POSITIVE VIBES ONLY AS THE YANKEES STRIKE FIRST IN 2024!

Spring training games are officially under way and just like that the 2024 MLB baseball season begins. The Yankees took on Detroit at Joker Merchant Stadium and blew away the Tigers in a 22-10 victory. I know it is only one game and it is only spring training, but the win was exciting because the lineup was filled with newbies and hungry athletes looking for a chance to battle in the big leagues this year.

According to SNY,  "The Bombers' offense came out flying during their first game of the spring, as they struck for nine runs on eight hits and six walks over the first five innings. Trent Grisham, the secondary piece acquired in the Juan Soto trade, got his Yankee career off to a loud start with a 421-foot three-run home run in the top of the second." 

The offense was absolutely explosive as Spencer Jones pinch-hitting for Grisham in the top of the fifth, smashed a towering 470-foot homer. The 22-year-old center fielder is 6-foot-6 and expected to start the season with the Double A Somerset Patriots. He was the Yankees first round pick in 2022 from Vanderbilt University. 

Source: NY Daily News

“Looking forward to him being in big league camp,” Boone said before Saturday’s game. “It’s part of his development, part of that growth process to be around guys he’s going to get to be around here. Hopefully getting in big league spring action and getting [at-bats] and stuff like that. It’s an important part of the development,” wrote the New York Post.

Other members of the lineup who contributed to the Yankee offense included outfielder Oscar Gonzalez, who was picked up on waivers from the Cleveland Guardians, Luis Torrens went 2-for-3 with a home run and 22-year-old infielder Jorbit Vivas also hit a dinger.

The Yankees saw strong pitching from 25-year-olds Luis Gil and Clayton Beeter. Both had good first innings but later gave up a couple of home runs. Recall that Gil missed a majority of 2022 and 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2022. He rehabbed at Single-A Tampa at the end of last season. "In a report from Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that the team wants to "find out about [Gil] as a starter" but didn't rule out using him in the bullpen. The current book on Gil is that he has excellent strikeout stuff, but still needs to improve his command; according to Boone, Gil is focusing on exactly that during the spring." 

Beeter will likely start the season where he ended last season with Triple A Scranton. "According to MLB.com scouts, he has an effective slider, a potentially dominant fastball and an emerging plus curveball. With three pitches, that could make him an effective starter or long reliever at the MLB level."

Day one is a success. And as fans, we all know this is going to be a slow roll and a long season. But with hope like this, we have to remain positive. There is a lot of negativities out there and certainly some of it has come from me. But right now, I feel optimistic—until the Yankees and their brass show me otherwise. For now, it is positive vibes only. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

YANKEE SEASON SAVED! WE GOT TORRENS!

Hold the phone, we got another player!  The Yankees have made a move. Wait a minute... it's a minor league deal.  Wait... who?

Luis Torrens.  Nice...

Or wait a minute. Huh?

MLB Trade Rumors writes:

"The Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with catcher Luis Torrens...Torrens, 27, has spent time in the big leagues in each of the past five seasons, suiting up for the Mariners, Padres and Cubs in that time. He had a solid run with the ’21 Mariners, popping 15 home runs and hitting .243/.299/.431 over a career-high 378 plate appearances, but he’s generally struggled at the plate since."

We are upgrading left and right. Wait a minute did that just read "struggled at the plate since"? 

That ain't good.  

Hey Brian... what are you doing?  Are we out of money? Be honest.  

What a terrible offseason.

TORRENS COULD BE A YANKEE AGAIN

Photo: MiLB.com

Last week here on BYB's Yankee Prospect Watch we profiled now former Yankees catching prospect Luis Torrens. Read YANKEE PROSPECT WATCH: CLARKIN & TORRENS to get up to speed. As we noted in the piece, Torrens was left unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft and was promptly taken second overall by the Reds and quickly shipped out to San Diego in a trade on Thursday. (Read YANKEES LOSE TY HENSLEY TO THE TAMPA BAY RAYS where we talked about Torrens and some of the other players.) I was sad to see Luis selected, but I’m not too concerned about it just yet. 

Here’s why…

Torrens played in just 52 games last year between low-A ball and A-ball and missed the entire 2015 season due to a torn labrum. He has never played in any level higher than A-ball. Needless to say, having him stick on a Major League roster for an entire 162 game season is unlikely. Is it possible? Sure. He is a good defensive catcher and the Padres could hide him on the roster and use him as a backup, but in my opinion it would be an injustice to his development and would be probably be a waste of a roster spot for the Padres.

For those who are unaware, if he does not stay on the Major League roster, he will be offered back to the Yankees for a fee. If that’s the case, I’m sure the Yankees will gladly take him back and let him continue to develop in their minor league system. If the Yankees choose not to take him back, he would then be waived. And I'm going to go further, helping to educate my BYB readers today with the rules of the Rule 5 Draft.  Click HERE to understand how the whole thing works.  It's very interesting.

Photo: SI.com

For anyone who is concerned about losing him like I am, don’t fret too much just yet. There is a good chance he finds his way back to the Yankees organization, and the Yankees have Gary Sanchez who will hopefully be holding down the backstop position for many, many moons. There are several other catching prospects working their way up the ladder as well.

I hope the best for Torrens in the future and if he makes the roster (and stays on it) in San Diego, fantastic! If he doesn’t, then the Yankees will likely have one of their top catching prospects back.

--Dan Lucia,  

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

YANKEES LOSE TY HENSLEY TO THE TAMPA BAY RAYS

The journey doesn't end for Ty Hensley folks... it just got more exciting...

(Photo: Ashley Marshall/MiLB.com)

This is small in many people's worlds, but a very important piece of information coming out of Yankeeland right now.  And it's personal for me because I appreciate Ty and his family so much having getting to know them over the last 4 years.  Ty Hensley was lost by the Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft to the Tampa Bay Rays.

SNY this nugget, including a bunch of other players you will know if you've been following the youth movement as extensively as we have over the years.

"C Luis Torrens, RHP Tyler Jones, LHP Caleb Smith, and LHP Tyler Webb were all selected in the Rule 5 Draft... Torrens was selected by the Reds, Jones was selected by the Diamondbacks, Smith was selected by the Brewers, and Webb was selected by the Pirates.

In order for any/all of the above players to become property of the team who selected them, they must remain on that team's 25-man roster for the entirety of the 2017 season. If not, they will be offered back to the Yankees.

In the minor league portion of the draft, the Yankees lost RHP Ty Hensley -- a former first round pick --...."

As Marci has just put out on Facebook:

"Friends and family as you know Ty was honored to be chosen by the Yankees in 2012 and has had a tough road since the draft. This morning he starts a new journey with the Tampa Rays as he was selected in the AAA portion of the Rule 5 draft. He has never felt better and been more prepared for a season. We appreciate the Yankees for taking care of our son like family! It's a happy/bittersweet day. We are excited that the Rays believe in him as an asset to their organization. Congratulations Ty! I know this will be a great year!"

Always the professional! All of the Hensleys are!

Photo Credit: Scout.com

Now, I will do my best to get you any info I can, but out of respect for the family, I like to let things resonate.  Remember, there's a determination factor here.  Ty has a goal. And look, here's the important part of this if you're a Yankee fan... just chill. This was a move that had to be made because of the Rule 5 Draft. It's a rule.  Knowing what I know about Ty Hensley, sure, he wanted to be a New York Yankee, and one day he could be again. But there's more to it. It's about drive. Even if it was the New York Yankees, the Rays, the Daytona Beach Gorillas... the goal is to make it.  And that's what's going on in this kid's head. It's about personal achievement, and trust me, Ty has a much better shot coming up with the Rays than the Yankees just because of the way the organizations handle things. They are alittle different.  The Rays could give this kid chances the Yankees may not have given him early on. 

And look, it's a long road... it always is in baseball, and so, you gotta applaud the grind here. You just gotta wish  this guy well.  This is the business they are in.  We are just fans on the outside looking in.

Again though, as I find out more, I will report back to the BYB audience. That's a promise.

But for now, I quick message to Ty:

"It's not about the uniform... it's about getting there. Keep your eye on the prize, and achieve your goal, kid! From all of us here at Bleeding Yankee Blue!"

YANKEE PROSPECT WATCH: CLARKIN & TORRENS

(Courtesy: MiLB.com)

Last week in Prospect Watch, we here at BYB covered the Yankees number 20 and 19 prospects respectively, Jordan Montgomery and Drew Finley. Read YANKEE PROSPECT WATCH: MONTGOMERY & FINLEY for more!  Today, we have #18 and #17... Ian Clarkin and Luis Torrens.

(Photo: Pinstriped Prospects)

#18. LHP Ian Clarkin was the 33rd overall pick in the 2013 draft at just 18 years-old but injuries have stunted his growth as a player. In his first three pro seasons, Clarkin totaled just 80 innings and missed the entire 2015 regular season with elbow issues. In 2016, Clarkin rebounded nicely down in Tampa throwing 98 innings while finishing with a 3.31 ERA.

Clarkin was drafted as a guy, like James Kaprelian, who was seen as being polished for his age and had a high floor without necessarily a number one starter type ceiling. While Clarkin still has a low 90’s fastball from the left side, to go along with a change up and a curve ball, he still has to remain healthy as the injuries have made it tough for him to progress. Clarkin again missed the end of the 2016 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus.

(Charleston RiverDogs File Photo)

Although Clarkin has battled the injury bug, he is still a southpaw and will turn just 22 just prior to spring training. With a couple good, healthy years, Clarkin could be a middle of the rotation candidate come 2019 or so. But staying on the field will be the biggest hurdle for Clarkin to overcome to give himself a chance.

(SI.com)

Coming in at # 17 on the Yankees prospect list, and number nine in MLB.com top catching prospects in baseball, is 20 year-old Luis Torrens. Signed at 16 in 2012 out of Venezuela where he was primarily a short stop, the Yankees saw potential to turn him into a catcher. Torrens hit the ground running and has made the transition seamlessly.

Photo Credit: Dave Schofield

Torrens is looked at as a better defender than Gary Sanchez but does not possess the same power. His arm strength is there shown by his 41% caught stealing rate in 2016. Torrens is seen as an advanced hitter for his age and is willing to work pitchers into deep counts and utilizes all fields. Torrens batted .250 this past summer between low A and A ball, but did produce a .350 OBP which shows his maturity as a patient hitter with 15 home run potential as he continues to develop.

An interesting note about Torrens is that he will not be protected from the rule five draft coming up on December 8th during the Winter Meetings. For those who are unfamiliar with the rule five draft here is some info from MLB.com:

Players first signed at age 18 must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process. Players signed at 19 years or older have to be protected within four seasons. Clubs pay $50,000 to select a player in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. If that player doesn't stay on the 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $25,000.

(Photo Courtesy: MiLB.com)

Since Torrens has only made it Single-A ball and is only 20 years-old, the likelihood of a team selecting him to be on their Major League roster for the entire season is pretty slim, but he is a sought after prospect. Assuming he stays put, Torrens could be in the mix for a backup role in 2018 or 2019, or could also be used as trade bait over the next year or two with Gary Sanchez seemingly in firm control of the catching position for the foreseeable future.

Torrens is my type of player; a good defender with a solid approach at the plate who is advanced for his age. I’m looking forward to watching him progress over the next couple of seasons.

Next up on the Prospect Watch will be Billy McKinney, a former A’s first round pick acquired from the Cubs in the Chapman deal, and Tyler Wade, a fourth round pick of the Yankees in 2013.

--Dan Lucia,  

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

 

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

  

 

YANKEE PROSPECT LUIS TORRENS IS ON THE SHELF

Sad news for Yankee prospect catcher Luis Torrens.  Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports that the kid will need shoulder surgery. Whoa.

Hoch tweets:

Yankees announce that catching prospect Luis Torrens will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) March 3, 2015

Well that sucks.

Torrens is 18 years old and is a prospect with incredible potential.  As far as background, Hardball Talk writes:

"The 18-year-old Venezuelan catcher has batted just .249/.338/.347 with four home runs in 107 professional games between rookie ball and Low-A, but he’s regarded as a good defender behind the plate with a very strong throwing arm."

Let's hope he comes back and doesn't skip a beat. Get well soon kid.



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THE YANKEES TOP TEN PROSPECTS

Baseball America has revealed their top 10 list of Yankee prospects.  Pitcher Luis Severino tops the list.

Other familiar names are first baseman Greg Bird and outfielder Aaron Judge, both who we have written about here recently, read AARON JUDGE IS CHOSEN FOR THE FALL STAR GAME! and BIRD IS THE WORD.

Both are doing great things in the Arizona Fall League.

Rob Refsnyder is someone we here at BYB want to see up in the bigs in 2015.  He's ready to blossom and do great things and besides, we could use a solid second baseman. Check out our piece on him by Steve Skinner titled, TIME TO MAKE CHANGES AT SECOND BASE from last July. Clearly we were ahead of the pulse on that one.

Here's the list:

1. RHP Luis Severino
2. OF Aaron Judge
3. SS Jorge Mateo
4. 1B Greg Bird
5. C Gary Sanchez
6. LHP Ian Clarkin
7. 2B Rob Refsnyder
8. LHP Jacob Lindgren
9. C Luis Torrens
10. 3B Miguel Andujar                                                                                   

It's been our feeling all along here that the kids need to eventually come up to the Bigs, mix with the veterans... and make things happen.

We will see what happens in 2015, but it's my belief that after 2 years of the Yankees not making it to the post season, the time is now.

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A GUY WALKS INTO A BAR WITH 3 CATCHERS...

It is interesting to see the drama of the catching position continue to unfold and how many people want in on the story- even the everyday fans.  It is as if a guy walks into a bar with three catchers, you see, one is a veteran, one a rookie and one a wanna-be.  Only two can stay and the other needs to go away.  But, you see, all of them have proven their worth in the big leagues and so no one wants to be sent down to the minors again.  They want to contribute to the team but in this case, maybe to another team.  Now, I am not saying that there isn’t talent in all three of our Yankee catchers and the ones coming up the pike in the farm system, but already, I am getting annoyed at the jabber on the news wires about decisions that have not even been made.

Just this week, Boston Globe Baseball Writer Nick Cafardo wrote this nugget in his "Updates on Nine" column: “With Brian McCann aboard and Francisco Cervelli the backup, Romine is very much available. Romine finds himself in the same spot as the Red Sox’ Ryan Lavarnway, with really no business going back to Triple A.”  Really, Nick?  You know this for a fact?  How do you know that Cervelli is going to be McCann’s back up?

I personally don’t think Cervelli should have any place on the team- I think we need to clean house of the drugs and move on to other prospects including Austin Romine, JR Murphy, Gary Sanchez for this year and Peter O’Brien, Luis Torrens and Alvaro Noriega later in 2016, 2018, and 2019 respectively.  We don’t need Cervelli despite his amazing enthusiasm.  He broke a lot of hearts last year when he admitted to using PEDs- a lot of hearts, including my own.

According to MiLB.com, Gary Sanchez is “just all sorts of talented, both offensively and defensively," said Yankees senior vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman. "He started in the U.S. when he was just 17, so he's got [1,522] plate appearances under his belt now. He's been around some, and it's showing. It's just not the kind of package you see too often in catchers."  Can’t he be waiting in the wings after we give Romine the shot he deserves this year?  The article goes on to say that, “Sanchez is undeniably the Yankees' top prospect, and he took another step toward proving that designation this season. The native of the Dominican Republic slashed .253/.324/.412 with 15 homers, 27 doubles and 71 RBIs during a season in which he moved up to Double-A at the age of 20. He also threw out 46 percent of would-be basestealers at Tampa and 39 percent with Trenton.”

Impressive to say the least, so with McCann in the starting rotation and Romine as a potential back up, I feel confident saying that the odd man out is Cervelli.  But really, anything can happen.  Hey, if the Mets can sign PEDs user Bartolo Colon then there is hope for Cervelli as trade bait.  Why not dangle him out on a string instead of giving up another great catching prospect like we did with Jesus Montero (ironically also testing positive for PEDs)? 

Bottom line, anything can happen between now and the end of the spring.  So, coming out with a statement like Cafardo did as if the backup catcher position is a done deal is just premature.  Let’s focus on the important things like prepping for the season, staying healthy and keeping our eye on the prize.  Good luck to all of our catchers and our team.  Do what you need to do to be primed for 2014.  Happy New Year!

By the way, for another take on homegrown Yankee talent, check out Erica's piece today as well, titled:

 WITH THE HOMEGROWN, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

THE YANKEES SHELL GAME

The Yankees are making moves and doing it at a rapid rate.  Sure, there are plenty of moving parts and moving players that no one really knows about, or, they do but they’re not around fast enough to get to know them. That’s the Yankees shell game this season, making smart, cheap moves that can either help us on the big team down the stretch or be traded by the July 31^st deadline or will help our future.  Believe me, all these moves will play a part at some point, or at least that’s the thinking when they made them.  I’m about the name several players, some you’ve heard of, some you haven’t but go with it. We’re here to educate, not confuse you.

 (In Photo: Luis Torrens)

Ben Badler of Baseball America says the Yankees signed a Venezuelan catcher named Luis Torrens for $1.3 million.  You can read about it HERE. He’s a 16 year old who used to be an infielder and was ranked as the 2^nd best international shortstop according to Baseball America. 

Badler also had information on a Dominican Shortstop named Yancarlos Baez.  He is also 16 and signed for $650,000. Baez is a switch hitter with speed.. You can read more about Baez HERE.

(In Photo: Matt Antonelli, left)

Remember Matt Antonelli? The Yankees claimed him off waivers from the Orioles on May. (Read HERE.) Well, he has been designated for assignment to make room for Chad Qualls.  You can read about that HERE.

(In Photo: Danny Farquhar)

Finally, remember we wrote in THE BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE NEWSSTAND IX how Danny Farquhar was designated for assignment when the Yankees signed Chris Schwinden? Good news for Farquhar, he has cleared waivers and is now with Trenton’s AA. I said good news because I can only assume he’s happy he still in the Yankees system. Probably not fair for me to speculate, I mean who wants to be send down to the minors...

Anyway there you go, names you may not be too familiar with now... but you will.

ORDER A BYB SHIRT NOW, DROB WEARS ONE! Also, Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.