The Minors.

Dietrich Enns at AAA, and Chance Adams at AA, both of whom have been exceptional this year, have been moved to the bullpen and basically shut down due to innings limits.

AAA: SWB won 4-0. Combined 3-hitter. Nestor Cortes 5 2/3 IP, no hits. Luis Severino 2 1/3 IP, 5 K. Enns 1 IP. Donovan Solano 2 hits, 2 RBI. 2 hits, RBI for both Mason Williams and Rob Refsnyder.

SWB’s Magic # for clinching the division is 3.

Earlier in the day, OF Ben Gamel was named International League MVP.

AA: Trenton won 6-4. Mark Payton 2-run HR. 2 hits Miguel Andujar, 2 RBI Tyler Wade. 2 hits, rbi for Abiatal Avelino. Trenton stays 1 1/2 back of Reading for the division, and have already clinched a wild card spot.

High A: Tampa had already won the first-half title. They were scoreless in the second inning when rain suspended the game. It should be completed today.

Low A: Charleston had already won the first-half title. they lost 2-0, getting just 3 hits.

The Minors.

SWB’s Manager suggests that an overlooked minor leaguer that could help the team is OF Ben Gamel. Perhaps if Gardner can be dealt for pitching help (offered, no takers), that may happen.

AAA: SWB won 10-4. Gamel had 2 hits, 2 RBI. Severino shaky, 5 2/3 IP, 4 runs. Apparently the Yanks want him to concentrate on his changeup right now and aren’t too concerned with results as long as he throws and perfects the change. Severino, however, should just keep his mouth shut. He stated that he could just work on things in the majors instead of being demoted. Not with an ERA over 7.00 you won’t. Time to shut the Yap, Luis, and do what they tell you. You should be a bit more humble with that MLB ERA over 7.00 this year. Mason Williams 3 hits, RBI (another candidate for OF spot if Gardner dealt) . Donovan Solano 3 hits. Refsnyder 2 hits, RBI. Frazier 2 hits. Jake Cave 3 hits, 2 RBI.

AA: Trenton won 4-1. Chance Adams only went 4 1/3 (Innings limit?)   1 R, 3 H, 2 walks and 10 K.  Wondering why pulled after 10 of 13 outs recorded were by strikeout.  2 hits, RBI Dustin Fowler.

High A:   Tampa won 3-0 on a 2-hitter. Yefrey Ramirez 8 IP, 1 hit, 0 walks, 8 K. Connor Spencer 2 hits and an RBI.

Low A: Charleston won 4-1. Daris Vargas 6 shutout IP.

The minors. AA news: Mitchell, Adams.

The big boys are out on the west coast and off today. Here is a report on the minor leaguers.

AAA: SWB lost 9-3. Stripped of starters like Cessa and Green, SWB had to start a reliever, Tyler Webb, tonight and due to the unfamiliarity, he got rocked. Cesar Puello  2 doubles, 2 rbi. 2 hits each for Clint Frazier, Rob Refsnyder, and Cito Culver. RBI for Refsnyder.

AA: Trenton lost 5 -0, getting just 3 hits. Bryan Mitchell continues to struggle on his rehab. 2 2/3 IP, 4 R, 3 ER. Gave up a HR. Each start has been a level up, but each start has been problematic in coming off that injury. Maybe he doesn’t make it all the way back until 2017 spring training. I wouldn’t count on him this year with the results he’s had since coming off the injury. Chance Adams, who is 13-1 with High A Tampa and AA Trenton, was supposed to start tonight but was bumped for Mitchell. Adams, who has been great this year, came on in relief and pitched four scoreless, hitless innings and struck out seven. 

So my take from this game is that Mitchell is still struggling to come back from his injury, but Adams continues to kick butt. 

High A: Tampa lost 3-2. Jorge Mateo 2 hits. 2 hits, 2 RBI for Thairo Estrada.

Low A: Charleston won 6-1. Vicente Conde 3 hits and 3 RBI. Mandy Alvarez 2 hits.  Gosuke Katoh 3 hits, rbi.

The Minors. Adams’ streak ends.

AAA: SWB lost 4-1 to Lehigh Valley in a five-inning, rain-shortened game. Solo HR Kyle Higashioka.

AA: After starting the season 13-0 between Tampa and Trenton, Chance Adams finally had a clunker, giving up 7 R, four of them unearned,  in 4 2/3 innings and taking his first loss of the year. Trenton lost 7-2. Tyler Wade 3 hits. 2 hits Abiatal Avelino. In 23 starts this year between A+/AA, Adams is 13-1, 2.42.

High A: Tampa split a DH.

Reg. sched. game: won 7-0. Josh Rogers (8-4, 2.32) six shutout IP, 8 K. Kevin Cornelius Solo HR. 2 hits, RBI Connor Spencer.

Makeup of 8/7 rainout: Lost 4-3 in 8 innings (DHs are 7 innings each). Justus Sheffield 1 R in 5 1/3, and the last three runs Tampa gave up (two in the seventh, one in the eighth) were all unearned.   2 hits Trey Amburgey.

Low A: Charleston lost 8-3. Kyle Holder 2 hits, double, solo HR.

The Minors. Unlucky 13? Not a “Chance.”

AAA: SWB won 4-2. Brady Lail 6 IP, 2 R, 3 H. Solo HR Clint Frazier. 3 doubles, 2 RBI Donovan Solano. 2 hits Tyler Austin. SWB won despite striking out 15x.

AA: Trenton won 6-0. Chance Adams 6 IP. Between Tampa and Trenton this year, Adams is 13-0,   2.28. Now At SWB, Dietrich Enns is a combined 12-4, 1.70. In September, when rosters expand, I hope to see both of these kids get a start. We know what CC, Pineda, and Eovaldi can do. Also we’ve seen Cessa and Green. Let’s see what Adams and Enns can do then. Dustin Fowler 3 hits, HR, 3 RBI. 2 hits, RBI Miguel Andujar.3 hits, 2 doubles, rbi Abiatal Avelino. 2 hits Francisco Diaz.

One scout called Adams the best kept secret in the minors.

High A: Tampa lost 3-1. Jorge Mateo, Trey Amburgey and Zack Zehner 2 hits each. But Mateo caught stealing, picked off, and made an error. Domingo German 5 IP, 1 R.

Low A: Charleston lost a DH.

Reg. scheduled game lost 4-1. 2 hits, solo HR Ricardo Ferreira. 2 hits Cesar Diaz.

Makeup of June 28 rainout: Lost 1-0. They gave up just 2 hits, but got just 3 themselves. The run given up was unearned. Daris Vargas the tough luck losing pitcher, 5 IP, 7 K.

Yanks trade Miller, get back Clippard.

I’ll admit, I hate to see Andrew Miller go.

But in the space of a week, the Yanks faced facts—that they were a pretender, not a contender for this year and for the next few years—and decided to look at the future.

And Brian Cashman made it clear that he doesn’t look at the future as a one or two year thing, but wants that future, say, 2020-2034, to be as dominant as say, 1993-2012 was.

The trade with the Cubs brought back the Cubs’ #1 and #7 prospects, Adam Warren, and one other prospect.

The trade of Miller to the Indians brought back their #1 prospect (OF Clint Frazier (YAY! A RIGHTY HITTER to go with Aaron Judge!—they had too many lefties with Williams, Cave, Fowler, Gamel and Rutherford) their #5, and two more.

The Yanks now have one of the best farm systems in the majors. Be patient, this may take a few years, but

Torres, Mateo, Frazier, Sheffield (LHP included in the Miller deal, #5 prospect), Sanchez, Judge, Kaprielian are seven of the top 100 prospects in baseball.

This doesn’t include prospects like:

LHP Dietrich Enns, 11-4 at AA/AAA this year.
RHP Chance Adams, 12-0 between Tampa and Trenton this year.
Pitcher Ian Clarkin, also Jacob Lindgren, Lefty relief pitcher who has had elbow trouble the last two years,
Brian Mitchell, who’s missed this year,
C Luis Torrens ; C Kyle Higashioka (having a great year)
1B Greg Bird; 1B/OF Tyler Austin
INF Tyler Wade
3Bs Miguel Andujar and Mandy Alvarez (Alvarez hit in all of his first 25 minor league games)
OF Blake Rutherford, their 1st round draft pick. .384 in first 24 minor league games.

OF Dustin Fowler. SS Kyle Holder.  SS Wilkerson Garcia.

… and a couple guys they got in the deals, like relief pitcher Ben Heller.

They got Tyler Clippard back for Vincente Campos. Campos was in the Montero for Pineda deal, started out well, but hurt his arm and has been trying to get it back since. Clippard started his MLB career with the Yanks (2007), was traded for Jonathan Albaladejo (bad deal) and became a 2x all-star after the Yanks traded him away. He is 31, was 2-3, 4.30 for Arizona this year, and has a career mark of 44-32, 2.97 with 54 saves. 162 g. average, 6-4, 2.97, 7 saves, ERA+ 135.

And hey, Severino, despite his bad year, is young, just 22.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll give up the next two to three years for 15 years of dominance.

The Minors.

First off, I am sorry for no reports on the minor league games played on Saturday. Just when I was about to write a recap, the you know what hit the fan with the Miller deal, then the Yanks got Tyler Clippard back. In taking the time to study and analyze those deals, I didn’t have time to do a minor league recap on Saturday’s minor league games.

But I will give my opinion on the trades. So a tradeoff. No minor league report for Saturday but an analysis on the big trades.

As for today, Sunday, …..

AAA: SWB got shut out 4-0. They got just one hit.

AA: Trenton swept a DH (two 7-inning games).

Reg. sched. game: won 4-1. Combined 2-hitter. RF Billy McKinney, who they just got from the Cubs for Chapman, 2 for 2, HR, 2 RBI. Abital Avelino 2 for 2, rbi.

Makeup of 7/30 rainout:   Trenton won 3-1.

Chance Adams impoved to 7-0, 2.13 with Trenton (5 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 walks, 9 K), and 12-0 between Tampa and Trenton with an ERA of 2.41 this year. The Yanks now have 7 of the top 100 prospects in the minors, and that does NOT include Adams, who is 15-1, 2.26 in his minor league career (35 games, 21 starts). Think about that. Adams turns 22 on August 10.

Trenton won despite getting only two hits.

High A: Tampa won 6-0.

Low A: Charleston won 3-1. C Austin Afenir 2 hits, rbi. 2B Gosuke Katoh 2 doubles, 2 RBI.