Flores, Sanchez go deep again in Charleston loss

May 16, 2011 by Mike Axisa 36 Comments

Jess Todd’s tenure in the Yankees’ organization is over, he was claimed off waivers by St. Louis today. He was designated for assignment last week to make room on the roster for Amaury Sanit. Thanks for the 1.2 innings and 21 pitches, Jess.

Meanwhile, Kevin Goldstein wrote about Jesus Montero today (no BP subs. req’d), and basically said that calling him now would be the wrong move because there would be too much pressure on him to immediately produce. I agree to a certain extent, but the kid could come up in the middle of September with the Yankees twenty games up in the division and the pressure will still be there. At some point you just have to close your eyes and jump in, otherwise they’ll be waiting forever to call him up.

Triple-A Scranton was rained out. I’m not sure when they’re going to make this game up, but they don’t go back to Pawtucket until the second-to-last series of the year in September.

Double-A Trenton had a scheduled off day.

High-A Tampa (8-4 win over Palm Beach)
Abe Almonte, CF: 3 for 5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K – seven for his last 12 (.583) with two doubles
Walt Ibarra, SS: 2 for 5, 1 2B, 1 K
Rob Lyerly, 3B: 2 for 4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 E (fielding) – 12 for his last 21 (.571)
Luke Murton, DH & Neil Medchill, LF: both 1 for 4 – Murton drove in two … Medchill doubled, walked, and struck out
Kyle Higashioka, C: 0 for 4, 1 BB, 1 PB, 1 E (throwing)
Taylor Grote, RF: 0 for 5, 4 K – oof … at least he threw a runner out at the plate
Kelvin Castro, 2B: 4 for 4, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB – got picked off first … great day, he’s quietly having
Kevin Mahoney, 1B: 4 for 5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Josh Romanski, LHP: 7 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 WP, 8-7 GB/FB – hooray for pitching deep into the game
Chase Whitley, RHP: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 1-3 GB/FB

Low-A Charleston (8-4 loss to Greenville)
Eduardo Sosa, CF: 1 for 5, 1 2B, 1 RBI – rumor has it that Slade Heathcott got a five-game suspension for the brawl, and this is the third game he’s served
Ramon Flores, LF: 1 for 5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 K – threw a runner out at third … that’s three straight games with a jack, and he hit it off a brand name too
J.R. Murphy, C: 2 for 4, 1 R, 1 K, 1 E (catcher’s interference) – just his 19 K in 147 AB (12.9%)
Rob Segedin, 3B: 1 for 4, 1 2B
Kyle Roller, 1B: 0 for 4, 1 K
Gary Sanchez, DH: 1 for 3, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB – second straight game with a homer, third jack in four games … seven for his last 17 (.412) with three doubles and three homers
Kelvin DeLeon, RF: 0 for 2, 2 BB, 1 K
Garrison Lassiter, SS: 1 for 4
Anderson Feliz, 2B: 0 for 4, 2 K
Jose Ramirez, RHP: 4 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, 2-3 GB/FB – just a brutal year so far
Michael Recchia, RHP: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 1 Balk, 2-1 GB/FB – 6 BB, 4 K in 10 IP
Manny Barreda, RHP: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HB, 1-1 GB/FB

pat

Ramon Flores is the most interesting man in the Yankees system.
- http://twitter.com/rebeccapbp Squishy Jello Person
  
  Also, he likes my blog on Facebook =D
  - Avi
    
    5 homers in 125 AB’s. Not bad for a “little guy with no power”. I don’t know how he’s not the Yankees’ best hitting prospect after Montero and Sanchez.
    - pat
      
      In my dream world he’s a Bobby Abreu clone.
    - Alex
      
      he isn’t cause murphy is better hitter! but i like what im seeing… charleston trio is marvelous, Heahtcott, Flores and Murphy
CMP

I once read that one of the reasons the Yankees parted with Arodys Vizcaino was because they felt they had a similar type prospect in Jose Ramirez. I’ll say that hasn’t exactly come to fruition
BigTimeBartolo

Ughhh why does Jose Ramirez suck so much ass this year? I mean he got demoted and he’s still getting shelled out there
- Reggie C.
  
  Innings jump perhaps? He could be nursing some kind of soreness and hiding it from coaches on two levels.
Sabermetrically Challenged

Andrew Brackman: an Asian guy trying to describe an African American named Andrew
- http://riveraveblues.com/2010/02/2010-preseason-top-30-prospects-21281/#comment-779224 LET SBGL BACK ON BRACKMAN’S DEBUT
  
  what?
- Slugger27
  
  …..
- Robbi
  
  Haha I got it
  
  “Andrew black-man” in a Chinese accent
- YanksFan77
  
  Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have the RAB comment of the year, right here.
  
  In a time when the Yankee Universe seems to be in disarray, it’s good to know some fans just get it. The cream always floats the top.
  
  Quality stuff.
- Brian in NH
  
  so…we’re still racist? awesome.
  - pat
    
    Some of us never stopped!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
IRF

Hooray for Gary Sanchez getting back on track!

Double hooray for J.R Murphy continuing to mash
- Avi
  
  Yes. Very excited about what Sanchez is doing these last few games.
Will

How long till Chase Whitley gets up to Double-A? The kids seems legit.
hornblower

Why would there be so much pressure on Montero if he was to join the Yanks as a DH? I imagine he doesn’t get many pitches to hit at Scranton and is expanding the zone. With the Yanks he could concentrate on his hitting. Catching is not needed now.
They could use a good bat.
- http://twitter.com/steveh_mandaura Steve H
  
  I think it’s because he’d be looked at as a fix for what ails the Yankees right now. The bats are sucking, he’d be coming up and viewed as a savior of sorts. If he came up after a 10 game stretch where they went 8-2 and scored 7 runs a game, the pressure would be a little less. I agree with Mike though in that I don’t think it’s a good reason not to bring him up. If that’s the only think stopping them, then just make the call.
  - http://www.twitter.com/JoeRo23 The Honorable Congressman Mondesi
    
    Agreed, and I’ll add that he’d not only be coming up as a savior of sorts because the team is slumping so badly, but also because of the timing with regard to the Posada situation. Whether it’s fair or not, the optics of the situation would be such that a lot of people would think Montero killed Posada.
    
    I have to say, I saw people yesterday criticizing Goldstein for writing that, but I’ve had the same thought the last couple of days. I wouldn’t feel that way, but I think a lot of people would, and I think it ratchets up the fan pressure on Montero to produce immediately.
    
    If you read Goldstein’s blurb re Montero again, I think it’s pretty clear he’s talking about Montero in the context of the Posada situation and not in the context of the team slumping. He doesn’t mention the slump once, it’s all about the Posada situation.
- Samuel
  
  Pressure for a rookie being promoted? There is always pressure on a prospect when he is promoted no matter when or where it is.
  
  So when another second place team (at the time) has a struggling player at a certain position then makes a change to bring up their best hitting prospect, there also was lots of pressure.
  
  And Eric Hosmer has sure looked pretty good since he was promoted.
  
  Again, there is always lots of pressure when any prospect for any team is promoted for the first time.
  
  Yankees should find out what day constitutes non Super 2 status (86 days on roster in preceeding year) since that appears to be their plan, and bring Montero up the next day.
  
  That Super 2 day appears to be July 4th. Bring Montero up for the July 5th-6th games at Cleveland or wait until the home Tampa series that follwoing weekend.
  
  Personally, I bring him up now and forget about the Super 2 garbage. If Montero becomes the hitter everyone thinks he is, the Yankees do not have to worry about arb status or “control” years because they will likely sign Jesus to an early long term contract, similar to Cano’s deal.
  
  It is always best to have your BEST PLAYERS in the system play for the major league team as that is the only level where winning really matters.
  
  But before that, they need to stop with this 8 man bullpen, especially if Noesi is not being used and Posada has nbo versatility.
  
  If not Montero, then one of the Triple-A outfielders for RH power (Maxwell) since Posada, Tex and Andruw can’t hit RH, or Jorge Vazquez since he also has power.
jeety

Good day …… plus heathcott only got 5
- Reggie C.
  
  And tonight would make it game 3 of serving that suspension. Really, i think this kid has got enough untapped tools and judging from the onfield progress he’s made there appears to be the work ethic to make the majors.
  
  If Heathcott keeps hitting, he’ll be Tampa bound after mid season. To me, its looking more like JR Murphy is going to get promoted first. Including 2010, Murphy’s already accumulated almost 450 at-bats at Charleston. If the kid keeps hitting like this … promote Murphy to challenge him.
  - YankeeGrunt
    
    Wouldn’t surprise me if Heathcott gets the jump in six weeks or so. He had a full year at Charleston and unlike Murphy, who is working on defense at multiple positions, Heathcott seems to play a decent CF. The only issue I see is Lyerly, who could probably get the promo to Trenton but at the expense of Brad Suttle, a good hitting prospect but an older one who might not have that many chances left.
special kid

its the majors and its NY, theres always pressure.
infernoscurse

the way the yankees are hitting he will feel like hes in AAA so theres no pressure
- pat
  
  Hahaha.
http://bloodfarm.tumblr.com mattdamonwayans

I think you messed up DeLeon’s line for this evening; two of his strikeouts are being shown as walks.
http://www.stnyanks.com ash

Mike, SWB Yankees will be remade as a double header July 2. Time TBA.

<3
http://www.facebook.com/cecala Joseph Cecala

Mike when does super 2 status end?
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  The earliest a prospect could be called up without becoming a Super Two is probably next week sometime, I’m not sure of the exact date. It’s no later than June 1st, I’m sure of that much.
http://www.bronxbombersreport.com Craig

Might as well throw Montero into the hottest fire during the regular season. Every game, AB and pitch will have more pressure once he starts playing in October.
Don W

Could it happen again????
On May 29th 1995 I went to Seattle to watch the Yanks and the M’s play on my birthday. It turned out to be Jeter’s ML debut.
This year I’m again going to Seattle on my birthday to watch the Yanks & M’s…
- James
  
  Hey, that’s my birthday too!
Dicka24

I think the Yanks will wait on Montero. I think they’d probably want to see what Maxwell or Vasquez can give them first. Those two guys are older, and their shelf life with the organization is a lot shorter than Montero’s. Add in the Super 2 angle, and getting reps behind the plate, and it makes sense. The other two have 14 homers each I think, so why not give them a shot while they’re hot.