Bronx Bomber Ball

  The Yankees shuffled their 40-man roster last night in advance of December 8th’s Rule 5 Draft, saying goodbye to some familiar faces to make way for five prospects. Outfielder Everson Pereira (the organization’s No. 13 prospect according to MLB Pipeline), infielder Oswaldo Cabrera (#16), and pitchers Ron Marinaccio, J.P. Sears, and Stephen Ridings were all protected ahead of the 6 PM deadline. In turn, the club designated Clint Frazier, Tyler Wade, and Rougned Odor for assignment, while trading Nick Nelson and newly-selected catcher Donny Sands to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor leaguers T.J. Rumfield (1B) and Joel Valdez (LHP). Photo Credit: Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports Pereira, a right-handed centerfielder, had a very strong year at the plate between three levels of the Yanks’ system. In just 188 at-bats, the 20-year-old cranked 20 home runs and drove in 57 RBI -- good for a .303/.398/.686 clip -- along with nine stolen bases. He finished the season with High-A Hudson Valle...

The Yankees’ minor league systems is deep even beyond the flashy prospects, and as a result, they had six players they chose not to protect on the 40-man roster selected by other clubs in the Rule-5 draft. Only one of the six Yankees, RHP Nick Green, was selected in the Major League phase, while five players were selected in the Triple-A phase. The Yankees chose one player of their own in the Triple-A phase in RHP Adonis De la Cruz. A friendly reminder for those who are not familiar with the Rule-5 draft, the teams who select these players must keep them on their active roster of either the Major League or Triple-A team, depending on the phase of selection, or be offered back to their former club. Here is a breakdown of Cruz and who the Yankees lost:   Photo Credit: Medium

Earlier today, it was announced that the Mariners returned Rule 5 draft pick Mike Ford to the Yankees. The first baseman was the 11th pick in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft and was one of four Yankees minor leaguers to be taken, along with pitchers Anyelo Gomez, Nestor Cortes, and Jose Mesa. Ford was optioned to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  MLB.com

Yesterday, the Winter Meetings wrapped up, ending with the annual Rule 5 Draft. For those who are unfamiliar with the draft, it is essentially teams selecting a minor league player with four to five years of professional experience that has not yet been added to the 40-man roster of their team. Since the Yankees have such a deep farm system, they were not able to add all the talent that they wanted to their 40-man roster, and lost four players as a result: RHP Anyelo Gomez, LHP Nestor Cortes, 1B Mike Ford, and RHP Jose Mesa.   MiLB.com

The Yankees enter the 2017-18 offseason with one of, if not the best farm system in Major League Baseball. By now you know the big names. There's MLB Pipeline’s #1 overall prospect Gleyber Torres, there's top arms Chance Adams and Justus Sheffield, there's top outfield prospects Clint Frazier and Estevan Florial, and of course there's Miguel Andújar, a 3B/DH prospect who possesses possibly the best bat in the organization. But look beneath the surface and you'll find other hidden gems; lesser known names that might just force their way onto the 25-man roster at some point next season. Photo Credit: USA Today Sports

With the upcoming Rule 5 draft just a few weeks away the Yankees had to make some decisions on which Rule 5 eligible players should be protected. The Yankees eventually decided to protect shortstop Jorge Mateo, third baseman Miguel Andujar, and pitchers Dietrich Enns, Giovanny Gallegos, Ronald Herrera and Yefrey Ramirez. Because of their healthy minor league system, the Yankees were going to have to leave some of their prospects unprotected and exposed to the Rule 5 draft, thus the penalty for having a good farm system. Photo Credit:  AP Photo/Chris O’Meara