Yankees Facing Key 40-man Roster Calls in Advance of Tuesday's Deadline
Will Manny Banuelos be added to the 40-man roster in time to be protected from the Rule V draft? (Photo Credit: MiLB.com)
With tomorrow being the deadline for the Yankees to protect some of their players from the annual Rule V draft. If not added to the 40-man roster, each of the players below will be able to be drafted just a couple of weeks from now. There is currently seven open spots, but it is unrealistic to say more than three or four of them should be filled. Additionally, anyone drafted by another team must spend the entire season in the major leagues next year. In the case of Manny Banuelos, he would have to spend a certain number of games in 2014, as he will be on the disabled list for all of 2013 with Tommy John surgery. I'd like to hear who everyone thinks needs protecting on this list. I'll make my choices known at the bottom of the article.
Here's the list of those who will be eligible for the draft if not added to the 40-man roster.
Pitchers Brett Marshall Nik Turley Manny Banuelos Mikey O’Brien Vidal Nuno Shaeffer Hall Craig Heyer Kelvin Perez Pat Venditte Cory Arbiso Francisco Rondon Ryan Pope Caleb Cotham Manuel Barreda Jose A. Ramirez Jeremy Bleich Ryan Flannery
Catchers Ryan Baker Jeff Farnham Kyle Higashioka
Infielders Luke Murton Addison Maruszak Kevin Mahoney Jose Pirela Robert Lyerly Jose Toussen Carmen Angelini
Outfielders Cody Johnson Damon Sublett Abe Almonte Neil Medchill Kelvin De Leon
My choices Brett Marshall Nik Turley Manny Banuelos Jose A. Ramirez
You'll notice a trend here. All four players are starting pitchers, which are notoriously easy to hide on a major league roster. Marshall could probably crack the back end of some big league rotations right now, while Turley and Ramirez could easily fill a long relief role in most bullpens, just like the Twins did with Johan Santana years ago. With the way players have come back from Tommy John surgery, it is plausible that Banuelos, if unprotected, could be productive as a long reliever in 2014 for some teams.
Most likely to lose Addison Maruszak Cody Johnson
I was torn between making Maruszak my fourth choice over Jose A. Ramirez. Many don't believe Maruszak is good enough to deserve a 40-man spot, however Trenton's MVP can play just about anywhere on the field and is a decent hitter. He could likely serve as a utility infielder on a lot of teams, and with the uncertainty in the Yankees infield, could be a valuable asset. Cody Johnson missed most of the season with an injury, but is a pure lefty power hitter in the mold of Adam Dunn.