getting to fill the roster with journeymen while better, younger players are available.
Mike
I think it's more likely than not that they agree over 90% of the time.
Lindgren down
Ramirez up
Hopefully Lindgren can get his velocity up. At least one if the call ups is Ramirez, who has upside as a righty reliever.
I heard Goofy Joe talking about Drew sounding like he has been vindicated by his recent play. I now like Torre more.
He, Beltran and Headley aren't doing anything for the lineup on a regular basis; their good moments are few and far between. Headley and Beltran's defense has also left a lot to be desired.
You know, as much as I mock the front office's infatuation with defense at the expense of hitting and think it's a wrongheaded approach to building a team, if this team's defense was even half as good as it was supposed to be, they'd likely have at least a couple of extra wins.
That is true with A-Rod and and Teix being great. With that, every added advantage is big. Without that, almost nothing else would matter.
If they are serious about winning, CC can't stay in the rotation.
Said it before, and I'll say it again: Long reliever.
Tanaka
Pineda
Warren
Eovaldi
Nova
Manager Moron
Why is Chris Martin here?
Oh yes, he's a veteran
Journeymen gonna journeymen.
McCann is not that good defensively. Not sure why the moron manager can't admit it.
At this point, you just have to laugh at the incompetency in roster management, regardless of who's at fault? Are you a journeyman? Check. Do you have a veteran presence? Check. Are you not from our farm system. Check. Stick around a while.
The money is a curse
Good day for John R
How often will The Goof have Betances up with no outs in the 8th?
Wilson mooted it. Good job. Maybe he can prevent a bad trade for a reliever.
Yanks had a scout at Cueto's last start per Jon Morosi.
Will cost some big time prospects for a guy about to hit free agency...
They scout a bunch of players fairly regularly, so I wouldn't read too much into that. I'd rather they go after someone like Kazmir, if anyone.
I would hate hate hate any trade for a pitcher.
The reasons I would hate it are: they have in-house options like Warren, Mtchell, and Severino; pitchers are fragile so why burn s ton of assets for one; if you keep over leveraging the present at the expense of the future, you end up in the quicksand of mediocrity that has characterized the Cashman Yankees after Stick's core got old.
Ratings and attendance are down. How long do you do the same stupid shit that has proved not to work on any level that matters?
But there
For me, it would depend on what prospects were yielded. I do think they need at least another No. 2-type pitcher with so much inconsistency in the rotation (not to mention injury threats). Further, it is obvious that certain minor leaguers are never going to be given a fair shot with the current decision-makers. As much as trading them for an asset like Kazmir would be a symptom of this team's problems, if it's for an asset that could at least help them win... well, I still probably wouldn't like it, but I could learn to live with it.
I understand, but just because they're stupid with minor leaguers might motivate me to excuse that stupidity.
Kazmir, Clippers and Zobrist would solve a lot of issues
And create even more.
Severino, one of the young OF, and Refs solve problems for multiple seasons, while freeing up money to solve even more problems.
Then add Judge to the next young core.
If Teix or A-Rod go down or regress, nothing they do will matter.
Patience is a virtue. Until they relearn that, mediocrity is their ceiling.
It's not happening with these decision-makers. It has to be obvious to a great many people who pay close enough attention (I.E. are more than mere casual fans) that this is a poorly run team whose only saving grace this season has been two bloated contract players finding the Fountain of Youth. That's not to say there aren't good, smart baseball people within the organization — Billy Martin, you worked for the Yankees for a time, so I'm sure you can attest to this — but until the ones calling the shots are replaced, the best we can hope for is a lightning-in-a-bottle-type season. And this season has the potential to be that if the Yankees can ever stop being so Jekyll-and-Hyde in their performance.
I mean, heck, WE could make better roster moves than the Yankees have made this season. WE could put together a better roster, and we don't even work in baseball. Think about that for a second — personnel for a team with more resources than any team IN EXISTENCE continues to make mind-bogglingly dumb decisions on how to fill a roster. If that doesn't frighten you in regard to the Yankees' long-term outlook, it should.
So anyway, that's why I'll be rooting like heck for the Yankees to catch lightning in a bottle and go on a World Series run this season. Because unless the decision-makers do an about-face in terms of its philosophy on giving youth a real shot, then storm clouds are on the horizon, to borrow a quote from Cashman, circa 2005.
I will remain an optimist until it's untenable to be one. The rotation is crowded as is, and if they add to it, I think it will be Severino and/or Mitchell.
Unless of course Tanaka or Pineda go down, and then it's full idiot mode from the GM on up and down.
San Diego Padres fire manager Bud Black - @CBSSportsMLB
_
I bet the Goofy Veteran-Obsessed Manager here would like SD...
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