Cashman confirms Yankees will move Jose Ramirez to the bullpen

March 23, 2014 by Mike Axisa 31 Comments

During a recent interview (video link), Brian Cashman confirmed the Yankees are moving Jose Ramirez to the bullpen full-time. “Jose Ramirez is a power right-hander that’s been a starter throughout his minor league career, but because of injuries we’re going to stick him in the bullpen,” said the GM. “He has a chance to move very fast.”

Ramirez, 24, has not pitched this spring due to a lingering oblique injury. He has thrown 100+ innings only twice in his career (2010-11) because of elbow, shoulder, lat, and oblique problems. Ramirez pitched to a 3.67 ERA (4.62 FIP) with a 78/36 K/BB in 73.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last season. I think his mid-90s fastball/changeup/slider combo could be devastating in relief, and I’m glad to see they’ve pulled the plug on him as a starter due to the continued injuries. I ranked Ramirez as the team’s 12th best prospect last month and we could see him at some point this summer, health permitting.

Jorge Steinbrenner

Ramirez and Betances in the MLB bullpen could be a thing of beauty someday soon.
- Kevin
  
  And then add Montgomery to that list and you can see why the bullpen wasn’t a glaring need in FA.
- Dalek Jeter
  
  We could be looking at a back end of the bullpen of homegrown elite guys in Phelps, Ramirez, Betances, and Robertson by late June/early July. How amazing would that be?
- RetroRob
  
  Yup. Ramirez, Betances, Montgomery and Burawa backing up D-Rob (if he stays past this year) could make for quite the powerful bullpen the next few seasons.
Jerkface

The only way Ramirez was going to avoid the pen would have been to stay healthy for the entire season this year. He got hurt immediately. RIP potential nice starter. Hello, potential elite reliever. Should make an impact this year even.
mustang

For an organization that can’t develop pitching they don’t do bad with relievers.
- whozat
  
  Developing relievers is really just throwing a bunch of options against the wall and seeing who gives you 60 good innings a couple of times. When people speak of developing pitching, they usually mean starters and/or guys who stick around for a couple of years.
  
  In recent memory, there’s Robertson, and I guess you can sort of count Melancon or Clippard (who stuck with other organizations, but came out of the Yankee system). Do you count Joba or Hughes?
  
  So…the Yankees really are not very good at developing pitching. They’ve been good at finding guys in odd places to fill out their bullpen for a season or two — which is a great way to do things — but that does not indicate a talent at developing pitching.
  - Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead
    
    There’s always a negative way to look at things.
Troy

Hopefully they are learning their lessons. I wish they had done this with Christian Garcia back when he was in our system.
- Naved
  
  Tyler Clippard :(
- Cool Lester Smooth
  
  So that he could spend his time rehabbing in the pen?
  
  He pitched 13 innings last year, all while rehabbing from various injuries.
Naved

Ramirez’s fastball can touch 100 MPH. This going to be good.
http://www.twitter.com/mattpat11 Matt DiBari

I wonder if Mike has a “Yankees will move _______ into the bullpen” template where he can just fill in the guy’s name for the post. That would probably save a ton of time.
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadgeek/ Roadgeek Adam
  
  We need a “Ex-Yankee ____ will retire from baseball.” template and the first name we can put in there hopefully is Kyle Failsworth…I mean Farnsworth. His fastball velocity is down to 89 and dropping, and opted out of his contract with the Mets finally today.
- Cheval Anonyme
  
  ____________ to teh rotation!
  - Jorge Steinbrenner
    
    Scott Sizemore?
    - Cheval Anonyme
      
      WWSSD?
Preston

Hopefully he gets healthy quickly. He could have an immediate impact on the big league pen.
BigLoving

Bullpens are so volatile in MLB that the only way to consistently have a good pen year after year is to have young power arms in the waiting. Gives them plenty of options and doesn’t force them to sign any veteran relievers to 2-3 year deals for inflated prices. For all the flack they caught after last year this team is shaping up to have a good young core pitching staff that can contribute for years to come barring injury…..but with the way pitchers having been dropping like flies in recent years I could be writing something completely different in a week. Here’s to stay healthy guys……eat your wheaties!
http://www.thewebsitemarketingagency.com Geno

Mo 2.0?
- MB923
  
  A title no pitcher will ever claim (except maybe Kimbrel)
  - Jorge Steinbrenner
    
    I’ll give you a million internet dollars if he even comes close.
  - RetroRob
    
    Kimbrel has been lights out his first few years, but what made Mo special was he was he held his level of greatness for seventeen years. It’s unlikely that Kimbrel’s stuff will hold up anywhere near that long. He is dynamite now, though.
Mike

The doubters of our farm system will soon be eating crow.
- OB/GYN Kenobi
  
  Because of the endless list of failed starters who make decent relievers for a couple of seasons?
  
  Riiiiiiiiigt.
Farewell Mo

Once again, too bad he couldn’t make it as a starter but it’s better than not making it at all. He seems to have the stuff to be a great reliever.
Jorge Steinbrenner

Massive overreaction in just about every direction here.

A franchise shouldn’t pat itself on the back too hard for turning a high-profile failed MiLB starter into an average reliever.

A franchise is entitled to a pat of the back if the high-profiled failed MiLB starter becomes an elite reliever…..for their team.

Jose Ramirez and Dellin Betances have always been high ceiling/low floor kind of prospects and not, when compared to the rest of the overall prospect pool, top guys.

Therefore, yes, the Yankees should give themselves a nice pat on the back if either of them turn into solid, late-inning relievers in the majors.

FWIW,I really don’t see this “The Yankees are great developing relievers.” The Yankees have a number of guys who profile as decent relievers because of their command of a pitch or whatnot. I haven’t truly seen them graduate THAT many guys into effective MLB relievers for them to deserve that title.
- http://www.thewebsitemarketingagency.com Geno
  
  You really like you some you, huh?
  - Jorge Steinbrenner
    
    Do you have anything to actually contribute here?
    - Goboh
      
      He’s a spambot.
Wayne

Watch it turn out the yankees stick him in the rotation because they need a starting pitcher in July , August or September. Jose Ramirez will then have his arm ruined like we ruined Joba Chamberlain. Another what would have been dominant closer’s arm ruined by the Yankees!