Estevan Florial

New York Yankees News/Rumors: Estevan Florial on the uptick? Colas and Galiz January 15 targets?

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New York Yankees, Estevan Florial

The New York Yankees have had prospect Estevan Florial in the headline for the last few years, but all has not been good. Florial was once a top prospect for the Yankees but fell from grace after multiple injuries and a performance slide. The Yankees signed Florial in 2015. But his start with the Yankees was a bit confusing, to say the least; he was originally signed in 2014 at the age of 17 under the name  “Haniel d’Oleo,” but that name could not be proved that contract was voided. A year later, he was signed under a new name Estevan Florial. He also had two birthplaces listed. It was finally decided he was born in Barahona, Dominican Republic.

At age 23, he is now playing winter ball in the Republic and showing signs of promise. But let’s start from the beginning. When his name and birthplace were finally decided upon, he made his professional debut that season with the Dominican Summer League Yankees 1, where he batted .313 with seven home runs and 53 RBIs in 57 games.  He was soon named the New York Yankees’ top prospect and possibly an heir apparent to Brett Gardner in centerfield.

In 2016 he played for three minor league teams, including the Charleston Riverdogs hitting .227 with eight home runs and thirty RBIs in 67 total games among the three teams. In 2017 he started with the Riverdogs and was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game. After hitting .297 with the Dogs, he was promoted to Tampa and eventually the Trenton Thunder. He finished the season slashing .303/.368/.461 with two home runs and 14 RBIs in 19 games.

He started 2018 still being one of the top Yankee prospects, but all was to go downhill with various injuries, first a hamate bone that required surgery and later a wrist fracture. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League, where he did not impress, hitting just .178. He ended up playing the 2019 season with Tampa, where he improved that somewhat to .237. In 2020 he was called up for his Major League debut on August 28, 2020, he got one hit, but after the game, he was returned to the minors in favor of Clint Frazier.

With his name tarnished, he was directed to play in the Winter League in the Dominican Republic. After a relatively slow start for Leones Del Escogido, Florial broke out last week to record three multihit efforts that have helped lift his season average from .182 to .280. Last Wednesday, he got his first home run, a two-run shot. This shows promise that he could return to his former form. He has the tools to be a Yankees star; he has speed, excellent defense in centerfield, a good arm, and potential power at the plate.

New York Yankees International targets for January 15th.

Two names to watch on the international market that could be signed by the Yankees on signing day, January 15, are from two different countries. First, we look at 22-year-old Cuban outfielder Oscar Colás. Colas should be a Yankee target as he can play anywhere in the outfield. Colás has played several seasons in Japan already, reaching the highest levels of the sport.

Colás played in the Western League, the American equivalent of Double-A. He slashed a .300/.353/.511 with 12 home runs in 73 games. When he was called up to make his Fukuoka debut, he hit a home run in his first game. Colas did not play in 2020 due to complications and technicalities with the Cuban Government over his free agency. But on Tuesday, he was certified as a free agent and eligible to be signed as early as January 15.

Another target should be Jesus Galiz. Galiz is known as one of the best catching prospects in baseball. The Yankees have deficiencies in both the minor leagues and the majors with catchers, making signing Galiz a priority. Galiz has previously been linked to the New York Yankees, but the Yankees may have competition from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both of these targets would be great for the Yankees, but with only so many international bonus pool dollars available.

The Yankees should be looking to add talented players every opportunity they can. Last season, they went all-in to add uber-prospect Jasson Dominguez, and he is now considered their number one prospect. Although playing in the Dominican, Dominquez may be invited to spring training and go on to play in the Yankee Minor League system this season.

 

 

New York Yankees News/Rumors: Sanchez, Florial, Schwarber, and more news in one place

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New York Yankees, Estevan Florial

Gary Sanchez

Yesterday before the 8 pm deadline, the New York Yankees tendered an offer to Gary Sanchez so that he will remain in Yankee pinstripes, at least for a while. However, that still does not mean that he could be part of a trade package to get the Yankees a pitcher they so sorely need. Sanchez had a horrible year hitting only .147. Nonetheless, both general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone have praised Sanchez and his potential. That seems odd considering the lost faith in Sanchez late in the season and postseason when he found himself replaced by backup catcher Kyle Higashioka. This could indicate that Sanchez may still be a trade piece.

Estevan Florial

Estevan Florial, once a number one prospect for the New York Yankees, has faded in the last couple of years. That being said, he may still have value to the Yankees as part of a trade package that could bring Texas Ranger pitcher Lance Lynn to the Yankees. There is scuttlebutt out there that says the Yankees could be interested in Lynn being a mid-rotation pitcher to replace one of the Yankees’ exiting pitchers.

One trade proposal that has been suggested for the Ranger pitcher that is being shopped by the team looking to cut costs would send Lynn to the Yankees for prospects Miguel Yajure and Trevor Stephan, both right-hand pitchers, then add to that Estevan Florial that could make the trade work for both teams. The Yankees hate giving up prospects. The only piece of this trade suggestion that would hurt would be the loss off Miguel Yajure, who showed a lot of promise this past season.

Kyle Schwarber

Kyle Schwarber is now a free agent after being non-tenured yesterday. This development is almost laughable. The New York Yankees have been interested in Schwarber for several years to strengthen the Yankee outfield. But they were never able to make that happen. Now the Yankee outfield has many options, especially considering the break-out season of Clint Frazier. If anything, the Yankees are outfield heavy. So as life would have it now, Schwarber is easily obtainable off the free-agent market, but the Yankees now have no use for him.

Adam Ottavino

Adam Ottavino certainly had a sub-par season for the Yankees, and he ran out of steam again like he did at the end of 2019. The Yankees didn’t even use him in the postseason. To be completely fair, a large part of his poor stats were because of one game against the Toronto Blue Jays when he gave up six runs without getting an out.

Ottavino has made it clear to fans and the Yankee front office that he wants to remain a New York Yankee even though he is afraid that the Yankees in their cost-saving efforts may try to remove his $9 million salary. This past season he posted a 5.89 ERA in 24 games. In the one game he pitched in the postseason, he gave up a run in Game 2 of the Rays ALDS.

Ottavino addressed the situation while at a Player’s Alliance benefit on Coney Island.

“For me, it wasn’t good enough. Wasn’t consistent enough,” Ottavino said. “It was short. I would’ve liked to have more time. I think I finished OK — had 10 strikeouts and one walk at the end there [in his final seven outings]. Playoffs, it sucks not to get a chance. But I’m not the manager. My job is to make it undeniable [for the manager to go to him].” I’ve been in touch with Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake, and told them I have a good plan looking forward,” he said. “I like where I’m at.”

CC Sabathia

The Yankees retired pitcher CC Sabathia is going to star in an HBO documentary. CC Sabathia revealed on Tuesday that HBO, along with MLB, will be airing a documentary on the life of the lefty, called “Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story.” Sabathia will narrate the documentary, which will look at his early life, playing career, and battles with alcoholism. It will include behind-the-scenes footage from his final season and will air on December 22.

 

 

New York Yankees make huge lineup change in first game against Mets

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New York Yankees, Estevan Florial

The New York Yankees must be extremely desperate if they are willing to call up Estevan Florial to start in game one of a doubleheader against the Mets on Friday. Florial has struggled to remain healthy over the past few seasons, suffering a broken wrist last year that dampened his stock.

Over 74 total games with Tampa last year, he earned a .237 batting average with eight home runs and 38 RBIs. He is traditionally an outfielder and will start in centerfield for the Bombers.

This was a very interesting move, as the Yankees gave Gio Urshela the day off (day-to-day with a bone spur in elbow), supplementing him with Miguel Andujar. Andujar had a solid outing against the Braves on Wednesday, recording two hits and scored the only run of the game. Building off his recent momentum is a good idea by manager Aaron Boone.

The lineup on Friday for the first game is extremely interesting. The usage of reserve players and the sitting of Urshela indicates that they might be trying to bump up his stock and showcase some of their talents in their youngsters. Utilizing players like Clint Frazier, Mike Ford, Andujar, Florial, Estrada, and Wade, will give the Yankees a good look at some of their youth talent that might be expendable for starting pitching.

 

New York Yankees: 2 rising youth players who can land an active roster spot for the 2020 season

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia, Estevan Florial

With just nine days left until the New York Yankees open the regular season against the Washington Nationals, building out the active roster is a more pressing challenge. With four more spots opened up for a condensed 60 game schedule, the Yankees can carry extra players into the season.

With numerous youth players fighting for an opportunity, there are two specific youngsters who have looked good at times during intrasquad exhibition games.

Here are two youth players that could make the active roster:

1.) Deivi Garcia

Garcia is one of the most exciting prospects climbing the minor-league system. He jumped all the way to the No. 3 prospect in the organization last season.

He rose from single-A to AAA baseball in just three months, and over three starts this past Spring Training period before the MLB shit down, he allowed six runs over seven innings. While his small sample size suggests obvious struggles, there is plenty of potential to unveil as his development progresses.

In an intrasquad game last week, Garcia acted as an opener, an interesting role that could earn him live reps during the regular season.

Yankees’ Aaron Boone liked what he saw from the youngster. He said Garcia was “really efficient,” and he threw some “good breaking pitches.” Boone talked about how facing some of the “big boys” was a “good step up for him.” He finished by saying that it was “good to see him get out there and get going.”

Garcia finished the first inning striking out two batters and dominating his way to a positive response from Boone. This is a great sign for Deivi and gives him an advantage moving forward.

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WATCH: Yankees’ Estevan Florial nails Luke Voit at third base with amazing throw

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New York Yankees, Estevan Florial

The New York Yankees are ironing out the active roster with every intrasquad game, and outfielder Estavan Florial is one of the summer camp youth players looking to leave their mark.

Florial, who has suffered multiple wrist injuries over the last two seasons, is climbing his way back to form. He was formally the number one ranked prospect in the Yankees’ farm system and one of the top in all of baseball, but his lack of reps and production has hurt his progression.

Nonetheless, when Gleyber Torres hit a line drive base hit to right field, Florial utilized his fantastic arm to throw out Luke Voit, who was rounding second and heading to third. While Voit might not be the fastest player on the team, Estevan showed off one of his most exciting tools.

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Florial is considered a five-tool player with the potential to be a starting outfielder in the MLB. This opportunity has given him a chance to showcase his abilities after playing in just 74 games last year. With Tampa, he hit .237 with eight homers and 38 RBIs. The Yankees are desperately seeking more production from the outfielder in the hopes he can make his way to the starting team one day.

Could the Yankees give Estevan Florial the opportunity of a life time?

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New York Yankees, Estevan Florial

The last we heard of New York Yankees prospect Estevan Florial, he was torturing Nationals right-handed pitcher Hunter Strickland in a spring game. Florial ripped a 97 MPH fastball down the third-base line into the corner. The hit put the Yankees ahead by three and secured a 6-3 victory over Washington. This was the final game before MLB shut down operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Baseball America noted that Florial is in desperate need of a bounce-back year, and the delay of the season undoubtedly hurt his progression. However, the Yankees could give him the opportunity of a lifetime to feature on the 30-man roster during a shortened 60-game campaign.

Few prospects are in bigger need of a rebound than Florial, who has missed chunks of time over the last two years with broken bones in his right wrist. When he’s been on the field, he’s suffered from a lack of strike-zone discipline and the corresponding timing issues that come with such long layoffs. He still has the raw tools to be a productive major leaguer—he went 1-for-2 on Friday—but needs to show some results this season, which will likely begin (at some point) in Double-A Trenton.

Florial is considered one of the best prospects in the Yankees farm system and has been rated that way for quite some time. However, injuries have significantly limited his development and progression as an athlete and baseball player. The Yankees decided to put him on the 40-man roster this off-season, and while it is a longshot, he lands an active spot in a shortened season, nothing is impossible.

The Dominican Republic native played in 74 games with Tampa Bay in 2019. Over 301 plate appearances, he posted eight home runs, 38 RBIs, and tallied a .237 batting average. His offense has struggled significantly, but his defense at centerfield as been solid. Over 529 innings in the outfield last season, he posted a .973 fielding percentage and allowed four errors.

He has the potential to be a fantastic professional player, but health has been his major concern. He’s broken his wrist twice and suffered other ailments, but if he can remain healthy this year, the Yankees could find a place for him on the active roster. While I believe it is a longshot, they could swap him in considering the condensed schedule that will require players to feature frequently. Fatigue remains a serious concern for players, and having alternatives like Estevan prepared is only a positive.

New York Yankees: 2 high-rated prospects at a severe disadvantage with shortened season

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New York Yankees, Estevan Florial

Taking a look at two of the New York Yankees’ top prospects and how the shortened season will impact their progression:

The coronavirus pandemic has caused a lot more harm in every industry than most realize. With people struggling across the globe and lifestyles taking a significant hit, baseball is one function in society that has been halted due to the concern of further spread.

Major League teams are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the loss in revenue, time, and entertainment for fans. The minor-league system has been hit even harder, stopping the progression of prospects and seriously damaging the income required to operate specific farm systems. For the Yankees, two high-rated prospects will see a disadvantage from the postponement of the regular season.

Estevan Florial is the first Yankee who will suffer the consequences of a shortened 2020 campaign. At 22 years old, the Dominican has struggled to put together complete seasons of adequate play, dealing with injuries and inconsistencies over the last few seasons. The 2020 year was projected to be a bounce-back for Florial, who has seen 325 at-bats or fewer in four of his five seasons as a professional.

His best season was in 2017 when he earned the number one spot in MLB Pipeline’s top 30 rankings. He posted a .298 batting average with 13 home runs and 57 RBIs. He also stole 23 bases in 120 games. Breaking his wrist twice the last two seasons has undoubtedly set him back, and a shortened campaign in 2020 will only do so again. A limited sample size will inevitably slow his progression and force the Yankees to wait another year until he can prove his worth.

However, it is possible the league extends the active roster and opens up a slot for Florial to be added. While this is just a rumor, expanding the active roster to mitigate injury risk could be a possibility.

Another prospect the Yankees will have to wait on is Deivi Garcia. In Grapefruit League play this past spring, García finished with a 7.36 ERA allowing seven runs over 7.1 innings. While eight strikeouts and a nasty curveball accompanied his statistically poor performance, he still has challenges to overcome in development to endure.

I would anticipate him making his debut in 2020, and the shortened season will undoubtedly hurt him as well. Luckily, both Florial and Garcia are young enough to withstand the storm and emerge on the other side unscathed.

Latest scouting report on Yankees’ prospect Estevan Florial isn’t very encouraging

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New York Yankees, Estevan Florial

For years, the New York Yankees have had an elite center field prospect in Estevan Florial. The kid can run like the wind and when he does make contact, it is usually powerful. He is a good fielder in center and has a fantastic throwing arm. Basically, you could say he has, comfortably, four above-average tools.

The fifth one, the one he is currently lacking, is perhaps the most important: hitting. Estevan Florial has issues making consistent contact and having decent batting averages, especially in the last couple of seasons in which he has been injured.

Injuries and strikeouts are a problem. And despite his still relatively young age (22,) the lefty-swinging outfielder has a lot to prove before the New York Yankees can picture a future with him being a fixture in the lineup.

Florial has five pro seasons to his name, and in four of them, he has had 325 or fewer at-bats, per NJ.com. Over the last three seasons, he has a .253 average and 229 strikeouts in 644 high-A at-bats. His spring training numbers are also disappointing.

The Yankees’ center fielder of the future?

NJ.com spoke to a veteran scout who has been following Florial for several years now. His report wasn’t very encouraging.

“it’s ridiculous to say Florial isn’t still a prospect. Is he a major concern at this moment? No. But if you’re the Yankees and watching his progress and how his injuries may have affected him … he’s falling to the Greg Bird routine.”

“You have to play,” added the scout, who asked to remain anonymous. “You have to be healthy. I hate to say this, but some players are brittle. Some players can sneeze and blow their backs out. And then when an organization decides time has run out on a player, they end up going somewhere else and sometimes become a star.

“The positive is Florial’s only 22 years old. Also, he’s not had major, major injuries, and he’s regrouped. And I’ve seen his tools. When he makes contact, the ball jumps off his bat. You see the rangy, athletic actions going back on the ball. You see the ability.”

Florial’s star has fallen so much that 17-year old Jasson Dominguez is now viewed as the New York Yankees’ center fielder of the future.

“Sometimes you run out of time and sometimes other prospects come in and bypass you,” the scout said. “Jasson Dominguez has passed Florial, but a lot of things can happen. We’ve seen it already with Florial. Let’s wait and see how this plays out.”

New York Yankees five-tool prospect is quickly becoming irrelevant

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New York Yankees, Estevan Florial

A lot can happen in two years, and New York Yankees five-tool prospect Estevan Florial can attest to that statement. Two years ago, Florial was a must-see player during spring training, as he was expected to be the Yankees next centerfielder. However, injuries have plagued his career up to this point and set him back significantly from his overall goal of reaching the big leagues.

At 20 years old, most believed he had the defensive attributes to start in the majors, but he suffered a broken wrist in both 2018 and ’19, forcing him to rehab for a majority of the season while putting together a minimal sample size worth of statistics.

This off-season would have been the perfect opportunity for Florial to earn starting reps in the outfield, especially with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Hicks, all missing time. The outfield was set to start the season with Brett Gardner, Mike Tauchman, and Clint Frazier as their starting three. However, with the coronavirus setting back Opening Day, things could be different.

In 2019, Florial was still the Yankees number one ranked prospect, but he dropped this off-season significantly as others continue to climb the list. Young starting pitcher Deivi Garcia and outfield Jasson Dominguez have risen considerably in recent months.

What must Estevan Florial do to earn a spot on the New York Yankees’ top team?

Estevan must do two things during the 2020 campaign, and those are to stay on the field and remain healthy, and cut down his strikeout rate. In five years, Florial has struck out on 28% of his plate appearances. Over the last two years, he has struck out 127 times and collected 78 hits.

“It’s part of the game. You don’t want to strike out all of the time,” Florial said, per Baseball America. “I have to get better at that.”

“Everyone sees the potential. At some point (a player) has to start producing,” farm director Kevin Reese said when asked about Florial.

The young outfielder is running out of time to prove his worth before being pushed toward the back of the line. This upcoming season should be essential in his development and progress for the future — health remains a significant factor.

New York Yankees Prospects: Estevan Florial

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New York Yankees, Estevan Florial

A few years ago, the New York Yankees envisioned Estevan Florial as their star center fielder of the future. Florial had incredible speed, above-average power, and a very good arm from center. He had/has all the makeups of an all-star centerfielder. Many thought he would be on the fast track to the majors during his time in the minors. When the Yankees needed starting pitching over the last few years, Florial was often a prospect that many teams would ask for. However, New York never showed any interest in dealing with him. Brian Cashman has believed that Estevan Florial would live up to the hype. However, that has yet to happen.

Up & Down

Florial does in fact have all the tools, but he has had a lot of bad luck when it comes to injuries over the last few years. He’s broken bones in his wrist the last couple of years which has hindered his ability to play. Florial became one of the top prospects in the New York Yankees system after an incredible 2017 where he hit .298 and stole 23 bases. Florial also showed off his great defensive ability in 2017. The one big drawback to Florial in 2017 was pitch recognition. In 110 games, Florial struck out 148 times. I will say that those struggles are nothing out of the ordinary by a guy who is still cutting his teeth in the professional ranks. Many thought that Florial would be able to iron out those issues over the next couple of years. The problem is that Florial has had wrist issues that have caused him to miss significant chunks of the last couple of seasons. Florial played 84 games in 2018 then played 74 games in 2019. Last year was a very difficult year for Florial that still saw his strikeout numbers remain high, but his batting average dipped below .240. Florial really never seemed like he could get his timing right after the injury to his wrist. The last few years have been very frustrating for Estevan Florial, but maybe 2020 could be the time to turn the corner.

2020 Outlook

The 2020 season is going to be delayed to the COVID-19 breakout, but once the season starts, Florial should be a guy that all fans are looking at. He’s looking to bounce back and stay healthy after the last two rough seasons. Florial still has excellent speed and good pop for a centerfielder. What I’m looking for this year is his pitch recognition. I want to see if Florial is able to get those strikeout numbers down. The problem for Florial being a high strikeout guy, is he doesn’t counter those strikeouts with huge power like Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton. Florial has good power, but it’s nothing that is elite. If he can get the batting average back up, cut down on his strikeouts, and stay healthy, Florial has the talent to move through the system very quickly. Florial was considered the center fielder of the future for the Yankees just last year. That is no longer the case with the kid from Mars taking over that distinction. Florial can play with a chip on his shoulder this year, and I believe he can bounce back to prove that he is still one of the brightest prospects in the New York Yankees farm system.