2009 Minor League Thread

[VinnyTheMick]

Duncan = MVP
AJAX = ROY

[nykgeneralmanager]

betances just had TJ surgery....so much for that prospect

He's only 21 years old, nothing wrong if he reaches the majors as a 24 year old. Also nothing wrong if he ends up being a failed starter and a potentially awesome reliever in a few years. So there is still enough potential there as a major league impact player to be a good prospect. He and Brackman took drastic hits this year, but other guys stepped up tremendously.

[nykgeneralmanager]

Romine named FSL player of the year

[VinnyTheMick]

Vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman said this afternoon that the Yankees plan to have Montero open the season as the regular catcher with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Austin Romine, the team’s No. 2 prospect according to Baseball America, will open in Trenton.

Newman said Gary Sanchez and J.R. Murphy – the other catchers who rank among Baseball America’s top 10 Yankees prospects – will likely open in extended spring training and play short-season ball. Kyle Higashioka is slated to open in Low-A Charleston. High-A Tampa doesn’t have a set catcher now that Chase Weems has been traded.

The Yankees have been encouraged by Montero’s improved footwork behind the plate. He threw out 31.8 percent of base runners in Trenton, which is pretty solid and much better than the 12.5 percent he threw out in the first half of the season in Tampa. Actually, Montero’s caught stealing percentage in Trenton was better than Romine’s season percentage in Tampa (though I don’t think anyone would suggest Montero is at Romine’s level in that regard). Newman said some of the improvement came because Montero adjusted his footwork so that he pivots on his right foot rather than taking a step or a slide.

“That seems to work for him,” Newman said. “It’s an older school approach.”
Newman stressed – as he’s done pretty much every time I’ve mentioned Montero’s name the past few years – that the Yankees still see their top prospect as a catcher. With Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, though, there’s a chance Montero will get some time at first base, at least during drills. It’s something all catchers in the Yankees system do. I’ve seen Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart and Kevin Cash take ground balls at third base. P.J. Pilittere has gotten a bit of playing time at first.
“He’ll get that as a matter of course,” Newman said. “But all of our guys do. It won’t be anything special for him.”

http://yankees.lhblogs.com/

[nykgeneralmanager]

Its nice having four top tier catching prospects

[Pharmcat]

MARVELOUS article on lohud on the yanks pitching

biggest i saw was that betances didnt have tj surgery, but rather a enhancing surgery of the ligament
newman still seems high on garcia

http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2009/12/30/p ... rk-newman/

[rappa]

Arodys Vizcaino who?

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd ... Id=rss_nyy