Yankees Will Call Up Ramiro Pena

Also, here's a list of available third basemen on the trade market via MLBTradeRumors.

More Call-Ups

The only change from yesterday's post is that Brackman, and not Dellin Betances, was called up.

Pena Out 4-6 Weeks After Appendectomy Surgery, Laird Called Up

From George A. King III:

Yankees reserve infielder Ramiro Pena underwent an emergency appendectomy surgery this morning at a Tampa Hospital, The Post has learned.

It was the second appendectomy in two weeks for a Yankees player. Joba Chamberlain, who is out for the year due to Tommy John surgery, had his appendix removed two weeks ago in New York, according to a source.

...

He is expected to be out 4-6 weeks; third baseman Brandon Laird was summoned from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A) to take Pena’s place on the roster. Laird is expected to be on hand for Monday night’s game against the Rays at Tropicana Field. When he gets into a game, Laird will be making his major-league debut.

In 90 games with SWB, Laird hit .266 with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs.

Tough break for Pena, but I'm interested to see how Laird does in the big leagues.

Looks Like Jeter Is Headed For The DL

Both George King and Joel Sherman are tweeting that Ramiro Pena is at the stadium. So it looks like he's here to fill the spot that will open up once Jeter is placed on the DL. Updates to come if/when it becomes official.

With Granderson back is it time for Winn to go?

With Curtis Granderson ready to be activated later today it's now decision time for the Yanks as they decide what their corresponding roster move will be. As Ben over at RAB pointed out earlier today, the Yankees have three options: they can send Ramiro Pena or Kevin Russo back to Triple-A, or they can designate Randy Winn for assignment.

Obviously, the easiest move--although probably not the best--for the Yanks would be sending down one of the youngsters. If they designating Winn for assignment it would mean the end of his Yankee career and I'm not sure the Yankees want to go down that road this early in the season. So, by sending either Pena or Russo down it would allow them to keep all three and whoever went down could get regular at-bats in Triple-A.

If that's the road the Yankees decide to take, Kevin Russo would probably be the one to go. Which would be a shame since he's been such a nice addition to this team. He can play all over the field, and has also hit better than the other two. However, with five outfielders already on the roster, Pena, who's a better infielder, becomes more valuable.

But is that the best for this team?

To me, the answer is no. While Winn has been a good player in the past, he was mediocre last year and has been invisible for the Yanks this season. And with both Russo and Pena on the roster, the Yankees would have a ton of flexibility with two bench players that can play almost anywhere on the field, plus, they've both been better than Winn. It's probably not the decision the Yanks will make, but I'd like to see them stick with the kids.

What do you think the Yankees should do?

Yankees Have Solid Infield Depth in the Minors

On Sunday, Ramiro Pena filled in admirably for the Captain, Derek Jeter, and has been a solid back-up since he made the team to start last season. A slick fielder, who has never scared anyone with his bat in the minors (.255 career hitter), he often delivers key hits like yesterday's single to right-center that drove in two runs and put the Yankees ahead to stay.

The 24 year old Pena, who can play any position on the infield, is only 1 of 4 solid infield prospects on the 40 man roster who could potentially fill a utility infield role for the team. The other three – Reegie Corona, Eduardo Nunez and Kevin Russo, have been playing well at Scranton and could be just as effective in that role. So far this season playing time for each has involved moving around the infield to develop similar defensive versatility like Pena.

Nunez who has played mainly at shortstop, has been the stand out of the group so far offensively. In 10 games the 22 year old prospect leads the team with 14 hits and is batting .341 with 6 runs and 3 steals. However, he committed a lot of errors last year and has 2 errors so far this season for Scranton. Yet scouts still rave about him defensively.

Corona, also 22, over the last couple years has been solid defensively mostly at second, but has struggled at the plate. So far this year he is hitting only .222 in 10 games. Before last year began he was picked up in the Rule 5 draft by Seattle and didn't stick basically due to his lack of versatility. This year he has been seeing some time at short which should help him in the long run.

Because of his solid defense skills and bat, I think Russo will be the first to be called up if needed in a utility role. Playing mostly at third, he impressed in spring training but has started the season in a 6 for 39 slump (.154). Russo was the top right handed hitter in the IL in 2009 and should be better than what he's shown so far. In the field, he has also been solid at second and seen some time at short this year. If he can get more innings playing shortstop, he would have the most versatility of the three Triple-A players.

The Yankees' All Star infield has some solid reinforcements at the Triple-A level, however, down in Trenton a non roster second baseman named David Adams has been making some noise with his bat. A former Virginia star and now a top 20 Yankee prospect, Adams has been crushing the ball for the Thunder. He started off the year going 12-for-24 (.500). He has since cooled down a bit and is now hitting .368 with a home run, 7 RBI but is still leading the Thunder in hitting.

The former 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft is solidly built and had a nice year in 2009 splitting time between Charleston and Tampa. Overall he batted .286 with 7 HRs and 75 RBI. If he continues to hit in Double-A, the Yankees will need to add another infielder to the stockpile of solid prospects.

Four More Headed To Minor League Camp

Chad Jennings is reporting that the Yankees have sent Eduardo Nunez, Reegie Corona, Jorge Vazquez and Brandon Laird to minor league camp.

That left Ramiro Pena, Kevin Russo and Juan Miranda as the only non-starting infielders left in big league camp, and left Pena and Russo as the only utility options.

“Pena has the most experience there and we want to see Ruse more, he’s played extremely well,” Girardi said. “You get to a point when you’ve got young players like Nunez, you want them to play every day, and to get one at-bat per game is not fair to them. They need to go get ready for their season. That’s why we did it today.”

Russo has done everything you could ask for and more this spring, hitting .348/.407/.478, but based on Girardi's comments and the what he did last year I still see the utility role going to Pena.

Holy Embarrassing Costumes, Batman!

Yesterday was the annual rookie hazing day for the Yankees. Each year they pick a theme and make the rookie dress up in embarrassing costumes. This year's theme was 1960's Batman.

(AP Photos/Ted S. Warren)

The first shot shows video coordinator Anthony Flynn as Robin, Mark Melancon as Batman, Ramiro Pena as Catwoman, Michael Dunn as the Riddler, and massage therapist Lew Potter as the Penguin. The second has radar gun operator Brett Weber joining them as the Joker, and Joe Girardi just posing for a picture. The third shows the rest of the Yankees laughing and taking pictures.

Now, I'm not sure why the video coordinator, radar gun operator, and message therapist were forced to dress up, but I assume this is either their first year on the job, or they just had to fill out the cast due to the lack of rookies on the roster. Either way, I hope this good natured fun eased their minds on their way to face the dangerous Angels in Anaheim.

Add Edwar to the List of Call-Ups

Last night we learned that Mike Dunn, Mark Melancon, Ramiro Pena, and Francisco Cervelli would be joining the Yankees. Today, Chad Jennings informs us that Edwar Ramirez will also be added to the roster.

In 29 games for SWB Ramirez is 1-5 with 4 saves and a 3.18 ERA. In 51 IP he's allowed 18 ER on 39 hits, he's walked 16 and struck out 62. Oppenents are hitting .205 against him.

Replacing them on the SWB Yanks roster will be RHP Humberto Sanchez, RHP Eric Wordekemper,
and OF Freddy Guzman. There are still two spots open on the SWB Yanks roster and I will update this post as soon as those players are identified.

Also, Mark Feinsand is reporting what Jennings said yesterday, that Shelley Duncan and Austin Jackson could join the Yankees once the Triple-A playoffs are over.

Four Players Inclduing Mike Dunn Coming Up

John Heyman via his Twitter page is reporting that the Yankees will call up Francisco Cervelli, Ramiro Pena, Mark Melancon, and Mike Dunn tomorrow.

Like I said earlier today, I'm very interested in seeing Dunn pitch at this level. In 37 games with Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Dunn is 3-3, with 2 saves, and a 3.34 ERA. In 72.2 innings pitched, he's allowed 27 ER and 58 hits, he's also walked 46 and struck out 98. With Scranton he had a 2.33 ERA in 11 games.

Who should the Yanks call up to replace Gardner?

With Brett Gardner sidelined for the next three weeks or so with a broken left thumb the Yankees find themselves in a pretty tough situation.

Right now the Yankees have five guys who can play the outfield; Johnny Damon, Nick Swisher, Brett Gardner, Eric Hinske, and Cody Ransom. But only one of those players is good enough defensive to play center regularly and that's Melky Cabrera. Now, I'm not so sure I want to see Melky in center every day, but as of right now he's going to have to because those other guys are just not good enough to play center, even if it's only one or two days a week.

To me this makes the idea of calling up Austin Jackson much more reasonable than it was when the Yanks had both Gardner and Melky on the roster. I see little problems with calling him up for three weeks, playing him everyday, and then sending him back down. As Chad Jennings pointed out today, the Yanks could still send Jackson back back to Triple-A and recall him on September 1 without burning an option.

In 92 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre AJax is hitting .311/.375/.429 with 4 HR, 19 doubles, 5 triples, 38 RBI, and 17 stolen bases in 19 chances. But lately he's been in one of his worst slumps of the season, going .167/.244/.194 over the past two weeks. Then again, Francisco Cervelli was hitting .190 in Double-A before coming to the Bronx out of necessity, and things worked out pretty well for him.

A few months ago when people first brought up the idea of calling up Jackson, I wanted nothing to do with the idea. Giving Jackson an early call-up at that point didn't seem like the smartest move. He was new to Triple-A, and the Yanks didn't necessarily need another center fielder. I wanted them to leave him in Triple-A all year and then call him up in September and then was hoping he'd make the team out of spring training next year. But situations have come up that have change my feelings. As long as he plays almost everyday, I don't see how three weeks of AJax in the pros now would be a bad thing. If he struggles you send him back down, if he does a decent job you keep him until Garnder comes back, and if he plays great, well, that's a problem I'm sure the Yankees would love to have.

There are other options, though. Shelley Duncan and John Rodriguez are having very good years down in Scranton, but do the Yanks really need another corner outfielder? If I was running the show I'd want someone who could play center and play it well.

Ramiro Pena has been playing some games in center field since being sent down, and though I think it's pretty unlikely, he could be another option. I asked Chad Jennings how Pena has looked in the outfield so far and here was his response:

I believe I've seen him play center twice and he looks good. He's terrific side to side and looked good the one time I remember him charging a ball. Not sure about going back on flyballs. Don't remember him having to do it. His throws have been ok. Clearly still figuring out that part of it. He can certainly play the position. He's looked better than I expected.

So far so good for Pena in the outfield, but I just don't think he's had enough experience yet.

Besides that, they could always make a trade, but right now I have no idea what the market looks like for centerfielders. And do the Yankees really want to trade for someone they might only need for three weeks? I don't think so.

Who do you think should replace Gardner?

Time to Trade Melky?

Melky Cabrera has surprised everybody by bouncing back from a terrible '08 campaign. However, he has completely collapsed since May and April and clearly isn't as good an option as Brett Gardner in center field. Melky's seasons stats still look pretty good but they're getting worse by the day and the Yankees have some better options available. Really since he established himself in the major leagues, he's been in one trade rumor after another. For whatever reason though, the time has never been right

After his first two years in the majors, some crazies (like me and Baseball Prospectus) thought he had the potential to breakout soon and transform from a fringe starter into a mainstay in centerfield for years to come. Then after 2008 he had pretty much no value after suffering a demotion to the minors and major steps backwards. However, with Melky's solid first half of 2009 he may have recouped some value.

I'm not expecting the world for Melky but I have to think that some teams would be interested in him. He's an average player who's game has improved across the board this year. His EQA of .271 matches his career high and he seems to be playing the field as well as ever. He's still only 24 and conventional wisdom states he's about to hit his peak years. The Indians (Ben Fransisco) and Reds (Wily Taveras) are both competitive teams that have to be searching for an answer in centerfield. Its difficult to imagine a situation where Melky could have a significant future in New York. He's been passed over by Brett Gardner and the spectre of Austin Jackson is looming in AAA. Even Ramiro Pena is starting to learn centerfield and could take away any usefulness Melky would have on the bench.

What could they realistically get from Cleveland or Cincinnati? I really don't know, I'm terrible at judging a player's worth but they could package Melky in a deal for Aaron Harang or Cliff Lee if they end up needing another pitcher. If everything works out in the rotation until July 31st then they could probably get a solid "B" level prospect for him instead. If they traded Melky, they could just bring up Ramiro Pena to take over his role without blinking an eye. I think its time to trade Melky.

Checking In On Prospects: The Graduates

And here's the end of this series of posts. This will be on the guys that were considered prospects before the year and have already made an impact on the ML team already this year. Take note of the word impact.

Alfredo Aceves: Ace has become one of the most valuable players on the Yankees right now. He can go multiple innings for them out of the 'pen and can shut down the other team in key situations. His value to the Yankees right now is irreplaceable. The only question with him is whether or not he's going to slow down in the second half after being used so heavily in the first. Relievers are always very volatile. However, at the moment it definitely looks like the Yankees have successfully developed at least one pitcher.

Ramiro Pena: Pena has a reputation as an all glove, no hit shortstop and when he got the call to the majors he didn't disappoint. He put on a fielding clinic at third, short, and second and was an improvement over Angel Berroa or Cody Ransom. His offense, although meager, exceeded expectations as well. His line of .267/.308/.349 isn't exactly impressive. However, he practiced the fundamentally sound baseball that Yankees fans have been desperate to see for the past few years. He stole a couple bases and was adept at situational hitting. He was even capable of laying down a few bunts when the situation called for it. When Cody Ransom returned from his injury, Pena got sent back to Scranton where he's hitting very well and learning how to play the outfield. I'd be willing to bet that we'll see him back in the Bronx by the end of the year and that he's going to be a member of the Yankees bench for a long time.

Phil Coke: Coke has become a very useful piece in Joe Girardi's bullpen and I assume he will remain this way. After an impressive showing last September, Coke made the ML team right off the bat this year. He got off to a mixed start. He was earning the trust of Girardi and looked reasonably good. Whenever he came in though, he made you nervous. Since then though, Coke has pulled things together and become a very reliable lefty. I don't have all that much faith in him but he's looked good so far and can at least get lefties out. Another example of a mediocre starter that has turned into a good reliever.

Francisco Cervelli Nobody expected Cervelli to see the ML's this year, let alone starting games for the Yankees. He was off to a terrible start offensively for Trenton and never really impressed with the bat. He has always gotten on base at a decent clip but the power was nonexistent. However, when both Jose Molina and Jorge Posada went down, within days of each other, the Yankees were forced to turn to the tandem of Cervelli and journeyman Kevin Cash. Cervelli wasn't exactly a godsend but he did a solid job. His bat was bad (.215 EQA) but his fielding won rave reviews. He gunned down 48% of runners (Jose Molina only matched that in his best years) and pitchers loved the way he called games. Like Pena, I doubt he'll become a starter. However, he's going to be a part of that Yankees bench for years to come and fans already love him.

Brett Gardner: Gardner has blown everybody away this year. First of all, his fielding has been outstanding. I don't need to bring up the stats to prove that but the consensus among them is that Gardner is one of the best centerfielders in the game. His offense has also wildly exceeded our expectations. His line of .282/.352/.404 was considered best case scenario for Gardner and puts him solidly above average as a hitter. If that was it he'd be a solid player. However, you can't talk about Gardner without mentioning his speed. He wreaks havoc on the base paths, distracting pitchers and putting himself in scoring position in key situations. Its possible he could hit 40 stolen bases this year. When was the last time a Yankee did that? Rickey Henderson? Gardner is going to work in a rotation with the other outfielders for the rest of the year and should get plenty of playing time, as long as he continues to produce.

Pena Understands Demotion

From Peter Botte:

Ramiro Pena proved capable - if not a revelation - in small samples at multiple infield positions this season.

Now, the Yankees will ask the defensively adept rookie to try on another glove to enhance his versatility and his long-term value to the organization.

Pena, as expected, was optioned to Triple-A Scranton before Wednesday night's game against Seattle to accommodate trade pickup Eric Hinske's addition to the 25-man roster. The 23-year-old Pena will start some games as an outfielder, Joe Girardi said, making him that much more attractive as a late-season call-up and potential super-sub if injuries arise at the major-league level.

"They told me I have a chance to be here for a long time. (Girardi) told me just keep playing hard and I will be back," said Pena, an undrafted free-agent signing who surprisingly made the roster out of spring training after Alex Rodriguez underwent hip surgery. "I was happy to be here and proud to be here. They gave me a chance. I never thought I was going to play as much as I played. But I'm going to be even more confident when I come back.

"We have a lot of good players here and I'm the youngest one. And I know I need to play a little more."

Added Girardi: "He did more than we expected. He was great. We want him to go down and play some different positions, but we loved having him here and he's got a bright future."

Great to see the kid handling this situation the right way. After all, he has no reason to be down on himself. He was great while he was here and as long as he stay's healthy I suspect he'll be back sooner than most of us expect.

Ransom deserve a roster spot over Pena? I Don't Think So

Yesterday, Peter Abraham discussed what would happen with the Yankees roster when Jose Molina makes his return, a return that is not too far away. He could be back as soon as a few days from now.

Basically Pete says that the Yanks will keep Ransom and have to decided whether to send down Francisco Cervelli or Ramiro Pena if they decide to keep three catchers, or even send both down and call up a player like Shelley Duncan or John Rodriguez who are both having big years in Triple-A.

Now I understand that the Yanks want these guys to develop in the minors, but so far we've seen much more development out of these two at this level than we might have in all their time spent in the minors. Also, if the Yanks just don't want to carry three catchers that's perfectly fine, and the right thing to do then would be to send Cervelli to Scranton and let him play everyday.

But if they decided to send down Pena and keep Ransom it makes very little sense to me. I know it would probably mean they'd have to lose Ransom for good, but really, who cares? Do the Yankees really see that much value in this guy? Because I sure don't. Pena is a better fielder, he's faster, and while Ransom might be the better hitter, so far he hasn't shown it this season. In fact, I'll take that back, I don't even think Ransom is a better hitter, after all we are talking about a guy with a lifetime hitting line of .239/.325/.412.

The 2009 Yankees are a better team with Ramiro Pena, not Cody Ransom.

Girardi Says He's Going To Stick With Cody

From Marc Carig:

Meanwhile, Girardi said he is sticking with Ransom, who is off to a horrendous start. The Yankees chose to stay with the career minor-leaguer Ransom when Alex Rodriguez went down with his hip injury. Ransom has committed an error at third and is just 1 for 20 at the plate.

Any more of this and the Yankees might have to consider allowing Ramiro Pena a shot at filling in.

"I think there's some frustration there. I think he wouldn't be human if there was no frustration," Girardi said of Ransom. "He hit a ball hard on (Saturday) just foul. I mean he hasn't really had any luck. I'm happy with the way he's playing and his effort. It will turn. You know it's going to turn. It's just not fun to start out this way"

How does he "know it's going to turn" around for Ransom? Cody Ransom is a career minor leaguer, maybe there is a reason for that.

Ransom said he believes his luck will turn.

"I've hit a lot of balls hard and I've had some good at-bats, I feel like," Ransom said. "I'm not going to change anything. I just hope they start falling."

Good at-bats? I count one in the last three games; his walk in the seventh inning yesterday. Besides that he's looked completely overmatched.

I hope Ransom can turn things around, but if he can't how long will Girardi wait before making a change?

Yanks Pick Pena

Peter Abraham is reporting that Ramiro Pena was added to the Yankees 40-man roster following today's game. They reassigned Angel Berroa to minor league camp, and to make room for Pena on the 40-man roster they designated Dan Giese for assignment.

If you're wondering, Pena will wear No. 19.