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Yankees make one selection, get raided in 2018 Rule 5 Draft

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Green. (@MiLB)

The 2018 Winter Meetings came to an unofficial close earlier today with the annual Rule 5 Draft. It is baseball’s way of ensuring players aren’t trapped in the minors indefinitely. The Yankees have a fairly deep farm system and it is no surprise then that they lost several players in this year’s Rule 5 Draft, mostly in the minor league phase.

Here are the full Rule 5 Draft results. Here are the players the Yankees lost:

  • Diamondbacks: RHP Nick Green (in MLB phase)
  • Athletics: OF Mark Payton (in minor league phase)
  • Cubs: RHP Alex Vargas (in minor league phase)
  • Phillies: RHP Gilmael Troya (in minor league phase)
  • Red Sox: RHP Anyelo Gomez (in minor league phase)
  • Royals: C Chris Rabago (in minor league phase)

As a reminder, players taken in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft have to stick on their new team’s 25-man big league roster all next season, or be placed on waivers and offered back to their original team. Players taken in the minor league phase are just gone. There are no roster rules. Those teams get to keep those players.

Green, 23, came over from the Rangers in the Carlos Beltran trade and he is a personal favorite only because he has a funky cutter/sinker hybrid that helped him post to a 66.4% ground ball rate this season, highest in the minors (min. 130 innings). Green threw 132.2 innings with a 3.32 ERA (4.28 FIP) with 17.7% strikeouts and 11.1% walks this season, with most of that coming with High-A Tampa.

The D’Backs are rebuilding, the Paul Goldschmidt trade confirmed that, so I imagine Green will get a long look in Spring Training and have a chance to stick in their bullpen. Jumping from High-A to the big leagues is not easy, especially with a walk rate like that, but Green’s funky cut-sinker is a dominant ground ball pitch and he could have staying power as a reliever who pounds away with that one pitch.

Among the minor league phase losses, Payton is the most notable because he’s been in the system the longest. The 27-year-old spent most of the last three seasons in Triple-A and hit .259/.368/.401 (120 wRC+) with six homers in 62 games in 2018. A guy like Payton had little hope of cracking New York’s outfield in the near future. He has a much greater chance to reach the big leagues with the Athletics.

Going into the 2018 season I ranked Vargas as the No. 30 prospect in the farm system but clearly I overrated him. The Yankees never used him like a prospect this year. The 21-year-old bounced between the rotation and bullpen, from level to level. They sent him wherever an arm was needed, basically. Vargas threw 83 innings with a 4.01 ERA (4.07 FIP) with 14.3% strikeout and 4.6% walks this season, mostly with Low-A Charleston.

Gomez, 25, was selected and returned by the Braves as a Major League Rule 5 Draft pick last offseason. He threw only 7.1 innings with Triple-A Scranton this season before going down with a significant shoulder injury. The 21-year-old Troya showed some promise a few years ago but hasn’t taken that step forward. He’s yet to pitch above rookie ball. Rabago, 25, was a waiver claim from the Rockies late this year. He played only seven games in the organization, all with Double-A Trenton.

The Yankees did add two players in minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft, first grabbing righty Adonis De La Cruz from the Mariners. The soon-to-be 24-year-old is a converted outfielder who threw 57.1 relief innings with a 4.71 ERA (2.80 FIP) with 30.2% strikeouts and 7.7% walks in Low Class-A. The Yankees have had some recent success with minor league Rule 5 Draft picks, most notably turning Yefry Ramirez into a tradeable asset, so maybe they can do it again with De La Cruz.

According to Emily Waldon, the Yankees acquired outfielder Tyler Hill from the Tigers after the Rule 5 Draft. Detroit took him from the Red Sox in the minor league phase. Huh. Every year one or two players selected in the Major League phase get traded right after the Rule 5 Draft. I can’t remember the last time a minor league phase guy was flipped. Anyway, the 22-year-old Hill authored a .254/.348/.312 (95 wRC+) batting line with one homer and 27 steals in 124 High-A games in 2018. Sox Prospects calls him a “a bat-first, organizational player,” so there you go. The Yankees likely sent the Tigers cash or a similar organizational player in the trade.

So, all told, the Yankees did lose an interesting prospect in Green and some upper level inventory in Payton, Gomez, and Rabago in this year’s Rule 5 Draft. Green could still be returned. The other three plus Vargas and Troya are gone for good. I can’t find a scouting report on De La Cruz but a recently converted position player with a 30.2% strikeout is interesting enough. Hill’s an organizational guy who will help fill out rosters. Nothing exciting, but the Rule 5 Draft rarely is.

DotF: Martinez makes season debut in Staten Island’s win

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RHP Anyelo Gomez’s season is over, according to Conor Foley. He needs shoulder surgery. Gomez had a breakout season last year, throwing 70.1 relief innings with a 1.92 ERA (2.19 FIP) with 31.0% strikeouts and 7.5% walks at four levels. That earned him a look in Spring Training with the Braves as a Rule 5 Draft pick, though he was later returned. Unfortunately injury. Went from big league camp to an uncertain future in three months.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (5-3 win over Lehigh Valley, walk-off style)

  • SS Tyler Wade: 0-4, 1 K
  • 3B Brandon Drury: 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB
  • 1B Tyler Austin: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 K — here’s video of the homer … back-to-back days with a dinger
  • CF Billy McKinney: 0-3, 1 BB, 2 K — got picked off first
  • PH-DH Zack Zehner: 1-1, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI — walk-off pinch-hit two-run homer
  • LHP Josh Rogers: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 4/7 GB/FB — 57 of 84 pitches were strikes (68%) … four homers in his last 19 innings (1.9 HR/9)
  • RHP Gio Gallegos: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 1/2 GB/FB — 29 of 41 pitches were strikes (71%)
  • RHP Cody Carroll: 0.1 IP, zeroes, 1 K — four pitches, three strikes

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DotF: Thompson-Williams homers three times in doubleheader

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Got a couple quick injury notes to pass along before we get to tonight’s games:

  • LHP Justus Sheffield (shoulder) is listed as Triple-A Scranton’s scheduled starter for Saturday. He’s only going to spend the minimum seven days on the disabled list. Phew.
  • RHP Domingo Acevedo (blister) traveled to Tampa to continue his rehab work down there, reports Matt Kardos. He’ll begin pitching in Extended Spring Training games soon.
  • RHP Anyelo Gomez (shoulder) is still three or four weeks away, Triple-A Scranton manager Bobby Mitchell told Conor Foley. Gomez has had on-and-off shoulder trouble all year.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (4-3 win over Lehigh Valley, walk-off style)

  • SS Tyler Wade: 1-4, 1 K
  • C Kyle Higashioka: 0-4
  • DH Adam Lind: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K — second homer in 17 games this year
  • 3B Vince Conde: 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K — walk-off walk
  • LHP Nestor Cortes: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 1 HR, 1/6 GB/FB — 54 of 80 pitches were strikes (68%) … at one point he struck out seven straight batters
  • RHP Cody Carroll: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K — nine of 16 pitches were strikes … 26/7 K/BB in 16.1 innings

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DotF: Sheffield makes Triple-A debut in Scranton’s loss

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Both IF Billy Fleming and RHP Anyelo Gomez were placed on the Triple-A Scranton disabled list this morning, the team announced. Gomez threw two pitches last night, supposedly in the mid-80s, and was pulled. That’s not good. Fleming left the game after running out a ground ball, so a lower body injury seems likely.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (2-0 loss to Pawtucket)

  • SS Tyler Wade & 2B Thairo Estrada: both 1-4, 1 K — Thairo doubled
  • LF Clint Frazier: 0-3, 1 BB, 2 K
  • DH Adam Lind: 1-4, 2 K, 1 CS — caught stealing, eh? Lind must be feeling frisky
  • C Kyle Higashioka: 0-3, 1 HBP
  • LHP Justus Sheffield: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 3/4 GB/FB — 63 of 103 pitches were strikes (61%) … struggled and allowed two runs in the first before settling down the rest of the way … 45/18 K/BB in 32.2 innings so far this season
  • RHP J.P. Feyereisen: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K — eight of 13 pitches were strikes

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DotF: Drury and Frazier continue rehab assignments in losses

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RHP Anyelo Gomez has been activated off the Triple-A Scranton disabled list, the team announced. He’d been out with a shoulder injury. Gomez was in camp with the Braves as a Rule 5 Draft pick, and if he’s able to repeat last season’s performance this year, he could be a call-up candidate at some point.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (6-1 loss to Lehigh Valley)

  • SS Tyler Wade: 0-4, 2 K — now 5-for-50 (.100) on the season between MLB and Triple-A
  • 3B Brandon Drury: 2-3, 1 R, 1 HBP — played the full nine innings as scheduled … here’s video of his first hit and second hit
  • 1B Mike Ford: 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
  • C Kyle Higashioka: 0-4, 1 K
  • 2B Abi Avelino: 0-4 — suddenly in a little 1-for-14 (.071) slump after the torrid start
  • LHP Nestor Cortes: 2 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 1 WP, 1/0 GB/FB — 27 of 47 pitches were strikes (57%) … only the third time in 86 career minor league games he allowed as many as five runs
  • RHP Brody Koerner: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 6/5 GB/FB — 49 of 69 pitches were strikes (71%)
  • RHP Anyelo Gomez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 0/1 GB/FB — eight of 15 pitches were strikes

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DotF: Jackson homers again in Trenton’s win

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In case you missed it earlier, the Yankees are calling up IF Gleyber Torres. He’s set to join the team tomorrow. Fun! Here are some other quick notes:

  • Sounds like OF Clint Frazier (concussion) will begin a rehab assignment Monday, according to his Twitter feed. That isn’t confirmed though. He’s been playing in simulated games and Aaron Boone recently said Frazier is very close to rehab games, so there you do.
  • RHP Gio Gallegos (groin) is in Tampa and will resume throwing “pretty quick here,” Triple-A Scranton manager Bobby Mitchell told DJ Eberle. The Yankees are running short on healthy pitchers. The sooner Gallegos comes back, the better.
  • RHP Anyelo Gomez (shoulder) went through defensive drills today according to Eberle, which is a good indication his injury is not serious. Again, the Yankees are running short on healthy arms. The sooner Gomez returns, the better.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (6-5 loss to Toledo)

  • OF Shane Robinson: 3-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 SB, 1 E (throwing)
  • 2B Gleyber Torres: 0-3 — got his three at-bats, then was pulled from the game … final minor league game of his career?
  • C Kyle Higashioka: 1-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K — six walks and seven strikeouts in eleven games
  • 1B Mike Ford: 0-2, 1 RBI, 2 BB
  • SS Abi Avelino: 2-5, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB — his great season continues
  • RHP Brody Koerner: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 9/5 GB/FB — 52 of 79 pitches were strikes (66%) … allowed all six runs in the second, then settled down and was able to soak up some innings
  • LHP Nestor Cortes: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 2/3 GB/FB — 22 of 47 pitches were strikes (47%)

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DotF: Wagner homers again, Loaisiga pitches well again in win

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A few quick notes to get us started:

  • SS Gleyber Torres told DJ Eberle the back stiffness that forced him out of the game last week is no longer a problem, so that’s good. “I felt a little bit tight, but right now I feel good, 100%,” he said.
  • RHP Anyelo Gomez, who was placed on the disabled list earlier this week, is out with a shoulder problem according to Conor Foley. Triple-A Scranton manager Bobby Mitchell said the injury is minor and Gomez is expected back within a week or so.
  • LHP Nestor Cortes has been promoted to Triple-A Scranton to replace Gomez, reports Matt Kardos. Mitchell told Eberle he expects Cortes to work his way into a rotation spot fairly soon.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (3-0 loss to Toledo)

  • 2B Gleyber Torres: 1-3, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 E (fielding) — second game at second base this season and the 13th game at second in his career overall … here’s video of the single, if you’re interested
  • C Kyle Higashioka: 0-4, 1 K
  • 1B Mike Ford: 0-3, 1 BB, 2 K
  • SS Abi Avelino: 1-4, 1 K
  • LHP Daniel Camarena: 5 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 1 HB, 3/4 GB/FB — 61 of 86 pitches were strikes (71%)
  • RHP J.P. Feyereisen: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2/3 GB/FB — 23 of 40 pitches were strikes (58%)

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