The Yankees have released reliever Jonathan Albaladejo so that he can sign a contract to play in Japan.Nice of the Yankees to let him out of his contract to get a chance to play more and probably make more money than he would have in the US next season. In 49 games over 3 seasons with the Yankees, Albaladejo went 5-2 with a 4.70 ERA.
Jonathan Albaladejo who was racking up awards and ridiculous numbers in Triple-A, finally was given another opportunity to pitch with the Yankees yesterday when he was called up to replace Andy Pettitte who was placed on the DL. We have all been frustrated by his major league performances in the past, but it looks like it could be “sink or swim” time for the intimidating (6’5”, 260 lbs) right-hander who throws 91-93 MPH and occasionally hits 95 MPH on the gun.
Yankees’ General Manager, Brian Cashman, made the trip to Scranton last Friday to watch Chan Ho Park pitch a rehab inning in Triple-A. While he was there he met with the local press and gave a quick evaluation on the performance of some the prospects at Scranton, and his thoughts on a couple of recent moves the Yankees have made. A nice summary of the interview was posted on the SWB Yankees website. Some of the key points in his interview were as follows:"In Romulo Sanchez's case, pitching in Fenway Park on an ESPN national television game, he had great tempo and threw strikes, so that didn't bother him." "In Nova's case, it was his first Major League outing, and he faced some pretty major hitters there," Cashman said. "He had great tempo, threw strikes, had good stuff and commanded the ball and he cruised."Regarding infielder Kevin Russo, who was recently sent back down to Scranton, Cashman said he would be seeing more time in the outfield. Sounds like the goal is to try and make him into a “Jerry Hairston type" utility player. Russo played Saturday’s game in centerfield, making a nice catch to rob Josh Kroeger of a double, crashing into the center field wall.
"The sample size is tiny, but in terms of how they just carried themselves, it makes you feel good that if you're the manager and you have to give those guys the ball again, at least you know they're not afraid," Cashman said.
This was also Cashman’s first time seeing top prospect Jesus Montero since spring training. Montero has been showing signs of improving defensively but has been struggling offensively. Cashman had this assessment of the catching prospect:
"(Struggling at the plate) is probably good for him-he's a guy who has never really scuffled," Cashman said of Montero. "Like anything else, these are all good quality experiences for them to learn from and grow from and deal with adversity. You want them to deal with it down here rather than deal with it for the first time at the Major League-level."
"When he declared himself as having Tommy John surgery a month ago, I knew that at some point, if I got in a roster crunch, then he'd be released," Cashman said. "It's too bad because tool-wise, he's one of our better ability players, but physically, he just can't hold it together."
The last time many of you saw Jonathan Albaladejo, he had just gotten smoked in the head with a baseball, and his black eyes made him look like a raccoon. A fat raccoon.Carig goes on to say how there was a bump in the road for Albaladejo when he visited Puerto Rico and had his mom's cooking. He gained four pounds in a week and decided he couldn't stay any longer.
That's not me being harsh, I'm only using Albaladejo's own self description, just the way he did the other day when he was telling me about finishing the season at a bloated 290 pounds and feeling like his arm lacked life.
"I just was... fat, " he said. "I had to do something."
So he hired a friend to help. With the guidance of a personal trainer he knew well from his days pitching in the Puerto Rican winter league, Albaladejo got serious for the first time about working out. He ran more than he had ever before.
Then he lost weight by eating. *
Indeed, Albaladejo discovered the nature of metabolism. In the past it wasn't unusual for him to neglect eating. So when hunger did strike, he often made poor choices. To make matters worse, missing meals slowed his metabolism, his body's natural response for being deprived of food.
So, to lose weight, he ate. And what he ate was better for him. Combined with exercise, he sped up his metabolism, and the weight started falling off.
Yankees right-hander Jonathan Albaladejo left Sunday's Grapefruit League exhibition against the Reds after being struck in the right foot by a batted ball.Hopefully everything is alright and they're just playing it safe.Albaladejo was working in the bottom of the third inning, when Cincinnati's Jeff Keppinger hit a hard shot up the middle and off the pitcher into center field.
Albaladejo backed up the play and started walking back to the mound until Yankees manager Joe Girardi grabbed him by the shoulders, turning him around. With little discussion, Albaladejo then walked off the field with Girardi and trainer Gene Monahan, replaced by right-hander J.B. Cox.
The latest deal by the Yankees gives them the gold standard for first basemen in Major League Baseball. Mark Teixeira is a tremendous combination of hitting for average and power, and on top of that, he's an excellent fielder. It solves their problem at first base, which has existed since Tino Martinez was not retained after a terrific run with the Yankees.As I said before I would probably overpay for Pettitte too, but at this point I don't believe anyone is going to give him much more than the $10.5 million the Yanks offered him so I don't think the Yanks should up their offer.
If you're a Yankee fan, you have to feel they may have bought the World Series ring that has avoided them since 2000. However, most of you that have read my thoughts or listened to them on the YES Network over the years know I'm a pitching guy. No matter how well Teixeira does, it still will be the guys at the end of the game that decide their fate. Unless they can just outscore everyone, and that never happens against good pitching. This should save some infielders a few errors on errant throws. This guy is good around the bag.
Anyone know who they're counting on to pitch the seventh and eighth inning yet? That's where I'd spend my money. But, like I said earlier, I'm a pitching guy... I always have been, and I always will be. I'd overpay Andy Pettitte for one year because he's "been" and "done" more than any of the new crop.
"Fastball velocity and command will be the key for Hughes," says Manuel, busy putting the finishing touches on Baseball America's fine Prospect Handbook (slated to be released Dec. 19 and available at BaseballAmerica.com)."If he's 89-92, as he was most of the AFL, he's got to have better command. If he's 90-93, it can be just control, not necessarily command. It sounds to me like the scouting consensus is more mid-rotation than ace these days. The obvious first step is to just stay healthy; he's done that exactly once in his career, 2006."
But it's that disappointing injury history that gives our scout hope that Hughes can beat current market projections of a No. 3 starter.
"Hughes is sliding unfairly because he hasn't been healthy. When you're always rehabbing from injury, your velocity will suffer. What we have here is the expectation game. Calling him a No. 1-level ace was never fair. But to me he still looks like he can be a No. 2 guy to me on a championship-caliber team.
"If he is going to be stuck at 91, then he's a No. 3 guy," the scout continues. "But I think he'll get back to being a tick higher, 92-to-94 mph. That's the key to what he becomes. Again, a lot of this is expectations. We get silly published reports that guys like Hughes throw 95 or 97 when maybe they've done it a few times on someone's gun. People expect that and then keep asking, 'Where's the 97-mph fastball?'
Austin Jackson:
Our scout says Jackson is the Yanks' No. 1 prospect, a view shared by Manuel.
"The whole with Jackson is greater than the sum of the parts," says Manuel, Baseball America's editor. " And the parts are fine. His poor AFL performance shows he's not ready for 2009. But he will be a very solid everyday player down the line. I give him a good chance to be an above-average big league center fielder. Better than Bernie Williams on defense, not quite that good offensively at his peak."
The scout's comp is outfielder Reggie Sanders, who played with the Reds and then bounced around.
"Nice athlete. Nice bat speed. Similar to Mets outfielder Fernando Martinez in that he hasn't had that big Minor League year. Like Sanders, contact rate/plate recognition is his problem. He gets himself out. Prospect-wise, he's solid, not spectacular -- not untouchable by any means. I'd trade him as a main piece for a No. 2 pitcher without thinking twice."
Andrew Brackman:
"He had the best arm in Hawaii Winter Baseball," says Manuel, who rated him that league's No. 2 prospect. "He's inconsistent, showing lots of rust coming back from Tommy John surgery. But he hit 97 mph and consistently sat at 91-96. He has an inconsistent curveball, but a surprising, firm mid-80s changeup."
Our scout didn't seem as impressed.
"He needs one of his too curveballs -- a knuckle-curve that's harder and a loopy one that probably should be scrapped. He can't change speeds well because he's so tall and thus has trouble repeating his motion. And he's already 23. He's high risk, high reward and can't afford another injury."
Ian Kennedy:
On Ian Kennedy, or scout says, "His stuff is marginal but he's tough when everything is clicking. He'll have some good stretches in the majors as a starter, I'm convinced. The Yankees seemingly have turned the page because they put Hughes in the AFL, which is developmental, while Kennedy was awarded to the tougher Puerto Rico league because I think they're trying to establish some trade value -- hoping he'll pitch well against better competition [than there is in the AFL]."
Says Manuel about Kennedy: "He has to have premium command to be a four-pitch, four average pitches guy. His best pitch, the slider, was a 55 (on the 80 scouting scale). He is supposed to be a pitchability/command guy. But does he have the guts to throw his pitch?"
They also discuss infielder Kevin Russo, first baseman Juan Miranda, starting pitcher Jeremy Bleich, who Manuel called the best left-hander in the Hawaiian Winter league, catcher Austin Romine, and relief pitcher Jonathan Albaladejo. Check out the rest of the article here.
The Yankees disclosed Thursday that injured reliever Jonathan Albaladejo has a stress fracture in his right elbow. "He won't pitch the rest of the year," Joe Girardi said. Albaladejo went on the DL May 10 with a sprained right elbow.Albaladejo was 0 and 2 with a 3.95 ERA in 7 games this season for the Yanks.
Albaladejo was lifted in the sixth inning after he felt pain similar to a needle in the bone part of his right elbow. An initial diagnosis taken at Comerica Park revealed an elbow strain or sprain, but the Yankees will send Albaladejo to New York on Monday for an MRI and more conclusive tests.Chris Britton will probably rejoin the Yankees tomorrow to take Albaladejo's place.
"I know that I had a chance to stay for pretty much the whole year," Albaladejo said. "I'm pretty disappointed that this happened to me."
next wave of players coming into the majors, who, in our view could make the biggest impact during the 2008 season. These aren't necessarily baseball's 100 best prospects. Many top prospects are too far down in the minor leagues to contribute in the majors this season. Others are stuck behind established major leaguers.Not all of the players on our list have rookie status, but our criteria for inclusion is that players must have had more innings or at-bats in the minor leagues in 2007 than they have had during all of their major league time.
Five Yankees made the list:
The entire list can be found here.2. Joba Chamberlain, RHP, Yankees
Chamberlain, 22, burst onto the scene in mid-summer, soaring from Class A to the big leagues and creating a media storm with his dazzling performance. He dominated hitters with his 95-98 mph fastball and power slider. The Yankees kept him in the bullpen last year but plan to move him into the rotation, even if he starts the season as a reliever. He likely will be the fifth starter, enabling the Yankees to give him extra rest when needed to protect his valuable arm.
21. Ian Kennedy, RHP, Yankees
It's a testament to the depth of the Yankees' young pitching that Kennedy, 23, is regarded as only their third-best prospect behind Joba Chamberlain and Philip Hughes. Part of that stems from Kennedy lacking an overpowering fastball, but he makes up for that with superb command and mound savvy. Kennedy, a master at changing speeds and fooling hitters, had ERAs below 2.60 at all four levels he pitched in last year, including the majors.
25. Shelley Duncan, OF, Yankees
The son of Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan and older brother of outfielder Chris Duncan, Shelley Duncan broke in with the Yankees in 2007 after spending seven seasons in their farm system. Duncan, who can play first base and the outfield corners, had seven home runs and a .554 slugging percentage in just 74 at-bats. With Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi slated to spend time at DH next season, the latter may wind up platooning at first base with the right-handed-hitting Duncan, 28, unless the Yankees make a trade.
30. Edwar Ramirez, RHP, Yankees
Ramirez, 26, who spent 2005 and 2006 playing independent ball, is in the mix to make the roster this spring. He's got an above-average changeup, but his fastball is average at best and last season, he gave up six home runs in 21 innings.
87. Jonathan Albaladejo, RHP, Yankees
He followed up his stellar 2007 season with a 2-2 record, 2.42 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 26 innings in the Venezuelan winter league. The Yankees' middle-relief picture is far from settled, especially if they make Joba Chamberlain a starter, as expected. Albaladejo, 25, has a shot to become one of the Yankees' go-to relievers, even if it doesn't happen until sometime later in the season.
