I went into the woods for almost 3 months. When I left, Derek Jeter was slumping, Hideki Matsui was finished, A.J. Burnett was a busted contract, and the Yankees were trailing the Red Sox in the division. Things have changed.
One of the best parts about September (for me at least) is seeing who the Yankees choose to bring up when rosters expand. With a 7.5 game lead in the division, the Yankees should be able to get these guys some real playing time. Who can we expect?
The No-Doubters
Francisco Cervelli – There is an argument to be made that he is a better backup catcher than Jose Molina. The Yankees will do their best to get Jorge Posada rest during the lead up to the playoffs, and Cervelli is the perfect player to fill that role.
Mark Melancon – Really, he’s better than Brian Bruney anyway. Melancon will be auditioning for a playoff role.
Juan Miranda – He’ll be up for a lot of reasons. The Yankees may want to show him off to other teams as trade bait. They’ll use him to rest Mark Teixeira a bit, and to pinch hit. And finally, Miranda has been a polite organizational soldier despite being blocked at his only position, and deserves the call up.
Ramiro Pena – He’s back, and in the mix for a bench spot in the playoffs.
Anthony Claggett – Claggett has had a pretty good season for Scranton, and spent some time in the Majors earlier this year. He’ll provide long relief help and maybe even a spot start or two.
The Probably-Maybe’s
Jon Albaladejo - He was pretty bad the last time out, but has had a rock-solid minor league season. The knock against him is that he is somewhere on the brink of being designated for assignment.
Shelly Duncan – In the same boat as Albaladejo.
The Maybe-Nots
Michael Dunn - He’s heading down to the Arizona Fall League. The Yankees will probably want him down in their instructional league.
Ian Kennedy - Kennedy is just beginning his rehab. For service time reasons, the team will stay away from bringing him back to the majors.
The Rule V Guys
Ivan Nova - Nova will be added to the 40-man roster immediately following the season. You can be sure of that. Nova was selected and returned last offseason, and the Yankees aren’t about to risk him again. If they want to get him acclimatized to the majors, they may just add him a month early and let him sit in the bullpen and breathe the same air as Mariano Rivera.
Zach Kroenke – If not added to the 40-man roster, Kroenke will definitely be selected by some team and play in the majors next year. He could probably equal Phil Coke’s production. They may add Kroenke and audition him either for a serious look in spring training next year or a trade.
Austin Jackson - Ditto on everything said for Jackson, though it is probably more likely that we’ll see him work out with the Yankees as a non-roster player, as the Yankees have done with top prospects over the past few years.
Related posts:
“I went into the woods for almost 3 months. When I left, Derek Jeter was slumping, Hideki Matsui was finished, A.J. Burnett was a busted contract, and the Yankees were trailing the Red Sox in the division. Things have changed.”
Awesome.
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I don’t have any problems with your selections, very good list.
All the Rule V guys, that are projected to be added to the 40 man (or if’y), should be called up…the 3 you have listed fit in well.
Some fans are going to have fun watching Nova and Kontos pitch, let’s hope they don’t get the hebbi gebbies.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Nobody is going to get a chance to watch Kontos pitch he just underwent Tommy John surgery and is out at least a year if he ever fully recovers… Nova however looks like he has the opportunity to be a poor mans Wang but much better than Mitre when it comes to big league skill, Zach Mcallister is another guy fans aren’t necessarily going to enjoy watching pitch being another ground ball pitcher but Yankees fans need to realize with the park we play in strike out pitchers like Joba and AJ and ground ball pitchers like Nova and Mcallister are the only type of pitchers we need to go after.
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Old Ranger Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Thanks for the correction concerning Kontos, I had not known that. I ment to say Kroenke anyway. Thanks again.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Yeah no problem I am actually pretty sad about it seems like Kontos had the ability to keep the ball on the ground and at the very worst was working himself into a position to be a decent trading chip and an unfortunate injury like that derailed him.
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AndrewYF Reply:
August 26th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
“strike out pitchers…and ground ball pitchers…are the only type of pitchers we need to go after.”
So in other words, good pitchers.
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Good to have you back, EJ. One question: Zach Kroenke “could probably equal Phil Coke’s production”?? Really? In Coke’s major league career, he’s 5-3 with a 3.76 ERA and almost a strikeout per inning despite often being used for multiple innings against both righties and lefties. Kroenke’s having a nice year, but his k/9 is a mediocre 3.94 and his FIP is 3.62… in AAA. I haven’t seen the guy pitch, but is it possible you’re too high on him/ too low on Coke?
I think the tendency is always to overrate the guys in the minors and underrate the guys doing a decent job in the bigs. I just remember everyone yelling for Chris Britton, and how he was better than the guys we had – I think (esp w/ relievers (small sample sizes)) we get too hyped over guys who put up good numbers even though they might have mediocre stuff. What does this guy throw, EJ? Does he have top-notch stuff?
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EJ Fagan Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
He’s a lefty who can throw in the low 90s, so his stuff is ok. For a guy like Coke or Kroenke, his ERA will depend on usage. Its all about how many lefties and righties they see. Coke has been pretty average in the majors, so its not too hard to equal his production, if used right. I think that the Yankees will definitely keep Kroenke from the Rule V draft, but that doesn’t mean that Coke is going somewhere.
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How about Kevin Russo ??…he’s been an organizational soldier, who deserves some big league experience, especially in blow-out games, and HOPEFULLY after Yankees clinch the division.
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EJ Fagan Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I guess Russo could come up, but the list is already a bit crowded, and I feel like they might wait until after the season before adding him. He is Rule V eligible though, so I could be wrong.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I think russo is probably gone before next year either by being selected in the rule 5 or in a trade of some kind, he is a good minor league player with some utility potential but he is blocked at second by Robby and at utility by Ramiro and Hariston Jr and I brought him up the other day he just doesn’t fit in anywhere.
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EJ Fagan Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Russo is a far superior hitter to Pena, so if I were Ramiro I would be sweating a bit. Luckily for the Yankees, they can have Pena and Russo shuffle between the majors and minors for two years now. There are plenty of spaces to be cut on the 40-man, that’s for sure.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Pena is the switch hitter who can play way more positions and has proven himself to have big at bats on the major league level.
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How about John Rodriguez ??…a good player with some big league experience as well as the postseason. Can give some OFs some needed rest.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
He is over 30 years old and has less power than Shelley Duncan, no reason to waste a 40 man spot on a guy with no future!
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EJ Fagan Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
I can’t see them using a 40-man spot on J-Rod, considering that they didn’t call him up in the spring when they were short on outfielders and J-Rod was hitting very well.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Yeah it just doesn’t make sense to waste the 40 man roster on an over 30 hitter with no real power and no real potential and no shot at being on the team next year, September call ups should be used on guys who can help the team this year and going forward.
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Is Edwar Ramirez still around? I’m too lazy to check the AAA roster. If so I’d imagine he’d be called up. Kind of a last chance (same as Alba) before being kicked off the 40 man roster next year (assuming they ar still both on there).
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Yeah and he isn’t doing terrible but I think all the Edwar lovers out there have to realzie that he probably was never going to be much in the majors, he has a great change up no doubt about it but he just does not have the fastball velocity or location to get away with pitching like he does and the guy has been feast or famine his whole short career.
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EJ Fagan Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
He’s around, but not pitching great in the majors. You might see him, but he’s got to be pretty high up on the DFA list.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Yeah I think he is one step ahead of Albaladejo on the DFA list and one bad major league start could signal his end with the bull pen not struggling for arms anymore.
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What about Wilkin De La Rosa he is currently on the 40 and seems to have had a pretty decent go of things until recently, another lefty with a good arm can’t hurt to see what he is capable of.
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EJ Fagan Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Injured, unfortunately.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Is he really? I have not heard that, what happened to him?
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EJ Fagan Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Not too sure. I’ve been in the woods. But he hasn’t pitched since the beginning of the month.
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This list seems so empty without Jesus Montero on it. I was looking forward to that all year. Not that he would have played much, but just to get a glimpse into the future.
Also, I’ll never forget his first spring training with the club last year. He shows up at camp and the very first week hits two balls to Pluto. The Yanks shipped him out of there ASAP. They didn’t want him getting any ideas, I guess.
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EJ Fagan Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
There is no way they would start his option clock that early. One of the upsides to taking Montero slowly is that we’ll have him for cheap under our control during more of his prime years.
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Great to have you back EJ, but i am confused about Austin Jackson, is he going to be called up this year, I know they would have to put him on the 40 man first, but that shouldn’t burn an option.
My main question is: will he have to be put on the 40 man in the offseason to protect him from Rule V, if so then I think he should be called up for a taste of the MLB.
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EJ Fagan Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 9:07 am
It wouldn’t burn an option if they add him after Rosters expand. And yes, he will be Rule V eligible if not added to the 40-man roster.
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