deivi garcia

Two Yankees prospects that could find themselves in the majors in 2020

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New York Yankees, Estevan Florial

The 2020 season for the New York Yankees will require a bit of creativity from the coaching staff, specifically manager Aaron Boone and pitching coach, Matt Blake.

With the departure of both Dellin Betances and Nestor Cortes Jr., the bullpen will be a tad thin, meaning a prospect could be pulled up to compensate on the back end. The signing of Gerrit Cole and return of Jordan Montgomery should supplement any bullpen deficiencies, and that’s likely what Boone is thinking after using his relief arms heavily in 2019.

Having Severino, Montgomery, Cole to add as starters will take the pressure off the bullpen, but the group will still need to have plenty of talent in case they’re called into action in an expanded way.

That’s where Michael King enters the mix. At 24-years-old, King finished last season in the minors with a 3-2 record, 5.48 ERA, 46 innings, 11 games, eight starts, 44 K, 10 BB, and 47 hits. Spring training will give us an idea of whether King or Deivi Garcia deserves the nod, but I imagine the older of the two (King) will feature in a small role in the big leagues moving forward (he’s a projected back-end starter). The Yankees’ prospect isn’t a hard-throwing pitcher, but he has excellent accuracy.

The other prospect who could play a reserve role is Estevan Florial, who has suffered through injuries the past few years. During spring training of last year, Florial broke his wrist, which forced him out after a promising start to the season.

The Dominican Republic-born center fielder has it all — strength, speed, defensive prowess, power, mental awareness, etc. At 22-years-old, Florial has plenty of time left to reach his potential and begin to tap into the natural talent he contains. However, it comes down to remaining healthy.

If Estevan can survive the spring without picking up any injuries, the Yankees could consider him as a reserve option in the outfield during the 2020 season. Allowing him to prove himself at the top level has been a long time coming, but if he requires more time in the minors, he has the time to burn.

With Aaron Hicks set to miss a significant chunk of the 2020 campaign recovering from Tommy John surgery, the Yanks have Mike Tauchman, Tyler Wade, and Clint Frazier as reserves. Don’t be surprised to see Florial make a jump into that backup unit if he shows out this spring.

New York Yankees: Is this the season of Deivi Garica?

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

Over the last year, there was a ton of talk of New York Yankees’ pitching star Deivi Garcia and how he’s going be the team’s savior. The rotation was one of the Yankees’ weak points last season, but with the addition of Gerrit Cole and a healthy Luis Severino, that’s no longer true.

There’s been talk that the Yankees don’t need Deivi Garcia anymore because of Cole and should trade him away. I’m not opposed to the idea of trading, but if not, the Yankees need to give Garcia a shot this year. Even though the rotation is significantly better than last year, there’s nothing wrong with having too much pitching.

It’s believed that Garcia will have a shot this year up in the Major Leagues. Maybe not as a starter, but probably as an option out of the bullpen.

“For his age, to do what he’s doing,” said Cashman on Garcia. “I was just looking at Baseball America last night and he’s listed as like, Double-A All-Star and I think it opened up with him being the youngest pitcher in the Eastern League. And I was like, he was probably the youngest pitcher in the International League, and if he got here, he would have been the youngest pitcher in the big leagues. It was an incredible run. But obviously he’ll go on the roster this winter and we’ll see what we got in the spring.”

I fully expect Garcia to be on the roster come the season. His potential is way too high to be ignored, and the New York Yankees should at least give him a shot. You never know what you might stumble upon.

Yankees news, rumors: Deivi Garcia development, Yankees likely staying put in trade market

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New York Yankees, Miguel Andujar

The New York Yankees have already lured in the biggest name on their offseason board, so what’s the point of continuing onward this offseason regarding potential trades or signings? They have a quality starting infield, led by DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, Luke Voit, and Gio Urshela, and their outfield is stocked full of talent.

The only concern remains depth in the infield, backup catcher, and the bullpen, which isn’t as much of a concern as it is a reinforcing after the departure of Dellin Betances. The reality is, the Yankees are in no rush to bring in another big-name payer and further push the luxury tax threshold.

Rumors of Josh Hader coming to the Bronx in a trade have died down, despite Brewers’ blog websites reviewing Miguel Andujar as a trade target:

Brewcrewball.com:

Based on comments made by David Stearns, the Milwaukee Brewers are likely not done trying to improve the team via player acquisition. Evidently the feeling is to get an impact player, a trade is necessary.

Obviously Andujar’s primary position is third base. Milwaukee just signed Jedd Gyorko to platoon with Eric Sogard to fill the void at third base. Even with those acquisitions, one has to imagine that David Stearns remains open to something bigger. With that in mind, a trade for Miguel Andujar makes sense.

I don’t believe the Yankees are keen on selling low on Andujar, especially after suffering a torn Labrum last season. He has returned looking bigger and stronger, sporting a new fielding technique that doesn’t include his usual double-clutch. Keeping him around should be an easy decision, as injecting more value into his stock through at-bats would give the Bombers leverage at the trade deadline later on in the year.

Deivi Garcia is developing with the Yankees:

MLB Pipeline reported that the 2019 Futures Game held a lot of importance to Garcia, who learned a lot from his experience, stating:

“That game was really important. It was a game in which I felt very comfortable. I felt like I did, in fact, have the potential to be a good player that filled me with enthusiasm to keep moving forward,” Garcia told MLB Pipeline.

Garcia will likely spend the 2020 season in Triple-A ball, maybe getting the call up against lesser teams to test his abilities at the top level. However, his lack of stature has presented issues in the past regarding potential, but his pitch speed hasn’t been a cautionary factor. Hopefully, he can prove his worth when he’s eventually called up by the Yankees.

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New York Yankees Trade Debate: Andujar & Garcia For Josh Hader

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The hot stove has been cooking this trade rumor up for weeks now. The New York Yankees have been after Josh Hader and have been linked to him since just before the Winter Meetings ended in early December. Since then the Brewers and the Yankees have remained engaged, and the Yankees have appeared aggressive in their pursuit of Josh Hader. Now, we don’t know exactly what they have offered up until this point, but we do know that they’ve tried to put together packages for Hader.  Jon Heyman has suggested that Miguel Andujar could be the centerpiece if the trade was to happen. Yankees GM Brian Cashman has shown reluctance to deal top pitching prospect Deivi Garcia, but from what I’ve understood in the discussions, Garcia is not “Untouchable“. Yankee fans have been sounding off on this potential trade for weeks with passionate people on both sides of the fence. So with that in mind, let’s dive into both sides of the trade debate where the Yankees would be receiving Josh Hader and the Brewers would be receiving a prospect package headlined by Miguel Andujar and Deivi Garcia.

Deal

Josh Hader has been historically good over his first three seasons. Hader has a career ERA of 2.42 and is averaging an astonishing 15.3 strikeouts per nine innings while winning back to back Trevor Hoffman awards (Baseball Reference). Hader had a .806 WHIP last year which is lower than any season current Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has had in his career. Simple point here: Josh Hader is an absolute stud. I have always been in the camp that you should always trade away prospects for sure things and Josh Hader is a sure thing. Hader is arguably the best reliever in baseball and he comes with four years of club control. The Yankees will have more control over Hader than they have over any reliever they currently have on the active roster. Miguel Andujar is great but there really doesn’t seem to be a place for him on this team right now. Gio Urshela came out of nowhere last year and took over the third base position. He matched Andujar’s ability at the plate while showing off MUCH better defensive skills. With the emergence of Urshela, Andujar becomes expendable. Deivi Garcia is currently the Yankees #1 overall prospect. He has shown flashes of brilliance but he does come with a few flaws. His 5’9, 160 LBS frame gives scouts a lot of concerns over his future as a starter. There are scouts that believe he’s overrated as a prospect and think he projects to be a bullpen arm long-term. The Yankees had the opportunity a couple of years ago to acquire Gerrit Cole but turned down the deal when the Pirates asked for Miguel Andujar and Chance Adams. Josh Hader is not Gerrit Cole, but he is the best reliever in the game. The Yankees are set with their rotation moving forward and Miguel Andujar is expendable, you have to make that deal if that’s the request.

No Deal

Josh Hader has been historically good, but his arm has been used a lot over the past couple of seasons. 168 innings to be exact if you include the Postseason. He also comes with a lot of baggage and one has to wonder how he would transition to the pressure cooker that is New York. If the Yankees made the deal for Hader, he wouldn’t have the pressure of being the only big time guy in the bullpen. But, he would have a lot of pressure put on him due to the price that it would take to acquire him. People forget just how good Miguel Andujar was back in 2018. From an offensive perspective, you could very well say he was the best hitter the Yankees had as he broke Joe DiMaggio’s rookie double record. Yes, he was historically bad defensively, but Andujar is young and very athletic. There is no reason to think he can’t improve his defense over time. If he can get to just an average level defensively, you are looking at an all-star third basemen given his hitting ability. Moving on to Deivi Garcia. As mentioned above, there are some concerns with Deivi Garcia and some scouts believe he’s not as good as his ranking. However, you don’t get to be the Yankees top prospect by chance. At just 20 years old, Garcia has quickly risen through the Yankees farm system to AAA. He’s got one of the best curveballs in all the minor leagues with an incredibly high spin rate. He has a explosive fastball that can touch the mid 90’s. With Garcia, you’re not looking at an ace level pitcher, but you are looking at a guy who can be a really solid middle of the rotation kind of arm. If the rotation doesn’t work out, he looks primed to be a dominant relief pitcher. Who knows, maybe Garcia could be just as dominant out of the bullpen as Josh Hader is now. If he transitions to the pen, Garcia could lean on his best two pitches, his fastball and curveball. That two-pitch mix could be lethal out of the pen. Turning down this deal would be banking on potential, but it might be potential that is too good to just trade away even if the piece coming back is as good as Josh Hader.

To me, the Yankees are in a great position in these trade talks. They would love to add a guy like Josh Hader who would just stack the deck for them in 2020. However, they might already have the best bullpen in baseball without Josh Hader so it makes him a luxury item and not a necessity. In my opinion, both Andujar and Garcia are expendable pieces looking at the way the Yankees are setup moving forward. Andujar is currently behind Urshela and I’m not convinced Garcia will go ahead of Domingo German and/or Jordan Montgomery for a rotation spot after the 2020 season. Now, the Yankees would still likely have to add another piece to make this deal, but the pieces would not be as significant as Andujar and Garcia. If it was up to me, I’d pull the trigger on this deal due to the Yankees lack of World Series success over the last decade. Hader would just be another piece to put them over the top. However, that is just my opinion. In all honesty, I really don’t think there is a wrong answer in this debate.

New York Yankees: 3 prospects to watch during spring training

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New York Yankees, Michael King

With spring training just around the bend, the New York Yankees will get another look at their prospects and if they’re capable of making the jump to the MLB. There are several reserve slots open to young players — the departure of Cameron Maybin opens up an opportunity to be added to the active roster.

Here are three New York Yankees prospects that could make the jump in 2020:

1.) Estevan Florial

Florial has been in the works for years now, and several timely injuries have minimalized his progression towards earning a role on the top team. A broken hamate bone and a broken wrist limited his sample size in 2019, and the previous two years were hampered by ailments as well.

However, Florial has all of the physical tools to develop into a quality player, especially in the outfield. He has elite speed, solid contact, and defensive attributes. He’s flashed potential to be great, and 2020 might finally be his year to crack the team, but he must have an excellent spring training. During last year’s session, he hit .368 with a homer and four stolen bases. Replicating that performance will significantly improve his chances of getting the call.

2.) Michael King

With Domingo German’s suspension taking place into the regular season of 2019, Michael King was his subsequent replacement.

“Pure joy,” King said about his emotions when being called up. “I had to immediately call my parents, I texted one of my buddies, it was just pure joy.”

The Yankees’ No. 5 ranked prospect earned a 2.93 ERA and 28-19 record in the minors, and he’s known explicitly for his below-average groundball rate. Last season with Scranton/Wilkes Barre, King logged a 3-1 record with a 4.18 ERA. While his numbers at High-A ball don’t scream efficiency, he has proved he can be a successful pitcher in small doses. Spring training should give him the chance to prove his worth to manager Aaron Boone. I expect to see him feature in a bullpen role next season.

3.) Deivi Garcia

The Yankees’ No. 1 prospect has gotten plenty of hype in recent years, but last season was his breakout campaign. He climbed to High-A ball in just three months, showing the speed of his development at 21-years-old. If the Bombers include him for spring training, he will have the opportunity to showcase his incredible ball-control and speed for a youngster. Getting a good look at him will be a priority for Boone, I believe, but they may keep him in Scranton next season, allowing him to proceed with his development at his most challenging level.

With the Rail Riders, Garcia squeezed together a 1-3 record and 5.40 ERA. His eight home runs in 11 games quadrupled his HR total before joining the top minor league squad. Clearly, he was not prepared to take on this level of talent, and it could be due to the juiced baseballs being used last year.

However, several scouts haven’t been impressed by Garcia’s stuff, despite his youthfulness, stating:

In all honesty, I don’t understand the hype. I’ve seen him pitch a few times and the stuff just doesn’t grade out to be a top of the line starter. Maybe with time he can develop since he’s really young, but I just don’t see top arm talent when I see him.

With the stuff he currently has, he’s projecting to be a back-end starter. I think he could be good at the MLB level, but nothing special.

Garcia has a shot to feature in a small role with the Yankees in 2020, but it’s very dependant on how he looks this spring.

New York Yankees news, rumors: Yanks make changes to improve player health

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

One of the biggest concerns the New York Yankees faced in 2019 was player health and the longevity of individual success. A majority of the outfield was plagued with the injury bug, as Aaron Judge missed significant time, Giancarlo Stanton remained sidelined for virtually the entire season, and Aaron Hicks is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Clearly, whatever the Yankees were doing in the health and wellness department was wayward, as the team broke the record for most time spent on the injured list by a large margin.

Due to the high number of injuries, the Bombers had no choice but to fire Matt Krause, who served as the team’s director of strength and conditioning since 2014. With 30 players spending time on the injured list last season, a move needed to be made.

However, the emergence of several reserve options helped drag the team to 103 total wins and an ALCS appearance. Aside from the outfield, the pitching was hit by the bug as well as the infield. Ace Luis Severino and relief arm Dellin Betances both picked up shoulder injuries in spring training, with the latter tearing his Achilles in his first action of the season on September 15.

More news and rumors from the New York Yankees:

I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but the Josh Hader talks continue. Of course, we will update you on any urgent news, but as of now, things are progressing slowly. The latest information indicates that the Brewers are willing to drop their price a bit, but they’re keen on adding Miguel Andujar and a quality prospect at the very least.

The Yankees’ No. 1 pitching prospect, Deivi Garcia, could be an option in a potential trade, as scouts have indicated that his ceiling might not be as high as some may think.

In all honesty, I don’t understand the hype. I’ve seen him pitch a few times and the stuff just doesn’t grade out to be a top of the line starter. Maybe with time he can develop since he’s really young, but I just don’t see top arm talent when I see him.”

With the stuff he currently has, he’s projecting to be a back-end starter. I think he could be good at the MLB level, but nothing special.

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New York Yankees: Is Deivi Garcia just hype?

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

For all New York Yankees fans, we are no stranger to being fed information about prospects that makes us all believe they are going to be superstars. Remember when Chance Adams was the next great Yankees pitcher? Yes, the same Chance Adam’s that was DFA’d and traded to Kansas City, was once considered a lock to be the next great Yankees pitcher. Let’s also go back to the next great Yankee lefty Justus Sheffield. Sheffield was once the top Yankees pitching prospect, but when New York needed pitching help, they never called him up for a significant look in 2018. Fast-forward a month after the season was over and he was traded for James Paxton. In his first true look at big league action in 2019, Sheffield posted an abysmal 5.50 ERA in seven starts. So the question becomes, is Deivi Garcia the next great Yankees pitcher, or is he just a product of the New York Yankees Hype Machine?

I reported a couple of days ago that Deivi Garcia was not “Untouchable” in Josh Hader talks according to sources close to the situation in Milwaukee. My Twitter was filled with comments about how there’s no chance the Yankees would move Garcia for Hader. I started wondering to myself, “If he’s as good as the fan base says, why is he on the table in trade talks according to the folks in Milwaukee?” I talked with a couple of scouts over the last couple of days to get a better picture on Deivi Garcia the prospect.

Scouts Take on Deivi Garcia

“In all honesty, I don’t understand the hype. I’ve seen him pitch a few times and the stuff just doesn’t grade out to be a top of the line starter. Maybe with time he can develop since he’s really young, but I just don’t see top arm talent when I see him.”

“With the stuff he currently has, he’s projecting to be a back-end starter. I think he could be good at the MLB level, but nothing special.”

Dan Federico also got another take from a scout who called Deivi Garcia “Overrated”. To me, the New York Yankees are tremendous about hyping up their prospects. So much so, that I believe Brian Cashman himself has fallen victim to buying into the hype of his guys. Deivi Garcia is a good prospect, but there are many around the industry who just do not see him as a top of the line starter. If they can move him now when his stock is high for a piece that can help them win a championship next season, they should do it.

Yankees Plans Moving Forward

The Yankees are going to be faced with a decision next year on who to extend between James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka. They also have Jordan Montgomery coming back off injury to fill in the five spot of the rotation. Let’s say they go with Paxton on the extension and Montgomery has a great bounce-back season, they really only have one rotation spot to fill for the foreseeable future. The Yankees have plenty of internal arms that could fill that last spot of the rotation including: Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisiga, Clarke Schmidt, Albert Abreu, etc. Domingo German is coming off an incredible 2019 where he won 18 games, but his future is cloudy due to his pending suspension. When it comes to the other arms in the minors, one of the scouts I talked to actually likes and prefers Clarke Schmidt to Deivi Garcia.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I believe that if the Yankees can get Josh Hader by including Deivi Garcia in a deal, they should make that deal happen. We are not talking about a Stephen Strasburg or Gerrit Cole type prospect here, as stated above, many scouts only see Garcia as a middle to back of the rotation kind of arm. Josh Hader is arguably the best reliever in all of baseball who the Yankees would have control over for the next four seasons. If the Brewers ask for Miguel Andujar (Who is very expendable) and Deivi Garica for Hader, I think the Yankees should pull the trigger. The time to win is now, it’s time to stop holding onto prospects instead of acquiring impactful MLB talent.

New York Yankees news, rumors: Is Deivi Garcia trade bait? Miguel Andujar health update

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

Trade proposals will be frequent this offseason, especially with New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman acquiring the green light to pursue all players. Owner Hal Steinbrenner is keen on bringing home a World Series title within the next two years, which attests to the massive Gerrit Cole contract. However, the Yanks still have a few holes on the roster that need to be plugged.

Losing both Dellin Betances and Nestor Cortes Jr. has opened up a void in the bullpen, one that could be filled by home-grown talents like Michael King or Deivi Garcia, but it seems as if Brewers’ Josh Hader entices Cashman. He has been extending different valued offers for the star relief arm, but the Brewers are reportedly asking for far too much — Miguel Andujar, Clint Frazier, and a prospect.

More news and rumors from the New York Yankees:

The idea of floating Deivi Garcia as trade bait is something to consider, as his value might be higher now than it will be down the line. Realistically, Garcia, who’s the Yankees’ No. 1 pitching prospect, is a bit undersized, and some believe he’s a long-shot to develop into an ace. If that’s the conclusion Cashman comes to by word of his developmental agents, including him in a deal should be on the table.

Including the three pieces mentioned above for Hader, though, shouldn’t be an option. The Brewers should have their pick of Andujar or Frazier and potentially Garcia. Adding Hader to the mix would bring a 25-year-old pitcher in his prime with four years of team control remaining on his deal to the Bronx. His services would inevitably give the Yankees the advantage they need to make a serious run at the World Series in 2020.

Jon Heyman: Yankees remain interested in Josh Hader and could begin a package with 3B Miguel Andujar (Brewers don’t really have a set 3B). Interested teams still aren’t totally convinced Milwaukee would move the star closer though.

MLB Marathon: As previously reported, the #Yankees and #Brewers are talking Josh Hader trade. Increasingly likely Hader ends up in the Bronx.

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Could the New York Yankees dangle Deivi Garcia as trade bait?

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

The New York Yankees don’t seem to be finished with their 2020 offseason wish-list, especially as talks with Josh Hader of the Brewers progress. With third baseman Miguel Andujar developing into a trade option, it boils down to prospects and who the Yanks are willing to part with if they’re keen on adding one of the best relief arms in baseball.

In a tentative deal with Hader, trading away No. 1 pitching prospect Deivi Garcia makes complete sense, as the value of his abilities could be reaching a peak. The transition from minor leagues to the MLB is not always a successful one, ask Chance Adams, who was just traded to the Kansas City Royals. The Yanks also sent Justus Sheffield, their expected top farm dog, to the Mariners in exchange for James Paxton, who was a serviceable starter in 2019.

The New York Yankees could dip into their prospect farm:

Sometimes, utilizing youth talent in trades is the best way to upgrade any given position immediately, rather than having to wait several years to use their services in a meaningful way. Garcia is still at least one year from playing a significant role for the Yankees, and at 21-years-old, there’s no reason to rush him to the top, especially after the signing of Gerrit Cole, arguably the league’s best pitcher.

The Bombers are in a fantastic position to make a serious run at a World Series title in 2020, and adding valuable pieces that can contribute towards a successful campaign is essential. The Yankees haven’t reached the World Series in a decade, which attests to owner Hal Steinbrenner’s enthusiastic attitude this offseason. General manager Brian Cashman was given the green light to pursue all talent, and this subsequently opens the door up for trading Garcia, who has dominated in the minor system at times.

Last year, Garcia jumped from A-Class ball to AAA in three months, making him the youngest pitcher to climb the system in the Yankees’ ranks. With a stacked starting rotation and adequate bullpen, if Cashman sees any weaknesses that could become problematic, Garcia could be a valuable commodity in a potential deal.

 

How will the Yankees utilize Deivi Garcia in 2020?

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

With the New York Yankees signing star pitcher Gerrit Cole to a nine-year, $324 million contract, the starting rotation is all but solidified. Rushing youth prospects up to the major-league level to feature in a starting role is not necessary during the 2020 season.

The Yankees have Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery, both returning in a full capacity, as well as retaining Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, and potentially J.A. Happ. Players like Deivi Garcia, one of the Yankees top pitching prospects, can take his time refining his abilities in the minor leagues.

Manager Aaron Boone and GM Brian Cashman protected García this off-season by adding him to the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. For those uninformed, the Rule 5 Draft allows lesser teams that cannot fill their 40-man roster to sign players from other farm systems. They pay a small fee for the players gained. García would undoubtedly be on the list of many teams looking to bolster their pitching prospects and potentially utilize him as a starter in 2020. The Yankees have bigger plans, though, for the undersized 5-foot-9 pitcher.

Garcia was elevated from A-Ball to AAA-Ball in just three months last season. He did struggle at the top minor league level, primarily due to do the differential in player quality and change in grips on the ball. However, he posted a 5.40 ERA, allowed 24 earned runs, eight home runs, all over 40 innings.

Those numbers aren’t noteworthy, but his elevation to the top level of the minor leagues would indicate he was fighting way above his weight class. Next season should be used as a developmental one and allow him to adapt to the quality in AAA. At only 20 years old, he has plenty of time to see progression and eventually make his major league debut.

There have been rumors that García could be on the trade block, especially if a highly touted relief option is on the line. However, I don’t believe general manager Brian Cashman is willing to deal the team‘s number one prospect anytime soon. We can expect García to be a Yankee for quite some time.

I anticipate the Yankees pulling Garcia up to feature in a bullpen role for a short amount of time, just to gauge his readiness to compete at the top level. There’s no indication they could exercise this idea; it all depends on his efficiency with Scranton.

EXTRA:

“What comes out of his arm is pretty special, and the Yankees are a very sort of trackman-focused team when it comes to all players,” said Keith Law from ESPN. “But they love their high-spin guys throughout their system. He’s a guy who has that and has command and has control. Which says to me, at least, they’re not going to hesitate to trust him with some kind of major league job by the end of the year.”