New York Yankees News: Tampa Yankees Sign Outfield Depth

Baseball is a game of opportunities and sometimes one person’s opportunity comes because of another’s misfortune. This may be true for the newest signee of the Class A-Advanced Tampa Yankees. Outfielder Teodoro Martinez has been signed to create depth in an outfield system depleted by injuries to the major league club.

It is likely, that the New York Yankees minor league system made the move this week in response to the news that CF Jacoby Ellsbury is not likely to return from a right knee injury any earlier than late June.  Ellsbury’s injury created a chain of call-ups including Slade Heathcott and Ramon Flores that has led to a dearth of outfielders in the minor leagues. Heathcott is currently on the DL with a grade 2 quad strain. Flores has started in left field for the Yankees and in five games has two hits and has shown impressive fielding abilities including an outfield assist saving a run in Wednesday’s game against Seattle

They purchased the contract of outfielder Martinez from the Rockford Aviators of the Frontier Independent league and assigned him to Class A-Advanced Tampa.

The 23-year old Venezuelan has been in the Rangers organization since 2008 and has climbed as high as Double-A ball.  He was batting .277 with one home run and six RBI for the Aviators this season. He debuted in right field for the Tampa Yankees on going 0-4.

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