Ben Heller Could Indirectly Help with Yankees’ Rotation Needs

The Yankees have showcased three homegrown All-Star relievers since 2011: Mariano Rivera, David Robertson and Dellin Betances. Their next projected bullpen prodigy did not spawn from their system, but he will wear a New York uniform in his major league debut.

When the Yankees traded Andrew Miller to the Indians, Ben Heller was overshadowed by toolsy outfielder Clint Frazier and Class-A standout Justus Sheffield. It has been Heller, though, who has enjoyed pure success since joining Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. His reward is graduating to the majors the first of his flock.

Ben Heller’s minor league history

A starter in college, Heller was the Indians’ 22nd-round pick of the 2013 Draft. The Indians signed him for $2.5K, arguably the biggest monetary bargain of the draft.

The decision to immediately convert the right-hander into a reliever proved fruitful for him and the club.

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Heller spent three-plus years in Cleveland’s system, posting a 2.77 ERA over 172.1 innings. His maximum 15.3 K/9 ratio came during his two seasons at Double-A, where he also spun a stellar 0.627 WHIP.

He didn’t miss a beat in Triple-A Columbus either, striking out nearly a batter per inning while limiting free passes at a 2.5 BB/9 rate — his second-lowest walk rate at any level.

Fortifying the 2017 bullpen

It was those shiny statistics that the Yankees fell in love with.

On July 31, the Yanks parted with Andrew Miller for a vaunted haul of Frazier, Heller, Sheffield and J.P. Feyereisen. Heller was shocked, but excited to join the organization:

“As far as the trade… yeah. I mean, we had heard all the rumors about the Indians maybe being in the mix for Andrew Miller. But I never thought I could be included in that trade. It was definitely shocking. Once it kind of settled in, it hit me that I could be playing for the New York Yankees. … Being here right now is a really incredible feeling,” Heller told David Laurila.

Since the trade, Heller racked up 6 1/3 innings for the RailRiders, striking out seven, picking up a save and allowing just one earned run.

The 25-year-old has a live, high-octane fastball and a snapping slider that has scouts believing he can top out as a lethal eighth-inning stalwart.

Yankees fans thought they would get their first glimpse of Heller at Fenway Park earlier this month. However, he was optioned two days after being called up without ever toeing the rubber.

Heller was recalled Tuesday after Anthony Swarzak landed on the 15-day DL. Considering that rosters expand Sept. 1 and the Yankees have a 5.36 bullpen ERA in August from relievers not named Tyler Clippard or Dellin Betances, Heller’s stay should be lasting. 

Not only could the Wisconsin native entertain the Yanks’ playoff chase this season with solid pen work, he is projected to be a staple reliever as early as 2017. Ben Heller has the talent to slot directly in front of Betances.

Adam Warren to the rotation?

Given the blessing of health, the Yankees will open 2017 with Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda and CC Sabathia locked into rotation spots, with Luis Cessa, Chad Green and Luis Severino competing to fill the vacancies.

Of course, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will explore outside the organization for a solution this offseason. But a weak free agent class and the cost of trading top prospects for a quality arm might restrict the Yankees to their internal assets.

If the Yanks believe in a Clippard-Heller-Betances endgame, they may opt to insert Adam Warren into the rotation out of spring training.

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It is a far cry from the Betances-Miller-Chapman overkill the Yankees deployed in the first-half of 2016. But starting Warren allows the Yankees to keep two of Cessa, Green or Severino as much-needed rotation depth. Warren is certainly a reliable option: 3.88 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 111 1/3 innings as a starter.

The Yankees plan to give Ben Heller his deserved share of innings to see if he can pitch to his pedigree. If all goes well, the added bonus of using Warren in the rotation would already check one item off Brian Cashman’s offseason shopping list.