2023 Minor League News & Notes

[HelloNewman]

Why can't a team go 13/15 pitchers/batters after 9/1? You can go 12/14 up to 8/31 right? I thought the only rule was that a team can't go 14/12 pitchers/batters with a 3 man bench.

This article mentions only a "limit" of 14 pitchers in September, I don't see anything mandating a 14th pitcher.

https://www.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/26-man-roster

[sjb23]

Thorpe: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

I'd love to see him throw 150 innings in Somerset in 2024.

[Yankees1962]

I'd love to see him throw 150 innings in Somerset in 2024.

He's already slightly over 135 innings this season with at least two more starts at Somerset plus whatever playoff starts. Of the 135.1 innings so far this season, 26.1 of them are at Somerset. He'll probably finish between 45-50 innings at Somerset. Depending on health and his performance, his stay at Somerset probably won't be long in 2024. There's a slight possibility he might start 2024 in SWB.

[Yankyfan]

I'd love to see him throw 150 innings in Somerset in 2024.

He's going to dominate in ST and be Bronx bound by late May or June.

[Donnybaseball72]

He's going to dominate in ST and be Bronx bound by late May or June.

Or be at Scranton. He could pitch there now. No way he is stuck in AA all of 2024. That would mean he regressed.

[sjb23]

Maybe more guys should make the jump from AA to the majors, with AAA being a stopover/shuttle for guys that need to work on something in particular?

It gets the roster younger, allows more roster flexibility, and keeps overall payroll lower - at the cost of getting them on the 40-man roster a bit faster.

But maybe that forces better roster management?

[Yankyfan]

Maybe more guys should make the jump from AA to the majors, with AAA being a stopover/shuttle for guys that need to work on something in particular?

It gets the roster younger, allows more roster flexibility, and keeps overall payroll lower - at the cost of getting them on the 40-man roster a bit faster.

But maybe that forces better roster management?

IMO the Jump from AA to AAA isn't that drastic anymore...AAA has become an insurance league for the MLB team. Teams are largely made up of players who are MiLB free agents. A lot of teams call up from AA. We just don't seem the be one of them.

[sjb23]

IMO the Jump from AA to AAA isn't that drastic anymore...AAA has become an insurance league for the MLB team. Teams are largely made up of players who are MiLB free agents. A lot of teams call up from AA. We just don't seem the be one of them.

I agree with everything you're saying.

Maybe the Volpe decision (to give him the job in April) paves the way - as Volpe's experience in AAA was just 100 plate appearances over 22 games.

If there's going to be some real change, IMO it has to start with developing younger players and promoting them to the ML faster. 20-22 year olds that can be molded at the ML level, and especially in New York.

[Snatch Catch]

Lombard: 4-5, 2B

[Yankyfan]

Jamie Westbrook has put together a nice season at SWB. He hit his 20 th HR last night . He has been around 300 ba all year with a 410 obp . He can play 2nd and 3rd. Better at 2nd. He is 28 but a nice signing nonetheless.
20 hrs in SWB is no easy task for an IF.

[Art Vanderlay]

IMO the Jump from AA to AAA isn't that drastic anymore...AAA has become an insurance league for the MLB team. Teams are largely made up of players who are MiLB free agents. A lot of teams call up from AA. We just don't seem the be one of them.

I agree, we’ve discussed this in the past. Most teams don’t keep good prospects in AAA very long. The Yankees might be adjusting as Volpe, Well, Dominguez, Perriera, were not in AAA very long.

[Donnybaseball72]

Gil made his first Rehab start for Tampa the other day. Recap from Pinstripe Alley.

Luis Gil 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 K — fastball got as high as 98.5 mph and averaged 96.1, used all four other pitches, too; first pro appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2022!

[mbn007]

He's already slightly over 135 innings this season with at least two more starts at Somerset plus whatever playoff starts. Of the 135.1 innings so far this season, 26.1 of them are at Somerset. He'll probably finish between 45-50 innings at Somerset. Depending on health and his performance, his stay at Somerset probably won't be long in 2024. There's a slight possibility he might start 2024 in SWB.

I'm not sure he would be in the conversation to start 2024 in Scranton. My take is that he will be on the fast-track mode: 6-7 starts in Somerset, and if he pitches well (even without dominating) he gets a bump to Scranton before Memorial Day.

[mbn007]

Fitts and Selvidge on the mound tonight in the Minors.

[Donnybaseball72]

Fitts and Selvidge on the mound tonight in the Minors.

And Scranton is bullpening today so why don't they just move Fitts to their rotation for the rest of the season?