Yankees release Ellsbury, DFA Bird & Cortes.

The Yankees had to set their 40-man roster before the Rule 5 draft and wanted to protect a couple of youngsters from that draft.

In order to do so, they made some moves.

The first was that they released Jacoby Ellsbury. In doing so, they are eating the $21MM he is owed for 2020 and also paying him $5MM for a 2021 buyout. They are eating $26MM and yes, that money for 2020 still will count against the cap. Ellsbury didn’t play at all for the Yankees in 2018 and 2019.

Ellsbury did play for them 2014-2017, with his best year being his first, in 2014 (.271-16-70 with 39 SB, OPS+ 111). So the Yanks got NOTHING from him for the last three years of his contract and had to buy out 2021.

The Yanks also DFA’d Greg Bird and Nestor Cortes, Jr.

Bird hit .261 with 11 HR in 46 games at the end of 2015, filling in for the injured Mark Teixeira but has had trouble with injuries since. He missed all of 2016 due to injury, hit .190 in 48 games in 2017, .199 in 82 games in 2018 and was just 6 for 35 in 10 games in 2019. His big highlight was his HR in Game 3 of the 2017 ALDS off of Andrew Miller that won the game for the Yanks 1-0 and kept them alive in the playoffs that year.

Cortes, Jr. was 5-1, 5.67 for the Yankees in 2019, ERA+ 79, in one start and 32 relief appearances.

The Yanks added Estevan Florial, Deivi Garcia, Luis Gil, Brooks Kriske, Luis Medina, Nick Nelson and Miguel Yajure to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 draft.

Florial: 22 on Nov. 25. OF lefty bat. .237-8-38 at High A Tampa in 2019.
Garcia: 20. 5-9, 4.28 combined A+/AA/AAA in 2019. 165 K in 111.1 IP.  21 starts, 5 relief.
Gil: 21. 5-5, 2.72 at A/A+ combined in 2019. 20 starts. 123 K in 96 IP.
Kriske: 25. 3-3, 2.08 at A+/AA combined in 2019. 12 saves. 80 K in 60.2 IP.
Medina: 20. 1-8, 5.47 at A/A+ combined in 2019. 22 starts. 127 K in 103.2 IP.
Nelson: 24 on Dec. 5. 8-3, 2.81 at A+/AA/AAA in 2019. 17 starts, 1 relief. 114 K in 89.2 IP.
Yajure: 21. 9-6, 2.14 at A+/AA in 2019. 20 starts, 4 relief. 133 K in 138.2 IP.

Minor League Report. Encouraging outing by Loaisiga.

AAA: SWB (64-53) lost 10-2 but the biggest story of the game is that Jonathan Loaisiga pitched well.

Loaisiga no-decision 3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 4 K.

Could he be used as an “opener” in the postseason? Or in another capacity?

As you may guess by the final score, after he left, things didn’t go well. Brody Koerner gave up 10 runs on 16 hits in 5 2/3 IP, inc. 3 HR. Ugh.

SS Thairo Estrada 2 hits. DH Ryan McBroom 2 RBI. CF Billy Burns 3 hits.

AA: Trenton (62-54) won 5-3. 1B Chris Gittens 3 hits, RBI. RF Isiah Gilliam 2-run HR. 3B Max Burt 2 hits.

High A: Tampa (52-62) lost 6-4. 3B Oswaldo Cabrera 2 hits. 2B Diego Castillo 2 hits. LF Leonardo Molina 2 hits, 2 RBI.

Starter Luis Gil 4 scoreless innings, no decision. 1-0, 4.85 at Tampa, but 5-5, 2.72 between Low A Charleston and High A Tampa this season in 20 starts. Gil, 21, RHP, has 123 K in 96 IP. Maybe three years away? But someone to keep an eye on.

Low A: Charleston (60-57) won 9-8. SS Oswald Peraza 2 hits. LF Canaan Smith 3 hits, 3 RBI, 2-run HR, .319. I am surprised he hasn’t been promoted to Tampa right now. (20, .319-9-61, lefty bat). 2B Eduardo Torrealba 2 RBI.

Minor League Report. Deivi so-so in SWB loss. Tampa’s Stephan throws a 7-inning no-hitter. Gil impresses again.

AAA: With trade rumors swirling as we approach the trade deadline, I wonder how many scouts were in attendance to watch Deivi Garcia? How many not only here but elsewhere (see Luis Gil below) checking out players for a possible deal?

SWB (60-44) lost 4-2. 1B Mike Ford 2 hits, solo HR.

Deivi Garcia (AAA L, 1-1, 5.14) 6 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 2 W, 4 K. Gave up 2 HR.

Garcia is just 20, the youngest player in AAA. For the season, A+-AA and AAA, he is 5-6, but with a 3.38 ERA and 128 K in 82 2/3 IP.

AA: Trenton (55-47) won 2-1. CF Ben Ruta 2 hits. DH Mandy Alvarez 2 hits, RBI.

Starter Nick Nelson (W, 5-2, 2.91) 6 1/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 3 W, 8 K.
Lane (H, 4) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.  1.89
Kriske (S, 9) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K.  1.54

High A: Tampa (46-57) swept a DH, and Trevor Stephan hrew a 7-inning no-hitter in the regularly scheduled game. (Minor league DHs are 7-inning games)

Reg. Sched. Game: Won 2-0. LF Pablo Olivares 2 hits. DH Alexander Palma 2-run HR for the only runs of the game. SS Diego Castillo 2 hits. 3B Wilkerman Garcia 2 hits.

Trevor Stephan (W, 1-3, 5.48) 7 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 9 K. Only an error by 1B Stephen Sensley kept this from being a perfect game.

Makeup of 7/25 rainout: Won 4-3. CF Estevan Florial 2 hits, 2 RBI. 2B Oswaldo Cabrera 2 RBI.

Luis Gil (W, 1-0, 3.00) 6 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 2 W, 5 K.
Blanton (S, 1) 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K.  3.24

Gil is 21, RHP. Between Low A Charleston and High A Tampa, 5-5, 2.43 this season. 117 K in 89 innings. Besides Deivi Garcia, another kid to keep an eye on.

Low A: Charleston (51-54) lost 4-3. CF Brandon Lockridge 3 hits, RBI.

Here is hoping the very young Deivi Garcia and also Luis Gil continue to develop. Could both be future rotation fixtures? Let’s hope the Yanks develop these kids well. Hopefully they won’t have to be included in a deal.

Minor League Report. Dominating pitching at AA, lower levels.

AAA: SWB (52-37) swept a DH.

Reg. Sched. Game: won 6-3. SS Thairo Estrada solo HR. 2B Tyler Wade 2 hits. 1B Ryan McBroom solo HR. RF Zach Zehner 3-run HR. 3B Wendell Rijo 2 hits, RBI.

Makeup of 7/6: Won 7-4. SS Estrada 2 RBI. 2B Wade 2 hits, RBI (.311). DH Kyle Higashioka 2 hits, 2 RBI. RF Trey Amburgey solo HR. C Erik Kratz 2 hits (.341). Stephen Tarpley the “opener” had as much (or little, depending on how you look at it) success as he had when he was the “opener” out in London. 2 IP, gave up 4 runs, 2 HR. The bullpen (3 different pitchers) with five scoreless IP.

AA: Trenton (46-39) won 3-0 on a 3-hitter. Trenton only got 3 hits themselves.

Abreu 6 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 3 W, 6 K. 3.82
Nelson (W, 3-2, 3.47) 3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K.

High A: Tampa (37-48) swept a DH.

Reg. sched. game: Won 4-1 on a 2-hitter. CF Estevan Florial 2 hits. C Donny Sands 2 hits, RBI.

Yajure (W, 5-6, 2.13) 7 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 6 K. Gave up HR.

Makeup of 7/6: Won 2-0 on another 2-hitter.

Stephan 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K. 7.56
Sears (W, 4-4, 4.14) 4 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 3 K.
Wivinis (S, 5) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.89

Low A: Charleston (45-43) lost 5-2 despite pitching a 2-hitter. LF Canaan Smith 2 hits. 3B Welfrin Mateo 2 hits, RBI.

Charleston starter Luis Gil had a no-hitter through five, but started the sixth inning off by walking the first three batters then giving up a bases-clearing double.

Trenton’s Deivi Garcia started for the AL in the Futures Game. He pitched one inning, 1-2-3, a K and two pop-ups. Looked good. Nice fast ball, good break on the curve.

 

 

Minor League Report.

AAA: SWB (47-35) won 5-1. SS Tyler Wade 2 hits. LF Clint Frazier 3 hits, 3 RBI. 1B Ryan McBroom 3 hits, (.322) RBI.

Dan Camarena (W, 3-3, 6.01) 7 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 4 K
Jonathan Holder 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K.  6.75
J.P. Feyereisen 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.  2.09

AA:  Trenton (45-33) lost 7-1. Top pitching prospect Deivi Garcia with an off-night. DH Ben Ruta 2 hits.

Garcia (L, 4-3, 3.00) 4 IP, 3 R, 7 H, 3 W, 5 K. 1 WP, 2 HBP.

High A:  Tampa (34-45) lost 9-3. CF Estevan Florial 2 hits, solo HR.

Low A: Charleston (43-39) won 5-1. CF Brandon Lockridge 2 hits, solo HR.

Luis Gil (W, 4-3, 1.90) 5 1/3 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 W, 7 K
Lehnen (H, 2) 2 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  1.42
Valdez 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K. 2.52

Sympathies to the Angels and the family of LHP Tyler Skaggs. The Angels’ pitcher was found dead in his hotel room in Texas. No cause of death revealed, but there is no indication of foul play or suicide. Tragic. He was just 27.

Yanks / Mets tonight at Citi Field. You just hope the Yanks are over the jet lag.

 

Minor League Report.

AAA: SWB (44-31) lost a slugfest, 10-9. DH Mike Ford 4 hits, 2 RBI (.316). 3B Breyvic Valera 3 hits, RBI (.379). SS Tyler Wade 2 hits, RBI. 1B Logan Morrison (.305) 2 hits. 2B Thairo Estrada solo HR. RF Trey Amburgey solo HR.

AA: Trenton (42-30) lost 9-2 to Reading. 2B Hoy Jun Park 2 hits. SS Kyle Holder 2 hits, RBI. RF Ben Ruta 2 hits. 3B Mandy Alvarez 2 hits, RBI.

High A: Tampa (31-42) lost 9-3. 2B Oswaldo Cabrera 3 hits, 2 RBI. LF Pablo Olivares 2 hits. 3B Wendell Rijo 2 hits, RBI.

Low A: Charleston (39-37) won 5-4. 2B Kyle Gray 2 hits, 2 RBI. LF Matt Pita 3 hits, 2 RBI.

Luis Gil (21, RHP) 6 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 3 W, 9 K.  (W, 3-3, 2.06)

Minor League Report.

AAA: SWB (39-28) won 7-3. On rehab, RF Aaron Judge 1 for 4, RBI, struck out twice. DH Giancarlo Stanton 0 for 4, 2 strikeouts.

SS Tyler Wade 2 hits. C Eric Kratz 3 hits, 4 RBI, 2 HR, a solo shot and a 3-run shot.

Four SWB pitchers combined for 15 K. J.P. Feyereisen (5-0, 2.48) with 2 scoreless IP.

AA: Trenton (37-27) won 4-3. SS Kyle Holder 3 hits, RBI. LF/RF Ben Ruta 2-run HR. 3B Mandy Alvarez a solo HR.

High A: Tampa off, Florida State League All-Star Break.

Low A: Charleston (37-33) a 2-1 win. C Anthony Seigler, last year’s first round draft pick, 2 hits, RBI. DH Canaan Smith 2 hits. 2B Kyle Gray 2 hits.

Luis Gil 5 IP, 1 R, 8 H, 2 W, 8 K.  1.81
Tanner Myatt (W, 1-1, 1.64) 3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 W, 1 K.
Daniel Bies (S, 2) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  3.62