Minor League Links: Daley, Warren, Stoneburner

The Arizona Fall League season begins next week, so minor league baseball will resume soon enough. Until then, here is a collection of news and motes from the bush leagues…

Via Matt Eddy, the Yankees have re-signed RHP Matt Daley. They originally signed the Queens-born reliever last December, but he missed the entire season rehabbing his shoulder after having rotator cuff surgery last August. Daley, 30, had a decent three-year run as an up-and-down arm for the Rockies from 2008-2010, pitching to a 4.71 ERA (3.86 FIP) in 80.1 innings.
Also via Eddy, the Yankees have signed LHP Abel Mora. The Padres released the 20-year-old Manhattan native in May. Mora posted a 52/22 K/BB in 54.1 innings down in the Dominican Summer League last year, though I can’t seem to find much else about him. I suppose there’s a chance he’s something more than filler given his age and left-handedness, however.
RHP Adam Warren won the Minor League Gold Glove Award for pitchers. There is just one award at each position for the entire minor leagues, so this isn’t one of those things they break up by level or league. Congrats to Warren.
Marc Hulet of FanGraphs posted a recap of Double-A Trenton players he saw late in the season, including OF Zoilo Almonte, OF Ramon Flores, RHP Mark Montgomery, and LHP Nik Turley. The player who received the highest praise is a former personal fave who has missed lots of time due to injury in recent years, RHP Graham Stoneburner. He’s Rule 5 Draft eligible this winter and Hulet likes his potential as a reliever because his fastball runs all over the place and he’s aggressive on the mound. Make sure you check it out.

Robinson Tilapia

Would Stoneburner have a shot of staying on someone else’s MLB roster next year? Just losing the chance at having a man named Graham Stoneburner pitching meaningful innings in the Bronx makes me sad.
Steve S

Anyone know whose gonna be eligible for ML free agency after this season? Baseball America usually has a list, right?
Steve S

This seems to argue that Stoneburner would be a better use of a 40 man roster spot than O’Brien.
- RetroRob
  
  This I guess is the “fun” the Yankees front office has to figure out. Who to keep, and who to leave exposed to the Rule 5 even if they like them under the belief they won’t stick for a year on another team.
JohnnyC

I say we place Stoneburner on the 40 man and then trade him for a useful bench player like we did with Kontos and Stewart. Who needs another cheap, effective reliever anyway.
- RetroRob
  
  They can trade him next year for Cervelli after he’s on another team and the Yankees need a back-up catcher.
- pat
  
  27 is not that young…
  - Robinson Tilapia
    
    Shhhh. Don’t mess with the narrative.
    - This Again?
      
      Who said he was young?
      
      I’m all about laughing at narratives, but the age card hadnt been played…
Fin

who do they drop off the 40 to keep stoneburner? I’m sure Mike will cover this in his minor league stuff.
- Kosmo
  
  Nix or McGehee or Lowe.
Wayne

I will not miss stoneburner he can go!
Laz

Like it.

Kinda what I was thinking was the struggles of murphy and zoilo in their offensive game. Same with adams and flores. I think flores could easily turn into a decent player, he is much younger than most of the competition and he still produces solid numbers. I hope adams gets a chance to move up, he is getting a bit old for the lower levels.