Bronx Bomber Ball

The Yankees have announced that they have officially acquired outfielder Andrew McCutchen and cash considerations from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Triple-A shortstop  Abiatal  Avelino and Single-A RHP Juan De Paula. The deal was first reported by Joel Sherman of the NY Post.  I hear if the trade is completed #yankees will be sending two prospects to the #sfgiants for McCutchen and that Abital Avelino is one of them. — Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) August 31, 2018 New York, in dire need of outfield help with  Aaron  Judge now shelved for over a month and Shane Robinson hitting under .150 in his place, needed to make a move like this to bolster its roster heading into the final month of the season.  After tonight’s brutal loss to the Tigers, it seems the American League East crown is out of reach, but the Yankees need to ensure they are as strong as possible heading into the AL Wild Card Game.  

Living in Virginia Beach and being a New York Yankees fan is a tough gig. The closest major league stadiums to me are in Baltimore and Washington DC, and the Bronx is a solid eight-hour drive away. However, the Norfolk Tides, the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, are a short trip away and this is a prime chance to see the next wave of Yankees talent play when the Railriders come into town, usually once a year. I was able to catch two games of their three-game series (both wins), and here is what I noticed in the eighteen innings I watched.

Part two of our farm system update focuses on the top ten hitters in the Yankees’ farm system. While only seven of New York’s top 30 prospects are hitters, and one being the recently promoted Gleyber Torres, the Yankees'  depth is clearly in their pitching, but there are still a few up and coming hitters who can make an impact in the near future.  All stats are through Sunday, May 20th and all rankings are per MLB.   Photo Credit: Newsday

Coming in at number 30 in the BBB’s second annual top prospect countdown where we release our top 30 prospects day-by-day is middle infield prospect Hoy Jun Park. Park signed with the Yankees in the summer of 2014 for a signing bonus of $1.2 million. The Yankees spending spree on international free agents that summer included names like Juan De Leon, Nelson Gomez, Dermis Garcia, and Wilkerman Garcia. Unfortunately, Park’s prospect status has continued to fall since joining the Yankees organization. We had Park ranked as our 21st best prospect last year, but this year, he just barely cracked the list. Park will need to improve upon his underwhelming 2016 season if he intends to stay on top 30 prospect boards going forward. Photo Via Baseball America

Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2011, Abiatal Avelino signed for $300,000 And was sent to the Dominican Summer League to start off his professional baseball career in 2012. Avelino is listed as a right handed shortstop and second baseman.