With last week’s announcement of 13 players invited to spring camp, the total number of non-roster invitees stands at 27. That brings the total roster entering camp to 67 players.
With the likelihood that AJ Burnett will be traded and a left-handed DH will be added, the list is subject to change but here is he entire Yankee Spring Training Roster, as it stands now:
Looking over the unfamiliar names on the 40 man roster:
RHP Dellin Betences has been one of the two most highly touted Yankee pitching prospects (the other is Manny Banuelos) in the system since Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain became major league players. Betances is 6’8″ and long regarded as the as the pitcher with the highest upside in the farm system. He’s currently regarded as the number 2 rated prospect in the Yankees’ minor league system, though he seemed to regress in 2011, reverting to the sloppy walk rate similar to his early years in lower levels of the system. His continued control issues at this stage of his development have a lot of scouts beginning to question whether he has a suitable makeup to be a major league starter and are projecting him as a late-inning relief pitcher. Still, MLB.com ranks him 41st on their top 100 prospects list.
LHP Cesar Cabral was sold to the Yankees by the Royals after they selected him in the Rule 5 draft back in December. He’d been in the Red Sox minor league organization since 2006 but never advanced beyond AA. This offseason he dominated in his spot-relief role in winter ball, allowing 7 hits, 3 walks and 1 earned run in 12 2/3 innings, while striking out 13. His makeup seems intriguing enough. As does wishfull thinking that he’ll become a solid contributor after five years of failing to get a shot in Boston. Other than Boone Logan, Cabral is currently the only left-handed relief pitcher on the 40 man roster with a chance to break camp with the team.
LHP Pedro Feliciano signed a two year deal with the Yankees in January 2011 after 8 years as a reliable lefty specialist for the Mets. The last time most Yankee fans will recall hearing Feliciano’s name was in April when, after being shut down during spring training with wha sore shoulder, Brian Cashman criticized the Mets’ for excessively using the pitcher, charging that he’d been “abused.” Feliciano had rotator cuff surgery in September and according to Bryan Hoch with MLB.com, he’ll likely miss 2012 as well, meaning he’ll receive $8mil for 2 years with the Yankees without ever throwing a pitch for them in a regular season game.
RHP George Kontos was a 5th round pick in the 2006 draft who seemed to be progressing well through the system until Tommy John surgery dreailed him in 2009. After missing the second half of ’09 and the first half of 2010 he returned, apparently reinvented as a relief pitcher. He was tested at each level in 2010 and then threw 89 1/3 solid innings last year in AAA Scranton, mostly in relief. He got into seven games with the Yankees in September, allowing 2 earned runs in six innings.
RHP Brad Meyers was the Yankees Rule 5 selection this offseason after he was left exposed by the Nationals, who selected him in the 5th round of the 2007 amateur draft. After being named the Nationals Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2009, he missed most of 2010 with two foot surgeries. In 2011 he started 24 games, pitching effectively. He’s described as a consistent strike-thrower with good control and average stuff.
RHP D.J. Mitchell was taken by the Yankees in the 10th round of the 2008 draft. A career starter, he rose steadily through the Yankees minor league ranks and did not disappoint in a full season at AAA Scranton in 2011. Despite not getting a September call up, the Yankees added him to the 40 man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. His makeup appears similar to Chien Ming Wang, with a hard sinker and a mid-90s fastball with little movement that he uses to set up the sinker.
RHP David Phelps was a 14th round pick for the Yankees in the 2008 draft. Like Mitchell, he succeeded with each successive promotion through the farm system, including a solid season at Scranton in 2011. MLB.com boasts that as a 14th round selection, he’s already exceeded expectations. His minor league stat line boasts a career ERA of 2.61.
RHP Michael Pineda shouldn’t need much of an introduction. The big prize in the Jesus Montero trade should be a lock to make the starting rotation 2012. In his rookie season last year with the Mariners, he simply dominated the league in the first half and earned a trip to the All Star Game before tiring out after the break. At least we hope it was just a matter of tiring out. He still finished 5th in rookie of the year voting, 3rd among pitchers after Tampa’s Jeremy Hellickson and Ivan Nova.
C Austin Romine is the catching prospect who isn’t Jesus Montero. He was selected in the 2nd round of the 2007 draft and is regarded as a far more polished and defensively capable catcher than Montero was. Whether he might become an elite defensive catcher will depend on how well he improves his footwork, either way scouts are already saying his work behind the plate is ready for the majors. The offensive numbers lack power but are otherwise respectable for a catcher, especially one with high potential on defense. MLB.com ranks Romine 7th among Yankee prospects. He got into 9 games with the Yankees in September, with just 3 hits in 20 plate appearances.
2B David Adams was a third round choice for the Yankees in the 2008 draft. Regarded as a hard worker with average skills on offense and defense. His career batting line is a very respectable .291ba/.375obp/.447slg. Unfortunately, he suffered a severe broken ankle in 2010 and has dealt with leg issues since returning from the injury. Due mostly to the injury, he has yet to advance beyond the AA level.
2B Corban Joseph was selected in the 4th round of the 2008 draft out of high school. He was eligible for this offseason’s rule five draft a year early because he was 19 years-old when he was drafted. I suspect the Yankees wouldn’t likely have protected him except for Adams’ injury issues. His batting line at AA Trenton last year was a respectable .277/.353/.415 after looking overmatched there at the end of 2010. But Adams appears plainly superior on both offense and defense and if able to stay healthy, will likely remain the top middle-infield prospect in the farm system.
1B/3B Brandon Laird played in 11 games with the Yankees last year, managing just 4 hits in 25 plate appearances. While the 27th round pick in the 2007 draft has shown respectable power at every level against minor league pitching, the overall offensive numbers aren’t strong enough for a player who seems fairly error-prone at third base.
OF Zoilo Almonte has been in the Yankees farm system since he was signed as a 17 year-old in 2006 and didn’t earn a promotion to AA until 2011. He was likely protected because of the relatively few outfield prospects in the Yankees system. The career .263 hitter over 6 minor league seasons is a switch hitter and produces double-digit home runs and steals but would have to develop further before he’d be considered a legitimate major league prospect.
OF Justin Maxwell was traded by the Nationals to the Yankees last offseason. He hit .201 in 260 major league plate appearances over parts of three seasons since 2007. He didn’t get called up in 2011 but in 204 AAA plate appearances the 6’5″ outfielder showed power he hadn’t flashed since low-A ball in 2007. He belted 16 home runs, pushing his slugging percentage to a lofty .588 while stealing 11 bases in 13 tries.
OF Melky Mesa’s name has been kicked around various “players to watch” lists for a few years now. Scouts seem to love his athleticism and power potential. Coaches, I’m sure, are frustrated by his lack of plate discipline and overall difficulty in harnessing his skills. I wouldn’t dig out my “Got Melky?” shirt just yet. The career .239 hitter in the minors did not take well to AA ball in his first taste last year in Stanton, managing only 9 home runs in 109 games while hitting .249.
And the highest ranked prospects among the non-roster invitees:
RHP Manny Banuelos is the other half of the “Killer Bs” prospect duo with Dellin Betances (formerly a trio before Andrew Brackman was released). With Jesus Montero now in Seattle, he is the top prospect in the Yankees farm system and the 13th ranked prospect in baseball according to MLB.com. His command is still developing but he’s more polished that Betances, even if he doesn’t quite match up to his big buddy’s huge potential.
C Gary Sanchez, the Yankees’ #3 prospect and #53 on MLB.com’s overall list, is one of the reasons Jesus Montero was expendable. After crushing the Gulf Coast League in rookie ball in 2010, Sanchez held his own in single-A Charleston over 82 games. Like Montero, his defense at catcher is suspect. But at 19 years old, he’s still young enough to reasonably hope that he will progress further than Montero did. The greater issue for Sanchez might be his demeanor, as he’s developed a reputation as a behavior problem. After his slow start in single-A Charleston in 2011 led to a loss of playing time to J.R. Murphy, Sanchez refused to enter a game as a replacement and then refused to act as a bullpen catcher. A demotion to Tampa seemed to light a fire under him and turn his season around.
RHP Adam Warren was taken by the Yankees in the 4th round of the 2009 draft. MLB.com ranks him 10th among Yankee prospects. After a dominant season in rookie ball, Warren shot through the system in 2010, pitching effectively at each step. He played the entire 2011 season in Scranton, where he had a respectable 27-start season. He’s regarded as a command pitcher with average stuff.
C/3B J.R. Murphy was taken in the 2nd round of the 2009 draft. Touted as yet another hitting catcher, MLB.com has him 13th on the Yankees’ prospect listing. The numbers aren’t bad for a player with his experience but don’t bear out the hype yet. Still early. His primary role for now might be to keep Gary Sanchez looking over his shoulder.
Notes:
I don’t see a left-handed DH candidate in camp.
Between Logan, Cabral and the left-handed non-roster invitees, the bullpen shouldn’t have a problem keeping a lefty reliever fresh in 2012.
The following high level prospects were not invited to camp (MLB.com rank among Yankee prospects in parentheses): OF Mason Williams (4), RHP Jose Campos (5), OF Slade Heathcott (6), OF Dante Bichette Jr. (8), SS Cito Culver (9).
Between The Pinstripes 