It’s that time of spring when players are told they just aren’t quite ready yet. The first round of cuts has been posted, and there are some surprising names:
LHP: Jacob Lindgren (optioned to AAA Scranton)
RHP: Domingo German, Chad Green, Kyle Haynes, James Kaprielian, and Brady Lail
LHP: Tyler Webb
C: Francisco Diaz, Kyle Higashioka, Santiago Nessy and Sebastian Valle
INF: Jorge Mateo, Tyler Wade, and Deibinson Romero
OF: Aaron Judge, Dustin Fowler, and Lane Adams
The players will report to minor league camp. Some big names were sent packing, including Aaron Judge, Jorge Mateo and 2015 first round pick James Kaprielian. Jorge Mateo showed lightning quick speed, an invaluable asset which means he’ll be in the big leagues soon enough, especially when the roster expands in September. Judge, ranked MLB’s 31st overall prospect, showed some pop in his bat, but could only muster a .071 batting average. He’s too young and talented not to right the ship eventually. As for Kaprielian, he looked raw but talented, resulting in a 4.91 ERA. The former UCLA Bruin still looks like a future top of the rotation pitcher for the Yankees.
Just because these guys were cut early does not mean they won’t make an impact for New York in the near future. The young studs of the organization still showed some promise, which should excite Yankees fans for what’s to come.
