AAA: SWB (8-2) beat Lehigh Valley 6-4. 3B Armando Alvarez 2-run HR. SS Andrew Velazquez 2 RBI. Adam Warren 2 1/3 scoreless relief innings, one of five pitchers.
AA: Somerset (6-4) lost 7-3. 1B Dermis Garcia solo HR, 2 RBI.
High A: Hudson Valley (5-5) won 9-4. 2B/LF Oliver Dunn 2 hits, 2-run HR, 3 RBI. SS Oswald Peraza (someone to keep an eye on) 2 homers, both 2-run shots, 4 RBI. LF/RF Frederick Cuevas 2 hits.
Low A: Tampa (7-3) won 7-4. SS Anthony Volpe 2 RBI. C Austin Wells 2 hits, 3 RBI. 3B/2B Max Burt 2 hits.
Estevan Florial was moved up from AA to AAA, I presume to replace Greg Allen on the AAA roster. I believe Allen is or will be called up to the majors to fill in for Aaron Hicks, what with Hicks’ injury. Allen is a switch-hitter, has played in 221 MLB games, all but one for Cleveland. .239 hitter, OPS+ only 70, not much pop (8 HR) but did steal 21 bases for the Indians in 2018.
AAA: SWB won 7-5. 1B Luke Voit 2 hits, 2-run HR. Miguel Andujar (playing LF) 2 hits, 2 RBI, solo HR (Voit and Andujar HRs back-to-back). OF Trey Amburgey solo HR. Brody Koerner started, 4 IP, 0 R, 1 H. Adam Warren 1 1/3 scoreless IP, 3 K. Trevor Lane 2 scoreless IP, 3 K.
I wonder if Frazier and Gardner keep hitting under .200 and Andujar proves he can play LF, if a change will be made. As for Voit, the Yanks really miss the HR leader of last season. Bruce (now retired) and Ford haven’t filled Voit’s void.
AA: Somerset won 3-1. 4 pitchers, combined two-hitter. Shawn Semple 4 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 5 K. C Donny Sands solo HR. 3B Diego Castillo 3 hits.
High A: Hudson Valley won 8-0 on a two-hitter. 2B Ezequiel Duran 2 hits. CF Brandon Lockridge 4 hits, RBI. 1B Steven Sensley 2 hits, 2 RBI
Low A: Tampa, after winning 11-7 Tuesday night, won 19-9 Wednesday night. After two innings, they were losing 7-0.
DH Austin Wells 2 hits, 2 RBI 2B Trevor Hauver 2 hits, 3 RBI, a 2-run HR, walked 3x RF Jake Sanford 2 hits, 2 RBI 1B Andres Chaparro 4 hits, 2 RBI 3B Chad Bell 2 hits, RBI CF Pat DeMarco 2 hits, both HR, 5 RBI
Clint Frazier went 3 for 3 with 2 RBI, including a HR, Mike Tauchman hit a 2-run HR, and Gio Urshela—playing SS—went 2 for 2 with an RBI as the Yankees (11-4-1 in Spring Training) beat Detroit 7-4 Tuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Rob Brantly caught Gerrit Cole. Kyle Higashioka has some pain in his side. Hopefully it isn’t serious because with Robinson Chirinos out with a broken wrist, the Yankees’ catching depth would be thinned out and Brantly then becomes the backup catcher.
Also, Adam Warren was shut down because of shoulder issues.
Cole struggled in the second inning, giving up 2 solo HR.
Cole 3 2/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 W, 5 K. Gave up 2 solo HR. 1 HBP Loaisiga (H) 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 2 K. Cessa 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 solo HR. Lyons (H) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. Barraclough 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.
So far, I like what I see in spring training, especially from the starting pitchers and relievers like Loaisiga and Nelson. Not to mention Luetge.
With the fractured wrist of Robinson Chirinos, Rob Brantly probably becomes the Yankees 3rd string catcher, sent to SWB (if he has options, which I don’t know about; I also don’t know if he has an opt-out clause) to lie in wait should anything happen to Gary Sanchez or Kyle Higashioka.
Today he hit his second spring training HR, a 2-run shot, as the Yankees (7-4-1) beat the Tigers 4-2.
From the NY Post: The Yankees made a series of minor league roster moves: OF Estevan Florial was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. RHP Luis Gil was optioned to Double-A Somerset. RHP Luis Medina and Alexander Vizcaino and SS Oswald Peraza were optioned to High-A Hudson Valley. RHP Yoendrys Gomez was optioned to Low-A Tampa. The team also assigned several to minor league camp, including C Austin Wells and RHP Adam Warren, as well as Josh Breaux, Kevin Deglan, Chris Gittens, Hoy Jun Park, Tom Milone, Michael Beltre, Trey Amburgey, Trevor Lane, Glenn Otto … I might have missed a couple and hope i got some names right.
Jameson Taillon had struggles, but gave up no runs. He hasn’t allowed a run in spring training.
Manager Aaron Boone returned to the Yankees after his pacemaker surgery, but the Yankees (3-3-1 in spring training) fell to Pittsburgh, 3-2, today.
The Yanks got their runs on solo HR by Jay Bruce and Clint Frazier. It was a 7-inning game, delayed at the start by rain.
Jameson Taillon pitched two scoreless innings, getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the second, and struck out four.
Jhoulys Chacin struggled again in trying to get that #5 starter spot.
Taillon 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 4 K. Chacin (L; BS) 1 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 0 W, 1 K Lane 2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K. Otto 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. Cessa 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K. Gave up a solo HR. Warren 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.
For someone coming off injury and who may need to get more time in extended spring training or in the minors to get back up to speed, Adam Warren, in his third go-around with the Yankees, has done well this spring.
Before I get to the game, the biggest story of the day was that Yankee Manager Aaron Boone will be out of commission for a few days. Boone, who had heart surgery in 2009, needs a pacemaker. The operation was done today, went as expected and he is expected to return in a few days. Meanwhile, bench coach Carlos Mendoza will be running the show.
The Yankees (3-1 in spring training) won their third straight spring training game, 4-1. Actually, 3-1, but since someone on the Blue Jays needed some work, they played the bottom of the seventh of the 7-inning game even though the Yanks had already won.
It’s like the other day when because of pitch count, an inning was ended early, before three outs were made in order to save the pitcher from possibly overextending himself too early and getting hurt. The inning came to an end, the pitcher got some rest, then went out again the next inning. It is Spring TRAINING, after all.
Corey Kluber, the 2x former Cy Young Award winner who the Yanks signed but who has pitched only one inning over the last two years, started and looked fantastic. Six up, six down. If he can get back to what he was, wow.
Gary Sanchez, who disappointed, hitting just .147 last year, seems to be on a mission to redeem himself. He hit his second HR of the spring. He also threw out a runner trying to steal second.
After Sanchez homered, Jay Bruce doubled, and Derek Dietrich hit a 2-run HR. This all in the bottom of the fifth after Toronto scored its only run in the top half of the fifth.
In that bottom of the seventh that didn’t have to be played, Robinson Chirinos homered for the Yankees.
Bruce was 2 for 2.
Kluber 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K. Warren 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. Goody 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. Cessa 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. Loaisiga (H) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. Barraclough (S) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.
Finally, a minor league update.
AAA: Stays in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (SWB) AA: Now in Somerset, NJ (last year in Trenton) High A: Moves from Tampa to Hudson Valley (Wappingers Falls, NY) Low A: Tampa drops from High A to Low A. Last year Low A was Charleston.
This because of MLB’s reconfiguration of the minors.
It’s always nice to watch that first S.T. game, especially when, where you live, there is still snow on the ground and the temperature is still in the low 40s.
The Yanks lost their first spring training game to Toronto today, 6-4, in a 7-inning game. Because of COVID, S.T. games may be shortened for health reasons, as long as everyone gets their work in.
The only pitcher who seems to have a shot of making the Yankees’ team was the starter today, Michael King, who is trying to win the #5 rotation spot. It didn’t go well for him.
Rob Brantly, looking for a backup C spot (odds are he is #3 or #4 and SWB bound) and Mike Tauchman each hit a HR for the Yankees.
Tauchman, and also Miguel Andujar (1 for 2 today) will be interesting calls for the Yanks. Tauchman is out of options, and with Gardner back, appears not to have a place on the team. He is out of options and could be DFA’d. The HR by Tauchman was welcome, because he hit 13 HR in 2019, but those are his ONLY MLB HR. He did not hit any last year. The lack of power was interesting. Tauchman says he had a sore shoulder. Sore enough to bother him but not put him on the IL.
Andujar is an interesting case. He has an option left, but it seems like the 2018 runnerup for ROY (47 doubles, 27 HR, 92 RBI) does not have a place on the team as well, barring injury.
Barring an injury, the 13 position players (taking into account 13 players, and 13 pitchers on a 26 man roster) appear to be
C Sanchez and Higashioka (Brantly and Chirinos looking to take spot away from Higashioka) 1B Voit (and I think Jay Bruce (1B, LF, RF) will take backup spot from Mike Ford) 2B LeMahieu SS Torres 3B Urshela UT Wade (2B, SS, 3B, and OF; fighting for spot with Estrada) LF Frazier CF Hicks RF Judge OF Gardner DH Stanton.
I don’t think others, like Derek Dietrich or Esteban Florial, have a legit shot.
LeMahieu 1 for 2, single Torres a double. Andujar 1 for 2, single Brantly 2 run HR Tauchman HR
King (L) 2 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 2 W, 1 K. 2 HBP Wojciechowski 1 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 W, 2 K. Barraclough 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 W, 2 K. Warren 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. 3rd time with Yanks. Coming off injury. Looked good. Needs more rehab. Luetge 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K. Goody 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave UP 1 HR.
Tomorrow Cole and Taillon pitch. Much more interested there.
The Yanks signed two relievers to minor league deals, and one name is very familiar to Yankees fans.
It’s Adam Warren, 33, RHP, who pitched for the Yanks 2012-2015, briefly with the Cubs in 2016, back with the Yanks 2016-2018, Seattle 2018 and San Diego 2019. He didn’t pitch in 2020.
Warren is 30-24 in his career with six saves and an ERA of 3.53 (ERA+ 117). He has done much better as a Yankee (20-20, 3.18) than with any of his other teams (Cubs 3-2, 5.91; Seattle 3-1, 3.74 and San Diego 4-1, 5.34).
The other signing was of Matt Bowman, RHP, 29. Bowman was with the Cardinals 2016-2018 and the Reds 2019. He is 7-13, 4.02 in his MLB career with two saves. ERA+ 105.
We actually get to see a game, rather than an intrasquad game, when the Yanks head over to Queens to take on the Mets tonight. YES Network, 7:10 PM EDT.
Thairo Estrada is making a bid to join the team as a utility man, and it could come at the cost of Tyler Wade. Estrada has hit 3 HR in intrasquad action since the Yanks have resumed business.
Per MLBTR:
The Yankees have released righty Adam Warren, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (Twitter link). He had been with the team on a minor-league pact.
Warren, who has been working back from Tommy John surgery, was not a participant in Summer Camp. His contract is a two-year arrangement, befitting his rehab status.
It seems that coronavirus-related roster management matters forced the decision. GM Brian Cashman explained that Warren is progressing well, as Jack Curry of YES reports on Twitter. Indeed, the expectation is that the Yanks will work out a new deal with him in the coming offseason.
Has Domingo German, ineligible for this year because of a domestic abuse incident, retired?
From Newsday:
German posted a photo of himself in a Yankees uniform exclaiming in what appears to be a photo of him pitching in a game. The post included Spanish words that translated to: “Everyone makes history on both sides, I think I did mine at Yankee Stadium, if decide not to come back I will proud of my effort during an 11-year career. God bless everyone who has supported me”
He also put online an Instagram story with words that translated to: “I’ve left baseball. Thanks everyone.”
I’ll believe it when I see or hear more, but hope he has or gets his life together.
The Yanks are seeing if an old friend can still help them. Maybe not in 2020 until late in the year, but in 2021 for sure.
From MLBTR.com:
The Yankees have reached agreement on a minor-league contract with righty Adam Warren, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). He’ll receive an invitation to MLB camp as a non-roster invitee. It’s a two-year arrangement, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand notes on Twitter, which recognizes the fact that Warren is returning from Tommy John surgery.
The contract includes a $800K salary in the event that Warren is able to earn his way onto the big league roster. He can also pick up another $700K in incentives based upon appearances. The deal includes an August 28th opt-out clause, Rosenthal adds, which perhaps suggests that Warren is hoping to rehab on a fairly aggressive timetable from his September procedure.
Warren, 32, first cracked the majors with the Yanks and has spent parts of seven seasons in two prior stints in the Bronx. He pitched for the Padres in 2019, struggling to a 5.34 ERA in 28 2/3 innings with 7.8 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9.
Warren was with the Yanks 2012-2015, then with the Cubs briefly to start 2016 before coming back to the Yanks in 2016-2018. He was with Seattle in 2018 and with the Padres, as noted above, in 2019.
His best years have been with the Yankees, going 20-20, 3.18, ERA+ 129. For his career, the 32 yr. old RHP is 30-24, 3.53, ERA+ 117.
3 2/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 W, 5 K. Gave up 2 solo HR. 1 HBP
