These Yankees Players May Be on the Way Out this Offseason
With no more September call ups expected, several long-time New York Yankees prospects could be in their last days with the organization.
All of the New York Yankees minor league affiliates have finished their seasons following the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Railriders victory in the Triple-A championship game Tuesday, but it doesn’t sound like the club will be promoting any more players to the big leagues for the season’s final two weeks.
When Chad Jennings of the Journal News asked Yankees manager Joe Girardi over the weekend whether more minor leaguers would get the call, he responded, “My guess is no, but I can’t tell you that for sure.”
That leaves several guys who were candidates for a September call up sitting on the shelf, wondering whether they’ll need to look for a new job this winter. New York is facing a 40-man roster crunch, with several top prospects Rule 5 draft eligible for the first time.
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Pitchers Johnny Barbato, Dietrich Enns, Tyler Webb, and Giovanny Gallegos, outfielder Jake Cave, infielder Cito Culver, and catcher Kyle Higashioka are probably the most notable snubs. If they are not added to the 40-man following the season, a few of them seem destined to be selected in the Rule 5. Culver and Higashioka can also depart as minor league free agents.
Of that group, Enns and Gallegos seem the most likely to be retained given their excellent numbers in Triple-A. Webb was also solid for the Railriders, but may be a victim of the sheer number of similar arms in the system. Tommy Layne‘s surprisingly good performance since the Yankees signed him also probably hurts Webb’s case.
Jake Cave was left exposed to the Rule 5 draft last season and was selected by the Cincinnati Reds but ultimately returned. Even after trading Ben Gamel, New York simply has too many outfielders on the 40 man for too few jobs.
If the Yankees didn’t promote him when outfielders Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge, and Jacoby Ellsbury were all sidelined at once, it’s hard to see them finding a use for Cave. He’s shown enough this year that he will probably get taken again in the Rule 5.
The 24-year-old Culver is an extreme long-shot to be protected, even after his best offensive season in years. He’s versatile and a whiz with the glove, so it wouldn’t be surprising to pop up as a utlity infielder
It would be crazy of the Yankees to let Kyle Higashioka walk following the season he’s had in the upper-minors. A 26-year-old catcher who combine 20-homer pop with solid defense is extremely valuable.
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At the same time, carrying four catchers on the 40-man long-term probably isn’t tenable. Austin Romine seems like the obvious weak link to me, but trading Brian McCann back to Atlanta is another option if the return is right.