NYYankees Offseason Thread

dwalsh · Feb 13, 2008

continued....

15. Dan McCutchen, RHP, 25
McCutchen’s a unique case - he was drafted in four consecutive years (twice by the Yanks), yet didn’t really separate himself as a prospect until his fifth year of college. Older than your typical prospect, McCutchen is an absolute horse that has worked in a variety of roles, which will serve him well if he does eventually shift to the pen. I used to think that a switch to relief was inevitable, but I’m starting to think that McCutchen has enough to get by as a 200 inning back-of-the-rotation arm. If nothing else, the Yanks will keep him in the rotation until he proves he can’t cut it. He started the final game of Trenton’s Championship season last year, and he’s likely to start their first of this year.

14. Humberto Sanchez, RHP, 24
It’s funny, when the Sheff deal was made, the Yankees had zero power pitching prospects at Triple-A, and Humberto was supposed to fill that role in 2007. What a difference a year makes. Still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, Sanchez should be ready for game action in May, and could make his ML debut later in the year. Before he does that though, he’s got to prove that he’s committed to being a conditioned professional athlete. The early signs are good, as reports indicate that he was working on his throwing program while on his honeymoon last fall. Let’s see how he rebounds from surgery before anointing him a bullpen savior.

13. Mark Melancon, RHP, 23
Just about all the way back from Tommy John surgery, Melancon is basically ready to go for his first full season in the pros. With only 17.1 pro innings under his belt (counting his time in Hawaii and the NY-Penn League playoffs), Melancon has a lot of work to do before he’s a candidate for a big league bullpen job. I understand he’s a college reliever (and a damn good one at that) so naturally there’s a desire to move him quickly, but the Yanks shouldn’t rush him and risk getting stuck with the next Craig Hansen.

12. JB Cox, RHP, 23
A dogged competitor who wants the ball in his hand with the game on the line, JB’s been there-done that in huge spots already. Everything he throws breaks on two planes, and in 2006 he improved his changeup to the point that it allows him to effectively neutralize lefties despite a borderline sidearm delivery. It’s not unheard of for guys to throw harder post-Tommy John surgery, and a little bit more velocity is all JB needs to start getting the respect he deserves. He’s the bulldog groundball reliever the Yanks are lacking in the bullpen.

11. Carmen Angelini, SS, 19
I’ve gone on the record confessing my love for Angelini several times in the past, and this will be no exception. I love what the kid brings to the table (very good defense and strong offense) at a premium position, and his polish is just icing on the cake. He’s exactly the kind of prospect the Yanks should be loading up on - a kid with top two rounds talent who just needed a little extra financial incentive to turn pro. Angelini’s a legitimate shortstop and the second best middle infield prospect the Yanks have had since Derek Jeter. It’s not impossible for him to pass Cano on that list in the future.

10. Dellin Betances, RHP, 20
Take a look at that picture, then take a quick gander at this video. He must be what, twelve feet away the batter when he releases the ball? Goodness, glad I don’t have to face him. Anywho, Betances’ big coming out party in 2007 hit a snag when he went down with elbow trouble after only 6 starts and 25 IP. The general sense around the netweb is that Tommy John surgery is inevitable, but I think (hope) that’s just the aftertaste of last year’s TJ debacle. Betances is the biggest project in the organization, which is fine because he’s not the centerpiece of the system, nor was he a high draft pick (yes he got a million bucks, but he was only an 8th round pick). The Yanks can afford to wait as long as necessary to make sure Betances reaches his potential. Almost all of the other Yankee prospect lists have him outside of the top 10, but I just can’t ignore the ceiling.

9. Jeff Marquez, RHP, 23
To be completely honest, I was never much of a Marquez fan. We heard all about his live arm and his heavy fastball, but it never seemed to translate into the kind of performance you’d expect. He was simply solid, racking up quality starts with the occasional brilliant outing/stinker thrown in. It’s time for me to give Marquez his due, because he’s knocking on the door of the bigs and has gobs of value as a young and cheap starter that can eat innings at the back of a big league rotation within a year. Marquez isn’t a guy that has to work on a lot of things, he’s got a gorgeous delivery (my number one, uh, thing for pitching prospects) and really needs to just keep doing what he’s been doing to be successful. Outside of the Big Three, he’s the Yanks’ best trade chip.

8. Ross Ohlendorf, RHP, 25
I dunno what in the world it is, but people across message boards and in the comment sections of various blogs seem to have little faith in Rock ‘n Rohlendorf. Is it the Ivy League nerdiness? The dorky last name? The bitter aftertaste of his ALDS showing? Whatever it is, I really don’t get it. Close your eyes and picture this: 6′5″, 240 lb frame, 95-97 mph fastball with life, sharp downer breaking ball, working on a splitter, ability to work multiple innings at a time out of the ‘pen. That’s a legit Major League pitcher, the kind of guy every manager would take guy on his staff any day of the week. Ohlendorf officially transitioned to the bullpen in early July (the 9th to be exact), and walked FIVE batters the rest of the season. I mean, hello, this is a quality pitcher. A big league job is his for the taking, and I betcha takes over as the primary setup man when the Yanks return Joba to the rotation.

7. Jesus Montero, C, 18
The big money international signing from 2006 proved to be as good as advertised when he came stateside in ‘07, proving himself to be the top power prospect in a system almost completely devoid of them. He did just about everything the Yanks could have asked him to do as a 17 yr old; hitting for pull power, hitting for a good average, drawing walks, keeping his strikeouts low, and destroying pitchers of the opposite hand. Questions about his ability to stay behind plate are abound, but his bat is good enough that he’ll fit anywhere on the field. He’s similar to Adam Dunn in that he’ll still mash 30 bombs even if he hits just .230 (Note: In no way, shape, or form did I just say Montero was the next Dunn). The power is that huge. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Montero is next year’s number one prospect.

6. Andrew Brackman, RHP, 22
I can’t figure out a good way to incorporate this into his write-up, so I’m just going to say it: The Yankees love Andrew Brackman. I really mean love; they think he’s going to be a no nonsense, shutdown, top-flight, bring-it-on ace, just like Randy Johnson and Pedro were back in the day. I’ve already written about his stuff and his contract at length, so I’m not going to regurgitate the same info over again. Of course Tommy John surgery sucks, and yes it also completely sucks having to wait over a year to see your first rounder pitch, but trust me, it’s far better than suffering through the David Parrishes or David Wallings of the world. Guys with the talent of Andrew Brackman aren’t supposed to be available for teams like the Yanks in the draft. I’m glad to see the majority of Yankee fans have come around on him since the initial backlash of his selection. There should be no prospect more fun to follow over the never four years.

5. Alan Horne, RHP, 25
Horne improved in just about every facet of the game last year, but most importantly his control showed significant signs of improvement, dropping from 4.44 BBper9 in ‘06 to 3.35 in ‘07. Horne’s stuff and overall pitching package is solid bordering on outstanding, and I can’t help but wonder how many teams he would be the #1 pitching prospect for (I count no fewer than 12). The biggest knock on him is that he has a long arm action (the best clip of it I can find is at 1:00 here), which is very difficult flaw to correct. It limits his ceiling because he’ll always be prone to spotty control, and there’s also an injury risk. I still like Horne better in that “come in and blow’em away for two innings” relief role long term, but there’s no reason for the Yanks to take him out of the rotation now. We should get a glimpse of him in the Bronx sometime during the second half.

4. Austin Jackson, CF, 21
Jackson had a nice little breakout after his mid-season promotion to High-A Tampa, but naysayers are quick to call it a fluke, citing his .396 BABIP. That’s all fine and dandy, but if you look closer you’ll see that his strikeout rate dropped every month (27.1%-22.9-15.4-15.0-14.8-20.3) except for August, when he suffered through a prolonged slump. It’s not rocket science: He struck out less, which increased his offensive output because he was putting more balls into play. Now, it remains to be seen whether or not he can continue to improve his contact ability, but his performance in Hawaii Winter Baseball (.271-.368-.489 in 39 games) is a darn good sign. I want to see more than a half-season of greatness out of Ajax before I’m ready to bump him further up the list.
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dwalsh · Feb 13, 2008

top 3.......

3. Jose Tabata, RF, 19
Yes, Jose Tabata is still only 19 years old. Despite that fact, he’s already the father of twins (God bless his poor soul), and is headed to Double-A Trenton in 2008. He’s been battling hand/wrist injuries for the last two years, but surgery to remove his hamate bone will have him at full strength to begin the year. Even with the injury troubles Tabata hit .307-.371-.392 in the pitcher friendly Florida State League. Power is traditionally the last tool to come, and I think all the concerns about his lack of pop are way overblown at this point. The only thing I don’t like about Tabata are the reports that he doesn’t always give it his all, and will occasionally coast on his talent. Hopefully some time with fellow Venezuelan Bobby Abreu in Spring Training will set him straight.

2. Ian Patrick Kennedy, RHP, 23
It’s hard to believe a guy who went 13-3, 165.1 IP, 104 H, 37 R, 35 ER (1.91 ERA), 59 BB, 178 K in his first full pro season is only the second best prospect to come out of his draft class, but that’s exactly what IPK is. He came out of USC with a reputation for being a strikeout artist, a winner, and as close to a sure thing as you can get, but Kennedy’s somehow done all that and more. He’s already made his mark in the bigs, and has a full-time Major League gig staring him right in the face. It’s up to him to take advantage of that opportunity, and the track record that many people insisted on ignoring on Draft Day ‘06 suggests that he’s up for the challenge.

1. Joba Chamberlain, RHP, 22
You know the deal, so I’m not going to drag this out. When your father never has to pay for another drink in the Bronx, you know you’re good.
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SixFeetDeep · Feb 13, 2008

thanks dwalsh, that was an amazing read. best scouting report on yanks prospects ive read in a while.

AlioTheFool · Feb 13, 2008

Good read, but who is the writer? Far from a professional, correct? Either way, nice to see some of that info. Thanks dwalsh.

The one thing that disturbs me though: we're going to rely on Abreu to teach Tabata to not coast? Oi...

Don · Feb 13, 2008

After watching that hearing today I think the Yankees better be looking for another pitcher in a hurry. I really can't imagine Pettitte putting himself through this 3 ring circus all year.

AMJets · Feb 13, 2008

AlioTheFool said: ↑

Good read, but who is the writer? Far from a professional, correct? Either way, nice to see some of that info. Thanks dwalsh.

The one thing that disturbs me though: we're going to rely on Abreu to teach Tabata to not coast? Oi...
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It's just written by a fan, I think. That's why you can't take all of it as a professional opinion.

I'm sure they'll put Tabata and Jackson near Jeter and A-Rod during ST, and maybe Abreu will be a friend for Tabata since they're countrymen. They definitely won't put them anywhere near Damon, with his work ethic or lack thereof.

SixFeetDeep · Feb 13, 2008

10Pennington10 said: ↑

It's just written by a fan, I think. That's why you can't take all of it as a professional opinion.

I'm sure they'll put Tabata and Jackson near Jeter and A-Rod during ST, and maybe Abreu will be a friend for Tabata since they're countrymen. They definitely won't put them anywhere near Damon, with his work ethic or lack thereof.
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i wouldnt even stand near damon given the chance

NYYankees Offseason Thread

dwalsh 2006 TGG.com Rookie of the Year Award Winner

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NYYankees Offseason Thread

dwalsh 2006 TGG.com Rookie of the Year Award Winner

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Don 2008 TGG Rich Kotite "Least Knowledgeable" Award W

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