Dellin Betances to the DL with Right Shoulder Soreness

I assume he's done for year. There's only a couple weeks left in the minor league season and the Yankees have no reason to risk any further damage. Betances ends the season with an ugly 6.44 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) in Double and Triple-A.

Betances To Start Tonight

Wow, that's pretty surprising after his walk-fest the other day.

Hughes May Not Start Today

From Bryan Hoch:

Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes continues to feel the effects of back spasms and is considered questionable to make a start in Wednesday's doubleheader against the Rays.

After consulting with head athletic trainer Gene Monahan, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he was unsure if Hughes would start the first game of a day-night twin bill as originally announced.

"I'm not sure if he can make his start [Wednesday]," Girardi said. "That's the report. I'm still going to have a little hope that he can. We'll see how he feels in the morning and then we'll go from there."

...

"We're just going to wait," Girardi said. "If [Hughes] can't start the first game, he can't start. We're going to figure it out."

Hoch also said that if Hughes can't go it could mean that we get to see the MLB debut of either Andrew Brackman or Dellin Betances.

Betances, Banuelos, Phelps, & Warren Likely to Join Team

I would be utterly shocked if these four arms didn't pitch in the Majors in 2012 (be it for the Yankees or some unforeseen trade partner), so it makes sense to give them some exposure to life in the show. I also wouldn't be opposed to any of the four picking up some low-leverage innings down the stretch - especially when one considers the hectic September schedule and the likelihood that Sabathia et al will be rested, at least to some degree.

Jesus Cometh..... Tomorrow

From Joel Sherman:

The Yankees were still working through some issues involving who to call up tomorrow when rosters expand on Sept. 1. But there were three players not in dispute: Jesus Montero is going to be promoted while Manuel Banuelos and Dellin Betances will not be, The Post has learned.

The Yanks simply feel that Banuelos and Betances, their top two pitching prospects, have met their objectives this year, which were to progress from Double-A to Triple-A and log enough innings to become factors to pitch in the majors next year. Betances started 24 games and worked 121 innings. Banuelos started 26 times and pitched 128 innings. In the way that the Yanks progress starters, both would be in line to pitch about 160 innings next year, which is a high enough total for them to be major-league considerations.

The Yanks had fiddled with the idea of using one or both out of the major league pen in September to see if they could become factors for the postseason roster, especially the left-handed Banuelos. For now, however, the Yanks had enough concerns — particularly with fastball command — that they did not see the wisdom in trying to transition to the bullpen on the fly two pitchers they remain adamant will pitch at the top of a rotation in the future.....

As for Montero, he is going to get opportunities to play and specifically hit, which is by far his best tool. Jorge Posada’s postseason roster spot remains tenuous enough that Montero could have a big September and make himself viable for October at-bats as a DH. Posada will not be the DH against lefty pitching and the Yanks are currently in line to play the Rangers, who will start at least two lefties against the Yanks.

Nice! I can't wait to see Montero finally get his chance.

As for Banuelos and Betances, I'm glad the Yankees aren't messing with them and turning them into relievers, even if it is just for a few weeks. Both pitchers are still very young and clearly need more work in the minors anyway. There's no use screwing with that for a few innings of relief work.

Betances To Triple-A

Betanecs Isn't Pleased With Himself Or The Yankees

From John Nalbone:

Although legitimately thrilled for his good friend Banuelos, Betances expressed frustration with himself, his surprisingly lackluster season and, at times, with the Yankees’ developmental plan for him during a surprisingly candid interview last week with select reporters, including Mike Ashmore of the Hunterdon County Democrat.

“It (stinks) not being able to pitch good, to be honest,’’ Betances said. “It’s frustrating because you know that if I’m throwing as hard as I am, I should be able to pitch better. I have the confidence in myself to bounce back and finish strong … at least for this year.”

When asked if the Yankees were allowing him to use all of his pitches, Betances said:

“No, right now I feel like I could do whatever I want. I just haven’t got the chance to do it. ’’

Another touchy subject with the 6-foot-8, Brooklyn-educated Betances has been his limited innings, but it is difficult to blame the notoriously cautious Yankees for his inability to reach 100 innings with less a month remaining in the regular season.

Because of his 4.9 walks per nine innings, Betances has been maddeningly inefficient and is averaging less than five innings per start.

“I think now they’re going to let me go,’’ Betances said. “I mean, I would love to go seven innings. I haven’t gone seven innings since Charleston (in 2008) just because they haven’t given me the chance. I’ve had games this year where I could have gone longer than six, but they have something going now and it’s getting to the last month.’’

In his only start following that interview, Sunday in Altoona, Betances again was capped at five innings.

Even if he averages nine innings over his final five (scheduled) regular season starts, Betances will not reach the organization’s preseason goal of 150.

...

“They feel like they have a limit of innings for me,’’ Betances said. “Now that it’s getting into August, the goal is 150 and I’m not even at 100 now. So, it’s one of those things where they probably want to let me go and see if I can get to 130-150 by the end of the year.”

Sounds to me that he only has himself to blame. Although I would like the see the Yankees allow him to use and refine his entire arsenal of pitches at some point in the near future.

The article also mentions the similarities between Betances' and Banuelos' double-A numbers:

• Betances: 4-6 with a 3.57 ERA and 54 walks in 98 1/3 innings.
• Banuelos: 4-5 with a 3.59 ERA and 52 walks in 95 1/3 innings.

But again, his poor performances as of late obviously didn't help his cause. He's still young and there's no need to rush him so I don't think this is anything to be too concerned about going forward.

Montero To Be Promoted... "In the very near future"

From NJ.com:

According to sources close to organization, Trenton catcher Austin Romine, then Dellin Betances, will be next to board the SWB shuttle, with top overall prospect Jesus Montero expected to join the Yankees' lineup in the very near future.

I have no idea when the very near future will be, nor did the article explain any further. But either way, it appears that it will happen at some point this season.

Sickels on Dellin Betances

Prospect maven John Sickels pens a brief profile on a prospect each day on his wonderful blog, Minor League Ball. Yesterday, Sickels turned his attention to Dellin Betances. I would suggest that you take the jump and read the entire post, but here's the meat of the write-up:

Betances has intimidating size and the velocity to match, working between 92 and 98 MPH and consistently hitting 94-95. He maintains his velocity through games and the fastball has excellent sinking action, which shows up statistically in low home run rates throughout his career. He mixes in a cutter, but his key secondary pitch is a knee-buckling knuckle-curveball, a true plus pitch although his command of it is not always consistent. His changeup was weak earlier in his career, but he's refined it and the offering now draws solid-average grades, though Eastern League observers say he needs to use it more often. Many scouts saw him as a future closer earlier in his career, but the improvement in his changeup, combined with the curve and powerful fastball, give him a starter's arsenal.

The biggest issue for Betances is simple command and control. He'll show sharp control in his best outings, but he also has games where he has serious issues finding the strike zone. Even when he throws strikes, they aren't always quality strikes (this is the difference between control and command). His stuff is so good that he can get away with spotty command in the minors, but major league hitters would present a more difficult challenge. Scouts trace these problems to mechanical inconsistency, an understandable issue given his size.

Towers Says Betances is Better Than Banuelos

From Ken Rosenthal:

Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers, who spent last season scouting with the Yankees, offers yet another ringing endorsement for the Yanks’ top pitching prospects — and actually likes right-hander Dellin Betances even better than lefty Manny Banuelos.

Betances, 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds, “might be King Felix," Towers says.

Banuelos?

“Teddy Higuera in his prime,” Towers says, “but with a better arm.”

"Might be King Felix"? Those are words that are bound to make every Yankees fan happy.

If you're not familiar with Higuera, here are his career numbers. From 1985-1988 (his prime) he went 69-38 with a 3.25 ERA. Injuries, including back surgery in '88 and a torn rotator cuff in '91, put a quick end to his career.

Montero and Betances Talk About Yesterday's Debuts

Montero went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Betances struck out the side and walked one in his inning of work. He also hit 97MPH on the gun.

Here is a (low quality) recording of Betances' outing:

Two of the Killer B's to Start Season in Trenton

From Mark Feinsand:

The Yankees are looking all over camp for arms to fill the final two spots in the rotation, but two of those arms are already out of the mix.

Brian Cashman told me today that neither Dellin Betances nor Manny Banuelos have a shot to make the Yankees’ rotation, as both are ticketed for Double-A Trenton when the season opens.

"Betances and Banuelos aren't earning spots in the rotation out of spring training," Cashman said. "They’re going to get their first taste of big-league camp, then they’re going to get slotted into Trenton. They have no chance to make this team."

...

"The other guys are all competing for anything," Cashman said. "They’re more advanced, they have more experience and they’re in a better position. Betances and Banuelos may help us down the line, but they’re not coming to camp here to help us now or solve any problems. They’re not advanced enough to be in a position to do that."

While some fans may be upset at the fact that these guys don't even have a chance to make the team, this is the smart move by the Yanks.

Despite their need of a starter (or two) they shouldn't rush these guys along. Let these guys develop properly and hope some of the garbage signed over the offseason can fill the void. If the Yankees are still searching for a starter in June or July and someone in the minors is having a monster year, then we can restart this discussion.

Kernan: 'Betances is Yanks Next Big Thing'

Kevin Kernan penned a nice piece on Yankees pitching prospect Dellin Betances. Here is some of the article:

Betances is in full pursuit of his dream, arriving here several weeks ago to begin workouts to give himself the best chance to impress manager Joe Girardi when spring training opens in two weeks. He flew back to New York last weekend to be honored by the New York Pro Scouts as their “Star of the Future.”

“I just want to work hard and try to pitch to my ability,” the soft-spoken right-hander said. “To be able to go to my first big league spring training, growing up a Yankee fan and now you are with these guys, it’s kind of a humbling experience.”

Betances will turn 23 in March. He finished at Double-A Trenton in 2010. At some point this season, he could be in The Bronx.

“I’m just excited wherever I go to start the year and then finish strong,” Betances said.

...

Right now Ivan Nova is the fifth starter, and the Yankees are looking for a fourth starter. That would be Andy Pettitte if he returns, or another veteran. But nothing is set in stone. Perhaps Betances will impress Girardi to such a degree in spring training that he gets in the mix.

How good can Betances be? [Cesar] Presbott, the scout who signed him, said Betances could be “one of the top pitchers in the major leagues, no question.” Asked what current major leaguer Betances reminds him of, Presbott answered, “Ubaldo Jimenez.”

 Betances then went on to talk about how Tommy John surgery has actally helped his progression as a pitcher:

“One thing with the Tommy John surgery is that it allowed me to work on a day-to-day basis on my delivery,” Betances said. “I feel like that has changed me as a pitcher. Just mentally, I feel I’ve gotten a lot stronger.”

A summary of his stuff for those who don't know:

Betances’ fastball is mid- to upper-90s. He also features a slider, changeup and spike curve.

Betances talking about his goals:

“Definitely seeing those guys that I’ve played with, making a run and helping the team out, it is something I look forward to,” Betances said. “My goal is to make it to the major leagues at some point this year.

“As a kid you always dream about something like this, being there and just helping your team win championships,” Betances added. “I just don’t want to be there one year or two years, I want to be there for a good amount of time, have a good career. Just watching Derek Jeter, five championship rings, it’s amazing. Robinson Cano and I have the same background.”

With all the great arms in the Yankees system--names all laid out at the end of the Kernan article--there's a lot to be excited about if you're a Yankees fan. But for me, Betances is at the top of that list. I've heard scouts compare him to Josh Beckett in his prime, and now we get an Ubaldo Jimenez comparison. Whether he lives up to that hype or not, that's pretty high praise for the soon-to-be 23-year-old. I can't wait to watch him this spring.

Newman on Montero, Romine, Laird, and some Triple-A Starters

This all comes from Chad Jennings...First, here what Newman had to say about the catching situation (logjam) at Triple-A:

Now that Russell Martin is on the roster, it’s likely both Jesus Montero and Austin Romine will open the season the minor leagues. In theory, each should each be in Triple-A, but that’s a logjam the Yankees don’t want.

“They need to catch, so that’s something we’ll deal with if we get there,” vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman said. “I wouldn’t want them to split right now.”

Montero and Romine split catching duties in the lower levels, but at this point, both need to get used to catching every day. They also need repetition behind the plate so that they improve defensively.

Obviously the Yankees won’t set anything in stone right now, but the arrival of Martin could force Romine back to Trenton, where last season he hit .268 with a second half that was worse than his first. I’m sure he’d rather move forward, but repeating the level might not be a waste of time.

Was signing Russell Martin really worth setting back Montero and Romine back this much?

Here's what Newman had to say about Brandon Laird:

So far so good with Brandon Laird’s work in the outfield. Newman said the Yankees are convinced he can play the corners. Left field at Yankee Stadium might be a little spacious for him, but they think he could play right field in the Bronx, and he could play left in most parks. “He’s going to do well enough out there that he’s going to be an option,” Newman said. The Yankees still think Laird is better defensively at first and third, but he could be a legitimate four-corners option as soon as 2011.

It'll be interesting to see how Laird does in Triple-A to start the season. After his promotion, he hit just .246/.268/.344 with 2 HR and 12 RBI in 127 plate appearances with SWB last year. If he can put up numbers like he did in Double-A last year (.291/.355/.523, 23 HR, 90 RBI) he may be an interesting midseason callup.

And some of those big name prospects who should be in Scranton to start the year (I suspect he's referring to Andrew Brackman, David Phelps, Hector Noesi, and D.J. Mitchell):

If the Yankees feel the need to move one of their prospect starting pitchers into the Major League bullpen next season, they can make that adjustment quickly. There’s no need to make that switch out of spring training. “When they get to Triple-A, they don’t need a full year doing that,” Newman said. “They need a month or two of adjustment. They still need innings. You don’t want to limit innings by putting them prematurely in the bullpen.”

The talented pitchers in the Yankees system are the only thing making this offseason hurt less, and the four pitchers expected to start at SWB are just the tip of the iceberg. Besides Brackman, Phelps, Mitchell, and Brackman, the Yankees also have the other two Killer-B's (Banuelos & Betances) and Adam Warren. Wilkins Arias, who is already a reliever, has had a very good winter in the Dominican and could open some eyes this year as well.

With all those arms in the top two levels of the pen (and I left out a few others) I would not be surprised at all to see at least a couple of them make some sort of impact, whether it's as a starter or reliever.

Yanks Rule 5 List

This list comes from Donnie Collins (hat-tip to SteveB):

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA): LHP Kei Igawa, RHP George Kontos, RHP Lance Pendleton, RHP Kevin Whelan, RHP Eric Wordekemper, 3B Brandon Laird, OF Edwar Gonzalez.

Trenton (AA): LHP Wilkins Arias, RHP Dellin Betances, RHP J.B. Cox, LHP Wilkin De La Rosa, RHP Grant Duff, RHP Alan Horne, RHP Tim Norton, RHP Adam Olbrychowski, RHP Ryan Pope, RHP Josh Schmidt, SS Luis Nunez, INF/OF Justin Snyder, OF Austin Krum, OF Damon Sublett.

Tampa (high A): RHP Philip Bartleski, RHP Noel Castillo, RHP Craig Heyer, RHP Ronny Marte, RHP Jonathan Ortiz, RHP Michael Solbach, C Jose Gil, SS Walter Ibarra, SS Jose Pirela, 3B Bradley Suttle, OF Abraham Almonte, OF Zoilo Almonte, OF Melky Mesa, OF Francisco Santana.

Charleston (low A): RHP Francisco Gil, RHP Jairo Heredia, RHP Richard Martinez, RHP Kelvin Perez, LHP Francisco Rondon, RHP Gabriel Tatis, SS Kelvin Castro, INF Emerson Landoni, SS Jose Toussen.

Any of these guys can be selected in the Rule 5 draft unless the Yankees place them on the 40-man roster prior to the draft.

For more on the Rule 5 draft, go here.

Brackman & Betances Are Bronx Bound, But Not To Pitch

There have been reports floating around since yesterday that Andrew Brackman was going to be called up, well here's the deal from Josh Norris:

Andrew Brackman and Dellin Betances are headed to NY to get a taste of life in the show, not to pitch at all.

So there you have it.

Mitchell & Betances To Make Debuts Tonight

D.J. Mitchell will be making his Triple-A debut for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees as they take on Rochester. Dellin Betances will make his debut for the Double-A Trenton Thunder tonight against New Hampshire as well.

Another debut worth mentioning will be Hector Noesi's Triple-A debut on Friday.

Check back later for the Minor League Report to see how Mitchell and Betances did.

For now, let's play predict the debut.... What do you think each players' pitching line will look like tonight?

Newman on the Promotions of Banuelos and Betances

Yankees Senior VP of Baseball Operations Mark Newman spoke with John Nalbone about the two recent promotions. Here's is what he had to say:

Newman: “A lot of factors went into it. Their performance in Tampa certainly played a big part of it. The movement of other players played a role and they would not have come if we did not feel they were ready.’’

As for thrusting his two young arms into a heated playoff race in late August, Newman had this to say:

“They were in the same kind of (playoff) situation at Tampa. All of our top three teams (Tampa, Trenton and Scranton) are in first place. But the level of competition up here is better and will prepare them in some ways for next year.’’

Newman said he would not have believed anyone back in March had they told him Betances and Banuelos would have made it this far, this fast.

“Neither one was on the mound at the time … they were both injured. Their performance from the middle of the season until the end has been beyond what any of us could have imagined. They have both been outstanding. In this business if you start making long range predictions about young guys like this, either positively or negatively, you make it tough for yourself. But having all five of the guys we have in that Trenton rotation now, that’s quality stuff.’’

Both pitchers make their Trenton debut this week. Banuelos will start Monday and Betances will get the ball on Tuesday.

Piliere's Scouting Reports on Banuelos, Betances, & Brackman

Frankie Piliere wrote up these three scouting reports, one on Manuel Banuelos, another on Dellin Betances, and a third on Andrew Brackman. As you know by now, Banuelos and Betances are already headed to Double-A, and Brackman is already there.

I'll post the summaries of each report here, but I suggest you go read each report in full, you won't be disappointed. There's a lot of good stuff in each.

Banuelos:

Look around the big leagues and find the left-handed starting pitchers that average 93 mph or better with their fastball. It's a very short list. Throw in the fact that Banuelos is a consistent strike-throwing machine with two above-average secondary pitches and you have a very rare commodity.

If you're looking for any negatives with Banuelos, it's his lack of size. But given the ease of his delivery, plus stuff and greatly advanced pitching aptitude, this is a particular talent that goes against the stereotype. If he can remain healthy and keep his shorter frame in check, he is a true front-of-the-rotation type pitcher.

Betances:

Given some real similarities in their deliveries, as well as having highly similar arsenals and approaches, the best modern-day comparison for Dellin Betances is Josh Beckett. Obviously, Beckett may not still be that dominant pitcher, so this comparison goes more for the Beckett of old. Betances obviously is taller than Beckett, but other than that they are comparable in just about every other way, including the powerful mid-90s fastball, their deliveries, and the hard 12-6 hooks.

But since he was drafted, there's never been much doubt that Betances had potentially all-world type stuff. Thankfully, his elbow surgery has not robbed him of that. It may have, in fact, given him more time to develop his changeup and refine his delivery. Those two categories have both gone from potential weaknesses to strengths.

The bottom line here is this: keep Dellin Betances on the mound and healthy and his talent is as good as anyone at the minor league level. Health is the only thing that can hold him back.

Brackman:

Over the past year I've been primarily negative on Brackman. He had yet to show me anything resembling the stuff he had in college and his command and mechanics were a mess to say the least. As of now, he still has a lot to learn about pitching, about how to read the bat, when to be more aggressive, among other things. Taken on its own you'd think he has a very long, difficult road ahead learning to be more consistent.

But given the progress I've seen from last year to spring training to now, I'd have to say that the righty has shown the ability to improve rapidly. He now shows solid command in the strike zone, a smooth and rather effortless over-the-top delivery, and the dynamic arsenal of a top-of-the-rotation starter. If given the time and patience to develop, he now has all the ingredients needed to make an elite big league starter. Again, there is much work to be done, but Brackman now is much more than just a guy you can dream on, and instead is a pitcher making outstanding progress.

The future is bright, folks.

Banuelos and Betances Headed To Trenton

Big news out of the Yankees minor league system, as both Manuel Banuelos and Dellin Betances have both been promoted to Double-A Trenton.

Josh Norris is also reporting that D.J. Mitchell may be headed to Scranton.

Trenton is stacked with great arms, and if Mitchell headed to SWB their rotation will probably look like this: Betances, Banuelos, Adam Warren, Hector Noesi, and Brackman. Wow.