Yankees sign Gil Velazquez to minor league deal

December 15, 2012 by Mike Axisa 25 Comments

Via Joel Sherman: The Yankees have signed infielder Gil Velazquez to a minor league contract. I assume he received an invitation to Spring Training, but who knows.

Velazquez, 33, has hit .236/.253/.250 (34 wRC+) in just 75 big league at-bats with the Red Sox, Angels, and Marlins over the years. He’s a career .267/.329/.366 hitter in over 2,400 Triple-A plate appearances, and he has a ton of experience at the three non-first base infield positions. Velazquez essentially takes the place of Ramiro Pena, that emergency infielder teams like to keep stashed in Triple-A.

Pena, meanwhile, recently landed a guaranteed one-year deal from the Braves according to Mark Bowman. Good for him.

Yankees Insider

I really did like Ramiro Pena because he switch hit and was good for us except he had like an error a game but with Gil he’s a better fielder and a smooth hitter.
jjyank

Minor league deal for a nobody! Queue unnecessary enraged comments in 3….2….
- Stephen
  
  Are you kidding me? It’s December 15th! At least Cashman is doing something. All the big moves happen after the New Year!!!
mark

The Braves always liked him. Weren’t there always rumors about him going to Braves?
Preston

The Braves signed Pena to a MLB deal? That’s interesting…
Slappy McWaterbug

In other news, it has been discovered that the Braves haven’t sent scouts to Yankee games (or their affiliates) in the past 10 years.
- Mike
  
  I actually laughed out loud…good one
mrdbag

No talented and old and cheap? He will fit right in
ton lon ton

i am jazzed. i heard a lot about how velasquez was developing, but this is a phenomenal pickup. probably the best pickup since cano.
dalelama

Wow!!! Another super pick-up. Is Hal Lanier still available?
Get Phelps Up

Why would a living, breathing GM give Ramiro freaking Pena a guranteed major league deal?
- Andy Pettitte’s Fibula
  
  Pena is the shortstop’s equivalent of the can’t hit catchers who people assume are defensive specialists.
  - Dropped Third
    
    Ramiro Pena, defensive specialist!
Lena

I’m mostly a reader here not a poster, but I just wanted to say I get that we’re all a little frustrated with the pace of the offseason, but this isn’t a bad deal for minor league stock. I was looking at SS leaders in the minors a couple months ago and this guy wasn’t bad in the PCL, not a bad guy to have in a pinch. At least Cashman isn’t bottom feeding here.
- dalelama
  
  If it isn’t the bottom it is pretty darn close, I mean .253 OBP is really low.
  - Lena
    
    He’s .312/.391/.384 in the PCL. Numbers aren’t great in MLB, I’ll give you that (hence the minor league deal), but decent at AAA and has some MLB experience.
  - Ted Nelson
    
    Where else besides the bottom do you suppose you look for a veteran to fill a roster spot in AAA?
Shocked

A minor league depth move that doesnt take up a roster spot? Where are the douchebags to moan about this? The lama needs some company!
dalelama

Nero fiddles while Rome burns.
Another Bronx Dynasty

WOW What an awesome move by Cash…Gil Velasquez…Winters done were ready for WS & a repeat of 2009.

I never thought I would say I couldn’t wait till Steinbrenner’s sold the Yankees but are heading back to the CBS era?
JCK

I used to watch this guy in Pawtucket / run into him at Blockbuster. Glad he’s playing for the good guys now.
dan gen

run out and buy your legends seats…great move not………..
Another Bronx Dynasty

I guess now we all are starting to see how spoiled we have become by have had The Boss as principal owner of the Yannkees. He pioneered and made an art out of the FA market. He owned it starting with Catfish & then Reggie, with many great players to follow.

It was the thing to look forward to during the off season. I understand about $189M payroll and Luxury Tax hits, but I want to see how Hal runs (or ruins) the Team once the Luxury Tax rate is started over from the first tier.

A spoiled Yankee Fan
- dan gen
  
  wake me up when they do something worthwhile
- Ted Nelson
  
  The sons have been running the team since 2006. It’s almost 2013 now, Rip Van Winkle.
  
  This was a minor league depth move. The Yankees signed Gil Velazquez’s every year when George was in charge, too.