YANKS ARE CONTINUING TO MAKE DEALS!

Wheeling and dealing!!  It's how the Yankees roll this off season.  I am loving this.

Photo: Los Angeles Times

The Yankees just made another move for another player.  This one's a utility guy... and I like it.  This latest one involves a kid named Tim Locastro and we gave away righty pitcher Drew Finley in the process.  That comes from our pal Bryan Hoch:

The Yankees have acquired OF Tim Locastro from the Dodgers in exchange for RHP Drew Finley and cash considerations.

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) November 21, 2018

On Locastro, the New York Post writes this...

"The 26-year-old Locastro made his big-league debut with the Dodgers in 2017, appearing in three games, and hit .182 (2 for 11) this year with one double and four steals in 18 games, including three starts in center field. He batted .286 with 23 doubles, four homers, 29 RBIs and 19 steals in the minors this year, mostly at Triple-A Oklahoma City."

Hey... a move's a move and we'll see how it goes.  I'm just happy to see the Yankees trying to upgrade where they can.

Just wondering when the next big pitcher will come... and if we will trade away Sonny Gray.

Stay tuned...

YANKEE PROSPECT WATCH: MONTGOMERY & FINLEY

(Source: The Times Tribune)

This is a new series breaking down our Yankee prospects in a top 20 list brought to us by MLB.com.  BYB will give you our thoughts on these guys in our new series!  Let's get started with #20, Jordan Montgomery and #19, Drew Finley...

As the off-season really starts heating up, the big trade and free agent news and rumors will be the biggest headlines around baseball and Yankeeland. But with everything that Brian Cashman has done with the farm system, the top prospects here at BYB will be given their fair share of coverage. 

(Photo: MiLB.com)

#20 is LHP Jordan Montgomery. He was phenomenal at Double-A Trenton before being promoted to Triple-A Scranton where he was arguably even better. In 19 starts in Trenton Montgomery compiled a 9-4 with a 2.55 ERA to go along with a .239 BAA. After being promoted, the former South Carolina Gamecock finished the season 5-1 over six starts and a very impressive 0.91 ERA with the Rail Riders.

 

(Source: USA Today)

Montgomery, who was a big game college pitcher before being drafted in the fourth round in 2014, showed signs of brilliance in 2016 with his fastball being clocked as high as 94 which makes his fading change up, his best pitch, even better. Along with those two pitches, he works in a curve ball and cutter as well.

 

As spring training approaches, look for Montgomery to be given a shot to earn a back of the rotation spot for the Bombers. I firmly believe that the change up is the best pitch in baseball and many scouts have applauded the way he can spot his, as well as his other pitchers, as it dives away from right handed batters. The Yankees could sign a pitcher or two but with a talent pool that includes youngsters like Montgomery, the Yankees could very go into Opening Day with the southpaw a member of the starting rotation.

 

#19 is Drew Finley...

 

(Photo: MLB.com)

One spot ahead of Montgomery is RHP Drew Finley. A third round pick out of Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego in 2015, Finley gave up his commitment to USC to sign with the Yankees. He, along with James Kaprielian, were seen as two of the most polished pitchers in the 2015 draft. That says a lot about Finley, as he was drafted out of high school.

Scouts love Finley’s curve ball and say he is willing to throw it in any count. Not too many young pitchers have that confidence and as a 20 year-old, it says a lot. He throws a low 90s fastball with a lot of movement to compliment the curve ball.

 

(Photo credit:  Robert M. Pimpsner, Pinstriped Prospects)

Finley spent the summer of 2016 with the Staten Island Yankees where he made six starts where he finished 0-3 with a 4.28 ERA. But he did hold opposing batters to a .212 average and had an impressive 1.10 WHIP on the season.

Finley is still young and has some time ahead of him and won’t be in the big league talk for likely two to three years, but a polished pitcher at a young age who is still learning is a huge asset in a strong system. Being the number 19 overall prospect in arguably the best farm system in baseball shows the kind of high hopes scouts and the Yankees have for him.

Keep in mind, as we saw this summer, prospect rankings change often when players are traded or acquired and as their stock grows or shrinks. We here at BYB will keep you informed of any changes as the off season continues.

 

(Photo: MiLB.com)

Next up on the prospect watch will be #18 Ian Clarkin (above) and #17 Luis Torrens, both very intriguing young players that we should all be excited about.

 

 

--Dan Lucia,  

BYB 'Series' Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @DManLucia

  

 

THE YANKEE ARMS ARE COMING!

 

Although we've only had a small sample to work with, it appears that some of the young bats in the Yankee organization have found their home in pinstripes. Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge in particular have taken their opportunity and running with it. Tyler Austin has seen success as well. But what isn't talked about as much are the arms that are working their way toward the Bronx.

 

 

Suzie Pinstripe did a great piece on Justus Sheffield titled:PITCHING PHENOM JUSTUS SHEFFIELD HEATS IT UP IN TAMPA, and he's earned that headline. But there are more exciting arms that are even closer to making their mark with the big club. Let's review...

 

 

We've seen the good and the bad of Luis Severino this season as well as some great outings as of late from relatively no-hype prospects Chad Green and Luis Cessa.  Both were acquired in the Justin Wilson trade with Detroit last off season. Both have live arms but weren't seen as big time prospects. With the youth movement in motion it's been great to see those two take advantage of opportunities. 

 

 

With the 122nd overall pick in the fourth round of the 2014 amateur draft, the Yankees selected LHP Jordan Montgomery out of the University of South Carolina. After posting a combined 2.95 ERA between A-ball and high-A ball in 2015, Montgomery began the year at Double-A Trenton. Montgomery went 9-4 over 19 starts posting a 2.55 ERA before being promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Montgomery picked up where he left off and over four starts is 3-1 with a 0.71 ERA over 25.1 innings. For the season he has a 2.19 ERA with 123 strikeouts to 43 walks over 127.2 innings. His fastball, which was clocked between 87-91 in college has jumped up and is now siting in the low-to-mid 90's regularly.

Montgomery doesn't have a terribly high ceiling, but has a ton of poise and is comfortable with all four of his pitches. After his last start in which he threw seven scoreless while striking out eight and allowing just three hits, Montgomery quoted by MiLB.com as saying; "I've been trying to be as aggressive as I can, changing speeds, mixing up pitches and keeping the hitters as off-balanced as I can." Montgomery is comfortable throwing his fastball, change-up and slider is hitters counts which, like he said, keeps the hitters guessing. With his repertoire and knowledge of pitching, he could be a middle of the rotation mainstay in the Bronx as soon as next year.

 

 

The other very exciting pitcher to keep and eye out for is RHP Chance Adams. The 2015 fifth round pick has a mid-90's fastball to go with his change-up, curve ball and slider. He started his second professional season this spring in Tampa with a 5-0 record along with a 2.65 ERA before making the jump to Trenton where he has continued to cruise. Since joining the Double-A club, the 22 year-old has gone 8-1 with a 2.07 ERA.

Adams was quoted in The Trentonian as saying; "I've been trying to learn how to pitch and not just be a thrower. Being able to throw off speed in (different) counts and not just throw fastballs in hitters' counts like 2-0. I've been really working on the change-up. It's really developed over the last few months."

With his improvements made seemingly every start, Adams could find himself in Triple-A in September and/or next spring with an opportunity to see some time in the Bronx in 2017. Adams has a bit of a higher ceiling than Montgomery and could make a great number three-type starter when the time comes.

 

 

Aside from Montgomery and Adams, the Yankees have 2015 first round pick James Kaprellian who had an injury plagued 2016 season. He was seen as a guy who could have maybe made it to New York this summer but the injuries derailed those hopes. Young flame throwing Domingo Acevedo is another guy who could make his presence known in the next couple of years as he is now in high-A ball. Acevedo tops 100 MPH regularly and has struck out 102 batters in 93.0 innings this year.

 

 

Along with Justus Sheffield, LHP's Ian Clarkin and Dietrich Enns are names we will likely hear next spring as well as Drew Finley and maybe even Dillon Tate. While some of these guys are a couple years away, the Yankees system is as good as it's been in the last two decades and that's something to be excited about!!

 

 

Now that some of the big time offensive prospects have made an impact and guys like Luis Cessa and Chad Green have had a taste of success, the Yankees youth movement is in full swing and us fans finally have something to be excited about!  Back in July, I wrote that something needed to give to make the Yankees fun again and I, for one, am enjoying August much more than I did the first four months.

Keep and eye and ear out folks, because the Yankee arms are coming!

One quick personal note: Happy Anniversary to my wife Angela of six years!

 

 

--Dan Lucia, BYB Senior Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @DManLucia

  

 

GETTING TO KNOW SOME YANKEE PROSPECTS

(In Photo: Rookie Davis)
Anyone who follows the Yankees closely or relatively closely at least, knows of Aaron Judge, Jorge Mateo, Gary Sanchez and Rob Refsnyder. Both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus came out with their Top 10 Yankee prospects this past week and Judge, Mateo and Sanchez were the top three on both lists. But filling out the top 10 are several players who are lesser known that we should begin to get to know.

(Photo Credit: Staton Island Advance. Hilton Flores)
A name that many may know from this past June's draft is James Kaprielian. He was the Yankees first round draft pick and 16th overall and is ranked at the Yankees fourth best prospect on both lists. Kaprielian was one of the most polished arms in the draft after pitching for several years at UCLA.  He is looked at as a middle of the rotation guy who could eat innings but does not have a very high ceiling. He is expected to be quickly promoted through the minor leagues over the next couple of seasons and if he continues to progress and stay healthy could be in the Bronx as early as 2017, as Baseball Prospectus reports.

CF Dustin Fowler also made both lists after slashing .298/.334/.394 between A-ball Charleston and Advanced-A Tampa. He also turned some heads during the Arizona Fall League. His speed and contact approach at the plate are his biggest assets and he is looked at as an everyday CF. He does not provide a lot of power but with his speed, can leg out extra base hits. Scouts say that if he can't cut it as an everyday OF, he could be a solid fourth OF on a big league club within a couple of years.

RHP Drew Finley made Baseball Prospectus' list as the number seven Yankees prospect after being drafted this past June in the third round out of Rancho Bernardo HS in San Diego. Finley is projected to be a fourth starter or so. His fastball sits around 90 and his best secondary pitch is a big 12-6 curve ball that is inconsistent at the present. He is just 19 years-old though so that's not a huge surprise. Scouts say he hides the ball well and is sneaky to the plate and that he also could have room to physically mature some more. As a young, unpolished prospect, he is several years away from being on the big clubs radar.

LHP Ian Clarkin came in at number 10 on Baseball Prospectus' list after having a solid showing in the Arizona Fall League. It was a frustrating season for Clarkin who was shut down in spring training with elbow tendinitis and missed the entire summer before showing up in the AFL. Clarkin has some upside but has struggled with injuries which kept him from being ranked higher. His fastball sits in the low 90's but could improve as he physically matures. Clarkin is a guy I really like. There are only so many lefties and they are highly coveted! He is one I'll be following closely over the next couple of years. He is projected to be Major League ready around 2018.

Hard throwing RHP Rookie Davis is the number six prospect on Baseball America's list after advancing to Double-A Trenton this summer. Davis was a 14th round pick in 2011 out of Dixon (NC) HS. He compiled a 3.86 ERA between Tampa and Scranton while striking 129 over 130.1 innings. He allowed 132 hits and walked just 26. He seems to be a guy that can move up the upper echelon of the minors over the next 18 months-two years or so, and with his 95 mph heater, could make a solid middle of the rotation starter within a couple of years.

Wilkerman Garcia, one of the young prospects form the Yankees 2014 IFA spending spree, is ninth on Baseball America's list and just out of the top 10 on Baseball Prospectus. He's seen as a solid SS with good hands and arm for the position. He is a switch hitter with a line drive swing and although he is years away from making an impact in the Bronx, he is someone who we will be hearing about over the next several years.

21 year-old RHP Domingo Acevedo made Baseball America's list as the number five prospect in the Yankees system and it's easy to see why. First off he can hit triple digits on the radar gun, which alone gets people talking. The 6-foot-7 hurler from the Dominican Republican, who only starting playing baseball at 16 years-old, has pitched 106 innings over three seasons with the Yankees organization, reaching A-ball in 2015. He has struck out 188 batters over those 106 innings and has walked just 33 and owns a 2.46 ERA. Acevedo has a plus-plus fastball, a slider and change up, which he likes to throw and is developing. The sky is the limit with Acevedo as he continues to mature as a pitcher. I'd love to see Luis Severino and Acevedo in pinstripes dominating for many years!

Other names on the lists include 3B Eric Jagielo, who battled a knee injury in 2015. Jagielo is a good hitter, but has work to do defensively. Brady Lail was number nine on Baseball Prospectus' list and had a breakout year in 2015 in which he was promoted from Advanced-A to Triple-A Scranton. He is projected as a number five type starter who could help the Bombers in 2016 at some point. SS Tyler Wade was also listed on Baseball America's list.

The Yankees have some solid prospects in their system, some in the upper tiers of the minors on the verge of being a roster candidate, and others who are still several years away. Over the past several years the Yankees have made it a point to improve the organization from the ground up after it was gutted for over a decade. I like what the Yankees have coming through the pipeline. It's only a matter of time before many of these young men find their way to the Bronx.



 --Dan Lucia
BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia






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