Minor Leaguers Who Have No Foreseeable Future With New York Yankees

Aside from getting players ready for the regular season, Spring Training serves as an opportunity for younger players to prove themselves to New York Yankees’ management. While some youngsters stand out, there are many others who show that they may never have a place in the Bronx.

Moreno was one of two players acquired in the AJ Burnett trade. (Image: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports)

For some reason or another, whether it be because of talent, or because of overpopulation at a certain position, the following Yankee minor leaguers have no real future with the team.

Diego Moreno:

Chances are that you don’t know who Diego Moreno is. To be honest, there really isn’t any reason as to why you should. Moreno – along with Exicardo Cayones – was acquired prior to the 2012 season when the Yankees traded away A.J. Burnett to the Pittsburgh Pirates. While Moreno is a power-pitcher with an ability to throw into the high 90s with his fastball, he has major control issues according to scouts (I guess you could consider him to be a poor man’s Dellin Betances). Couple that in with the fact that he is already 25 years old, and his chances of seeing time in the Bronx are not all that promising. Also, even after extensive research, I have yet to find any statistics regarding Moreno’s 2012 in the Yankees’ minor legaue system, and he does not appear to be on any minor league roster. It seems that Moreno has gone AWOL, and that obviously does not bode well for him or his chances.

Reegie Corona:

Although Corona has talent, he is an unfortunate victim of the Yankees just having too many players ahead of him. This 26-year-old second baseman has played in the Yankees’ minor league system since 2004, putting up decent numbers. He suffered an injury that kept him out of the 2011 season, and was released prior to 2012 before being resigned prior to this season. Currently, second base is manned by Robinson Cano, with Corban Joseph being right behind him. The Yankees also have players players such as Jayson Nix, Gil Velazquez, and Walter Ibarra waiting in the wings to fill in if necessary. So while Corona may have some talent, he is overshadowed by those in front of him. Because of that, it is unlikely that we ever see him playing in the major leagues with the Yankees.

Adam Warren:

This one is going to create some backlash, I’m sure, but I just don’t think that Warren has what it takes to survive on the big league level. Although his one and only major league appearance was downright awful (2.1 IP, 6 ER, 23.14 ERA), some people attribute it to possible nervousness. Unfortunately, he has not shown improvement over the course of Spring Training so far. After starting four games, Warren has an ERA of 9.64, and a record of 0-2. He has given up 15 runs, and opponents are hitting .316 against him. While he may get a spot start with the Yankees here and there, I don’t think that he will ever have an established role on the team. Warren would probably be better off being used by the Yankees as a trade chip in order to acquire a needed player. Also, if the Yankees’ starting pitching were to dwindle, there are other pitchers that the team could use instead of Warren, such as Ivan Nova or David Phelps (depending on who doesn’t make the starting rotation), Jose Ramirez, Nik Turley, and – once he returns from injury – Michael Pineda. It’s unfortunate that Warren does not really have a foreseeable future with the Yankees, but there might be another team out there willing to give him a shot.

Not every minor leaguer gets a chance to play in the big leagues, and it’s unfortunate that these three players may never see an significant time. However, there is always the possibility that they improve themselves and stand out more than any other option. I hope they prove me wrong, but for now, this appears to be the way it’s going to be.