deivi garcia

The Yankees can’t let Jacoby Ellsbury scare them away from top pitcher

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New York Yankees, Jacoby Ellsbury

With the Yankees dumping $26 million in salary next season after cutting Jacoby Ellsbury, their mentality towards splashing big-money on a premium starting pitcher could be battered. Factor in the Giancarlo Stanton contract and his injury-plagued 2019 season and unloading $30 million for an option like Gerrit Cole begins to seem like a bad idea.

However, Cole’s injury history is thin, and signing him would immediately bolster the starting pitching rotation and make them one of the best in baseball. General manager Brian Cashman shouldn’t be worried about the luxury tax if he’s keen on competing for a championship next season.

However, owner Hal Steinbrenner was quick to announce the fact that the starting rotation is established, despite several players coming off injuries being featured next season. Luis Severino started only five games last season while Jordan Montgomery missed the entire campaign, failing to leave any significant mark.

The Yankees need to temper their expectation and aim high:

Expecting them to return and be effective is optimistic, at least in Montgomery’s case. In his three seasons, though, Monty has earned two sub-4.00 ERAs, which provides excitement. The Yankees shouldn’t shy away from adding a star pitcher at the expense of Montgomery’s return, and considering CC Sabathia’s retirement, he will essentially be filling that hole.

Another factor is the youngsters — Michael King and Deivi Garcia, who are both fantastic pitchers with minimal to no Major League experience. We can expect Cashman to justify the rotation with quality youth, an unproven commodity at this point. Again, it leads us back to a sure-fire decision to sign Cole or Stephen Strasburg.

The price differential will be a few million, but Cole’s impressive health history should make him worth every penny, and considering his dominance in every phase of the game. Slotting him in at ace and having James Paxton and Luis Severino close behind would give the Bombers a fantastic opportunity to make a run at the 2020 World Series, and they wouldn’t even have to cheat to do it.

What do the New York Yankees have in store for Deivi Garcia?

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

The New York Yankees aren’t in any rush to promote young players to the Major League level, even if they’re dominating the farm system and climbing the ranks at a rate unheard of. However, protecting prospects is of the utmost priority, and the Yankees did just that by adding young pitcher, Deivi Garcia, to the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft.

The Rule 5 Draft allows lesser teams that cannot fill their 40-man roster to sign players from other team’s farm systems, paying them a small fee. By adding a top prospect to a given team’s 40-man roster, it makes them untouchable in the draft. Garcia is undoubtedly one of those prospects.

The undersized pitcher at 5-foot-9 dominated in the minors last season, reaching High-A ball in just three months. He did struggle a bit at the top minor-league level, primarily because of the change in grips, but his promise hasn’t wavered (5.40 ERA, 24 ER, 8 HR, over 40-innings). The Yankees could look to utilize his services in a bullpen role during the 2020 season, as getting him accustomed to the MLB will be a priority for manager Aaron Boone.

Garcia is only 20-years-old, though, making him a mere infant when it comes to playing at the top tier of baseball. There’s no need to rush him or put him in a disadvantageous spot. Although, I believe Garcia is fit for those situations — ones that require him to step up and reach into his bag of tricks to develop his game.

“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.”

The Yankees don’t have to overuse Garcia in any fashion, but rather ease him into their rotation. He can be used in various ways — a starter, similar to Chad Green, or a relief option, pitching one inning later on and moving on. All of these little experiences will add up to provide him with the confidence to take on a starting role. It boils down to development and how Boone envisions his top prospect featuring on the team during the 2020 season.

Could the New York Yankees trade Deivi Garcia?

One rumor that has circulated is that Garcia could be on the trade block if it involved an established player. There’s no glaring need for the Yankees in any position, which increases the value of Garcia and should make him theoretically untouchable. Considering he hasn’t reached his potential yet, dealing him Justus Sheffield style would be a bad decision.

Who will the New York Yankees protect in the Rule 5 Draft?

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New York Yankees, Michael King

The New York Yankees have several important decisions to make this offseason, one of which depends on the Rule 5 Draft and what young players they must protect. For those who aren’t familiar with the Rule 5 Draft, here’s a short description from the MLB.

A team that selects a player in the Rule 5 Draft pays $50,000 to the team from which he was selected. The receiving team must then keep the player on the Major League 25-man roster for the entirety of the next season, and the selected player must remain active (not on the disabled list) for a minimum of 90 days.

Only specific teams are given the ability to steal players from other organizations (if they cannot fill their 40-man roster). This puts players like Deivi Garcia, Estevan Florial, Michael King, Luis Gil, and Nick Nelson on the block.

The Bombers elevated several players this week, including Garcia, Florial, Gil, Brooks Kriske, Luis Medina, Nick Nelson, and Miguel Yajure to the 40-man roster, while releasing Jacoby Ellsbury and designated Greg Bird and Nestor Cortes Jr. for assignment.

Holding onto those players was expected, especially Garcia, who could feature in a bullpen role next season.

The New York Yankees need to play it safe:

Garcia is the top prospect in the Yankees’ farm system, and his elevation from low-A ball to high-A ball in just three months proves his value to the club. The young pitcher has fantastic stuff (165 K in 111 1/3 innings in 2019). While his pitching numbers are substantial, his 5-foot-9 stature has presented issues for scouts evaluating him from a professional perspective.

Despite his lack of size, there’s no chance the Yankees allow another team a sniff at their top prospect. Keeping him protected is a priority, but it also leaves the door open for the other youngsters to be snatched by lesser teams. Michael King will also likely be added to the 40-man roster, but Florial, who has battled constant injuries, could be a target for opposing teams.

New York Yankees: Will Deivi Garcia be used as trade bait this offseason?

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

The New York Yankees need to supplement the loss of several key starters and potential injured ones in 2020. Shortstop Didi Gregorius will likely depart in free agency, and Dellin Betances is coming off a torn Achilles tendon. Finding a way to inject quality into both positions could require general manager Brian Cashman to allocate resources towards them, and that could include trading young players in a potential deal.

Who could the New York Yankees trade?

Minor-league pitcher Deivi Garcia was involved in talks just before the trade deadline last season, but this offseason, his value could be increased after shooting up to the top minor-league team in only three months at 21-years-old.

Garcia struggled a bit with Triple-A Wilkes-Scranton Barre, but his youth gives him the benefit of time. Utilizing him as a critical piece in a deal to bring in a trusted bullpen arm could be worth the value. However, they could look to bring in a shortstop like Francisco Lindor

Lindor would slot in at short while Gleyber Torres remains at second base. The Cleveland Indians star has a career-low .273 batting average and can rack up home runs at an impressive rate. He has logged 103 homers over his last three seasons, making him an ideal fit for a Bombers team that prioritizes the long ball.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden explored three Lindor trade possibilities:

The Yankees can offer a package centered around one of their top pitching prospects in Deivi Garcia, third baseman Miguel Andújar and teenage shortstop Oswald Peraza. Garcia is one of the Yankees’ top pitching prospects, with three above-average pitches but a small, 5-foot-9 frame that has scouts split on whether he remains a starter or becomes a reliever in the long run. Andújar, 24, was one of the AL’s best rookies in 2018, slashing .297/.328/.527 with 47 doubles, 27 home runs and 92 RBIs but was sidelined this past season after shoulder surgery. Andújar would become the Indians’ everyday third baseman with José Ramírez moving to second base full-time. Peraza, 19, has all the tools to develop into an elite shortstop but comes with risk because of age and the “hit” tool.

If the Yankees could bring in a player like Lindor, the entire team would benefit. He would be costly in the long-run, but he’s a star player that would give the Bomber’s World Series aspirations.

The New York Yankees need to give Deivi Garcia a shot

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

The New York Yankees are in no place to disregard possible solid pitching for next season. Even though Brian Cashman has already said that they’re after the “big guys” like Stephen Strasburg, Gerrit Cole, and Madison Bumgarner, they might have an answer right under their noses.

Despite putting up mediocre numbers in the Minor Leagues during 2019, Deivi Garcia has everything that “plays” at the Major League level. He throws a fastball that runs up to 96 MPH and offers a high spin-rate curveball to fool hitters.

“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.”

I understand that a role in the starting rotation might be far-fetched for next season, but there’s no reason to not consider him for a bullpen role. It could also be a good idea to use him as an “opener” – the same role the Yankees used Chad Green as this past season.

Brian Cashman has already said that the club hasn’t ruled our Garcia as an option for next season. If the Yankees can add one or two aces this offseason, and then put Garcia in the already strong bullpen, the Yankees would have everything they didn’t have last season.

New York Yankees: Analyzing the top three prospects for 2020

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

The New York Yankees are known for their strong farm league system. Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres, Gary Sanchez, and many more have emerged from the Minor Leagues to becoming Major League stars.

YES Network posted the New York Yankees Top-10 Prospects for 2020. There are a few names on this list that we could see coming up to the big leagues next season.

1. RHP Deivi Garcia

Unsurprisingly first on the list, Deivi Garcia is the top-rated prospect in the Yankees organization. At just 20 years old, there’s already talk that he could potentially make a jab at the Yankees’ starting rotation next season.

He finished his 2019 season with unimpressive numbers, but he holds a high impression on the Yankees. Throwing a fastball in the upper 90s, he also features a sharp curveball; and when I mean sharp, I mean he has a spin rate that’s comparable to some of the premier pitchers in the Major Leagues.

General manager Brian Cashman has already said that he’s willing to take a look at Garcia as a potential candidate for next season’s rotation. Even though this is a little bit of a long-shot, Garcia will definitely be considered for a bullpen role.

2. OF Jasson Dominguez

Even though the New York Yankees have one of the best, if not the best, outfields in all of Major League Baseball, 16-year-old Jasson Dominguez has put a though into Cashman’s and Boone’s head for the outfield of the future.

Reported by MLB Pipeline as the top-ranked international prospect in the MLB, Dominguez already looks the part. “Dominguez is the cream of the crop in this year’s class, and one of the best international prospects available in years,” said MLB Pipeline’s Jesse Sanchez. “The 16-year-old Dominican is strong and athletic and has a mature body for his age. Think a teenage Mike Trout.”

To be comparing a 16-year-old to Mike Trout is something serious, and the kid has some serious talent.

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3. RHP Albert Abreu

Finishing his 2019 season in double-A with the Trenton Thunder, Abreu remains one of the top pitching prospects in the Major Leagues. Credited to a 4.28 ERA in 23 games during 2019, Abreu still has a few things he needs to work out but is progressing nicely.

At 24-years-old, he’ll most likely find himself in triple-A next year if he does well.

Yankees have two great youth players preparing to make jump to majors in 2020

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New York Yankees, Michael King

With free agency just around the bend for the New York Yankees, their priorities lie in several different locations. The starting pitching unit and infield mark two positions of need, but the bullpen could also use another reliable arm to solidify its dominance. Dellin Betances could be the perfect fit if general manager Brian Cashman elects to bring him back on a one-year deal if his torn Achilles is healing correctly.

The Yankees also have two youth prospect players they can rely on if needed in 2020. Both Michael King and Deivi Garcia can be utilized in the bullpen or as starters if injuries plague the team next season.

What can the two Yankees prospects offer?

Michael King was impressive in 2019 in the minor-leagues. He has a complete opposite array of qualities compared to Albert Abreu. He has remarkable command on his pitches, and his accuracy is deadly, but he doesn’t throw high-speed pitches, which is something the Yankees prefer with their starters.

However, Masahiro Tanaka has found a way to work-around a low 90’s fastball, which is similar to how King approaches his game. He could be utilized in a fifth-starter role. King struggled at times at the Tiple-A level, finishing up 2019 with a 4.18 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 23.2 innings pitched. That’s an average of over one strikeout per inning, not a bad ratio by any means.

The Yankees could use a consistent arm in the bullpen next season if they’re willing to test out King at the professional level. His two scoreless innings last season was a glimpse at his capabilities, but next year should present a bigger sample size. He should be ready to make the jump in 2020; otherwise, he could be used as trade bait this offseason.

Deivi Garica, on the other hand, was the youngest pitcher in the Yankees’ farm-system to feature at the Triple-A level in 2019. He went from Low-A ball to Double-A in three months, showing off his fastball and impressive curve. He struggled a bit at Triple-A, but we can cough that up to an elevation in quality in such a short period; eventually, Garcia was going to hit a road-block.

Garcia has fantastic stuff, but he needs to real in his control of the baseball. His BB/9 rose to over 4.00 in the high-minors last season. His fastball and curveball combination increased his K% exponentially, and at just 20-years-old, he can become an excellent starter for the Bombers in the future. I expect to see him feature in a bullpen role next season, at least in a small sample size to gauge his readiness.

I do not see him as a trade-option for the Yankees.

New York Yankees: Will 2020 be the year of Deivi Garcia?

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

The New York Yankees are known for how deep their farm system is. Gleyber Torres, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Miguel Andujar, and Clint Frazier are all guys that have come from their Minor League system and lit up the Major Leagues.

Promoted to triple-A at just 20 years old, Deivi Garcia has shown promise to potentially being on the 2020 roster. “Amazing,” is how general manager Brian Cashman described his young star.

Despite mediocre stats this past season, Garcia has shown he could play at the Major League level. He sits 92-96MPH on his fastball with a high spin-rate curveball.

The New York Yankees are in no place to not consider Garcia a roster spot after their pitching struggles this season. Considering his age, I cannot see a starting role next season but a medium-leverage reliever is not out of the picture.

“For his age, he was probably the youngest pitcher in the International League,” said Cashman. “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.”

The Yankees are going to see how Garcia performs during Spring Training and make a decision there. It also depends on what moves the Yankees make during the offseason. If they add one or two starters, Garcia could be more restricted until he gets older.

The Yankees are in no rush to bring up Garcia to the show. Even though he has the talent, a jump from triple-A to the big leagues is much bigger than jumping between the minor leagues.

Even though Cashman hasn’t ruled out Garcia for the 2020 rotation, it’ll be a little bit of a long-shot. I can definitely see a bullpen role, but definitely not a starting role until a year or two down the road.

New York Yankees: Expect The Worst In Deivi Garcia

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

There have been high regards for New York Yankees pitching prospect Deivi Garcia. People are saying that he should be a starter for the team in 2020. But, the Yankees need to be cautious with him and build their team as if he didn’t exist this offseason.

Pitchers Are Available

Of course, everybody knows that there are some huge arms out on the free-agency market, but none are more prominent than Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg.

It would be an ideal situation if the Yankees could sign one, if not both of them, but others like Madison Bumgarner and Zack Wheeler are also on the market. They need to focus on this over wanting to use Garcia as a starter in 2020.

Not Completely Proven

A lot of the high regard for Garcia came after a hot stretch for him in AA but wasn’t that great after he was promoted to AAA. His ERA was near 5.50 with a 1-3 record. He has been inconsistent over his career; some levels he had a lot of success at and others not as much.

If the Yankees had him starting in 2020, I can tell you that he would get shelled every time that he went out there. He isn’t ready.

Pressure

Playing for the Yankees organization comes with a lot of stress, and often the weight is also felt in minors. With a lot of news about his success and a potential call up in 2019, the pressure probably got to him. His name was being mentioned a lot, and that gets to a player.

A lot of guys also kind of flatten out at the AAA level, and there are no better examples than Luis Cessa and Chance Adams. Both pitchers were great in AA but never had much success after. Could Garcia be another victim of that curse?

I think that Deivi Garcia has the potential to be good, but all I’m saying is that the Yankees need to act like he doesn’t exist when building their team this winter. If they plan to put him in the rotation and he struggles, they won’t have a fallback option.

You can never have too many pitchers, and if Garcia proves himself in 2020, there’s no reason why he can’t make it into the rotation, just not when camp breaks.

Hal Steinbrenner will hold the Yankees back this offseason

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

General manager Brian Cashman might be making decisions for the New York Yankees at the executive level, but the influence of Hal Steinbrenner cannot be overlooked. The owner of the Bronx Bombers stated that the team doesn’t need to add to their starting pitching rotation with Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery returning in featured roles next season.

“For the most part, I think our starting pitching was good this year,’’ Steinbrenner said. “Even missing [Luis] Severino and [Jordan] Montgomery [for most or all of the season due to injuries].”

However, the reality is that the Yankees need a bonafide starter that can dominate when the postseason rolls around. A player like Gerrit Cole would undoubtedly give them a significant edge, but at a severe cost — upwards of $30 million per season.

Steinbrenner might not be keen on spending that type of money on a premium talent, but he must then ask himself why his team hasn’t won a World Series in a decade yet consistently makes the playoffs without avail. Then again, he allowed Cashman to splash the cash on Giancarlo Stanton, who barely played a lick in 2019. The Yankees need to add players with healthy track records, and Cole is one of those proven commodities.

The New York Yankees brass thinks their pitching is in a good place:

Both Cashman and Steinbrenner agreed that the pitching was stable during the postseason, and they are right for the most part. Spending $17 million on J.A. Happ to feature as a relief option, though, is ludicrous, and the Yankees need to do a better job evaluating their pitching talent, especially in free agency.

Alternatively, they can save themselves the hassle of guessing on pitchers and paying top dollar for premium arms that rarely falter. It’s easier said than done.

Steinbrenner also stated that any deals Cashman brings to his attention he will always consider, which is the right thing to do. However, giving his general manager the autonomy to make his own decisions seems like the right thing to do.

EXTRA:

“If the 2020 season was to start tomorrow, I would feel considerably more confident than I did a year ago at this time,’’ Steinbrenner said. “We will have both Severino and Montgomery back. We now know that [Domingo] German can pitch effectively at this level. And we know [James] Paxton can be the guy that we were hoping for when we made that trade. We have [Masahiro] Tanaka, [J.A.] Happ, [Jonathan] Loaisiga, and perhaps [Deivi] Garcia at some point. A very good rotation.’’