Last night, when I read that the Houston Astros had signed former Yankees minor league pitcher Jose Valdez, I assumed it was a minor league deal that might be worth a note at some point. Then I read on Mike Ashmore’s blog that Valdez was added to the Astros’ 40-man. Checking the Astros official site confirmed the move. I won’t say this is the most unexpected baseball news I’ve ever read, but it’s close.

Valdez was once fairly highly touted but had fallen into organizational player status with the Yankees. He put up good numbers but was basically a guy who could fill a bullpen role in Double-A and Triple-A. When he came to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, he was the last guy in the pen. Never remotely close to a big league call-up.

“The Valdez kid threw well last season, and he’s lighting up the Dominican Winter League,” Houston GM Ed Wade told mlb.com. “We had a couple of guys see him down there and they felt this kid had a chance to be a real significant contributor to the back end of the bullpen. We gave him a roster spot as a Minor League free agent, which is a rarity.”

Valdez is worth keeping an eye on just to see if the Yankees completely missed the boat.

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Speaking of former Yankees minor league pitchers, Jeff Karstens has been designated for assignment by the Pirates. Pittsburgh previously let Eric Hacker leave as a minor league free agent. Hacker was traded to the Pirates for Romulo Sanchez, who the Yankees just added to the 40-man, so at least the Yankees got the better of the Pirates in one move.

Chase Wright and Matt DeSalvo, by the way, are also minor league free agents. They were part of that massive group of 2007 rookies who made emergency starts for the Yankees. Another from that group, Tyler Clippard, pitched well out of the Nationals bullpen this year and seems to have solidified a major league job.

If you’re looking for things that might help the Yankees end up signing Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman, here’s a tiny nugget: Chapman has dropped his original agent, Edwin Mejia, and joined up with Randy and Alan Hendricks, who represent – among others – Andy Pettitte.

The timing for Chapman’s decision is a little surprising considering Mejia did guide him through the post-defection process and helped him earn free agent status with MLB, but Chapman has opted to go with a more established agency. It’s possible that Chapman was interested in the Hendricks agency because they represent Angels first baseman Kendry Morales, another Cuban defector. The Yankees have worked with the Hendricks Bros., who also represented Roger Clemens, on numerous deals.

Chapman is 21 years old and his fastball has been clocked at over 100 mph. The Yankees and Red Sox are said to lead the pack of teams interested in him.

Here’s the question (or two) I’ve been reading: Why did the Yankees leave an open spot on the 40-man? Why not use that spot to protect another prospect from the Rule 5 draft?

Truth is, the Yankees already have too many players on the 40-man.

For every major league free agent the Yankees sign — and they seem likely to sign at least a left fielder, a designated hitter and a starting pitcher — they have to find a spot on the roster. There’s one spot open, but every other free agent addition comes at the cost of someone currently on the roster.

A spot might open by non-tendering Chien-Ming Wang (if that is, in fact, what the Yankees decide to do). Sergio Mitre might be a non-tender candidate as well (just a guess). Other spots could open through trades. Point is, something is going to have to change unless the Yankees are content to sign only one free agent this winter.

It’s very difficult to lose a player through the Rule 5 draft. Four Yankees were taken last year and none stuck. It’s very easy to lose a player through waivers. Steven Jackson, Anthony Claggett and Dan Giese jump to mind as Yankees who were claimed last year. Protecting too many players and having to DFA one of them can be worse than protecting too few players and running the risk of losing one in the Rule 5.

Of the seven players added to the Yankees 40-man roster on Friday, I’ve personally seen six. The one I haven’t seen is right-hander Hector Noesi. But Frankie Piliere has seen him, and Piliere has agreed to give us a scouting report. Piliere spent the past three seasons working as a scout and now writes for FanHouse. Check out an earlier story of his detailing some of the top prospects in the Yankees system. Piliere labeled Noesi as a sleeper even before Noesi was added to the 40-man.

Here’s his scouting report.

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Noesi is a very interesting guy, I guess probably the definition of a late bloomer as a prospect. I saw him with SI (Staten Island) in ‘08 and he had the fastball but not much in the way of a secondary pitch. This year when I saw him in Charleston then later on in Tampa he had come a long way. Sits around 91-93, touches 94 and heard reports of 95. But pretty steady around 92-93. Plus command of the fastball, can go east and west very well. The difference now is he’s mixing the curveball with good 12-6 action (72-76 mph). About an average pitch now, flashed plus now and then. Mixes a changeup but saw him make a lot of mistakes on it. 82-86 mph. Really a show pitch right now. If he can get it over enough he’s got a #3 type profile. He was just really surprising this year. Really became a pitcher, throws a lot of quality strikes and the fastball has a lot of life.

I don’t think he’s a guy that converts to the pen either. I saw him go deep into some games, change his patterns and actually even pick up velocity at higher pitch counts. His curveball had a tendency to tighten up later on too. Clean delivery, everything is pretty nice and easy.

I’ve thought he was maybe the most overlooked good prospect in the system by the end of the year. He’s not that far off I don’t think. Pitches and carries himself like an experienced guy.

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Great stuff. Thanks Frankie.

Shelley Duncan was outrighted to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but that doesn’t mean he’ll end up there.

The first time a player clears waivers and is sent outright to the minor leagues, he has no choice but to accept the assignment. The second time, he has the right to refuse the assignment. Duncan was outrighted off the 40-man last winter and went to Triple-A. If Duncan clears this time, he will refuse the assignment.

“I’ll wait and see,” Duncan said. “I might clear on Monday or something, and if do, then I’ll become a free agent.”

The Yankees were clearly never sold on Duncan. He toiled in Tampa and Trenton too long, and his chances of being an impact player in this organization were slim. Duncan, though, has done all he can to prove himself and earn a chance at some big league at-bats.

I keep thinking of Garrett Jones, who I watched rake in the International League for years without getting a shot with the Twins. Then the Pirates picked him up and he became a Rookie of the Year candidate. I have no idea whether Duncan can do something similar, but I know he put up Triple-A numbers as good as or better than Jones. He just wasn’t a match for the Yankees organization.

Today was a pretty good day for Kevin Russo. Then I called him and nearly screwed up the whole thing. Three minutes into our conversation, there was a very brief pause. ”Sorry,” Russo finally said. “Another car almost hit me.”

Danger averted, the conversation continued.

“I just found out five minutes ago, actually,” Russo said. “I was trying not to think about it. I knew it was coming up but I didn’t know exactly the date until yesterday. It wasn’t in my control. It’s the Yankees, and they put me on there, which is great.”

Russo was one of three infielders added to the 40-man roster this afternoon. Along with Ramiro Pena, that group will give the Yankees four legitimate utility infield candidates. The knock on Russo will be that he hasn’t spent much time at shortstop. He might have the most advanced bat of the bunch, but most of Russo’s time has been spent at second base and third base, with a little bit in the outfield and a handful of games at short.

“I’ll try to do whatever it takes,” Russo said. “If I have a chance to make the team that way, that would be great. I’m going to try to do everything I can in the offseason to work on it. I guess it would be a good thing for them to see me at short. I feel like I can play it.”

The Yankees added seven players to the 40-man roster this afternoon in preparation for December’s Rule 5 draft.

RHP Hector Noesi
RHP Ivan Nova
RHP Romulo Sanchez
INF Reegie Corona
INF Eduardo Nunez
INF Kevin Russo
OF Austin Jackson

To open a spot on the 40-man, Shelley Duncan was outrighted off the roster.

I honestly didn’t think Noesi was eligible, but I was obviously wrong about that one. Otherwise, I think the Yankees protected the players they had to protect. There are plenty of guys who could very well be taken — Grant Duff, Zach Kroenke, Colin Curtis, Kanekoa Texeira, Kevin Whelan — but this is a pretty aggressive bit of roster tinkering, and a solid minor league system is going to have several viable Rule 5 candidates.

I’m going to make some phone calls. Until then, here’s the full press release from the Yankees.

The New York Yankees announced today they have added right-handed pitchers Hector Noesi, Ivan Nova and Romulo Sanchez, infielders Reegie Corona, Eduardo Nunez and Kevin Russo and outfielder Austin Jackson and to the 40-man roster.

Noesi, 22, appeared in 26 combined games (20 starts) with Single-A Charleston and Single-A Tampa in 2009, going 6-4 with a 2.92 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 117.0 IP. He also combined to hold opponents to a .220 batting average (96-for-436) with only 15 walks and was named a midseason All-Star with Charleston. Noesi was originally signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on December 3, 2004, out of the Dominican Republic.

Nova, 22, made 24 combined starts with Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2009, going 6-8 with a 3.68 ERA (139.1IP, 57ER). He also made two postseason starts for Scranton/WB, going 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA, allowing just three earned runs in 14.0 IP and striking out 10 batters. Originally signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on July 15, 2004, Nova was selected by San Diego in the 2008 Rule 5 Draft before being returned to the Yankees.

Sanchez, 25, was acquired by the Yankees on May 16, 2009, from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for RHP Eric Hacker. He spent the year at the Triple-A level, combining to go 6-5 with a 4.09 ERA (77.0 IP, 35 ER) and 79 strikeouts in 29 games (13 starts) with Indianapolis (PIT) and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (NYY). Sanchez was originally signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on March 8, 2002, out of Lara, Venezuela.

Corona, 23, combined to bat .257 (120-for-467) with 69 runs, 28 doubles, six home runs, 40 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 129 games with Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, earning midseason All-Star honors with Trenton. The Caracas, Venezuela, native was originally signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2003. A switch-hitting infielder, he was selected by Seattle in the 2008 Rule 5 Draft, and was returned to the Yankees on April 3, 2009.

Nunez, 22, batted .322 (160-for-497) with nine home runs, 55 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 123 games with Double-A Trenton in 2009, making 120 starts at shortstop. In his first season at the Double-A level, he ranked second in the Eastern League in hits and third in batting average, and was the lone Thunder player to earn both midseason and postseason All-Star honors. Originally signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on February 25, 2004, Nunez was a non-roster spring training invitee in 2009.

Russo, 25, was named to the International League’s 2009 postseason All-Star team after batting .326 (115-for-353) with 51 runs, 18 doubles, five home runs, 31 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 90 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He also walked 42 times, ranking fourth in the IL with a team-high .397 on-base percentage. Russo was selected by the Yankees in the 20th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

Jackson, 22, was selected as the 2009 International League “Rookie of the Year” after batting .300 (151-for-504) with 67 runs, 23 doubles, nine triples, four home runs, 65 RBI and 24 stolen bases in 132 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In his first full season at the Triple-A level, he led the IL in triples and ranked second in hits. Originally selected by the Yankees in the eighth round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Jackson entered 2009 rated as the organization’s top prospect as well as its “Best Athlete” and “Best Defensive Outfielder” by Baseball America. He attended 2009 spring training as a non-roster invitee, batting .333 (12-for-36) with three home runs in 23 games.

In addition, infielder/outfielder Shelley Duncan was outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees’ roster now stands at 39.

Hoping some of that championship glow will rub off, the Knicks are going to honor Yankees manager Joe Girardi for being a generally good guy in the hours after the World Series win. Here’s the press release.

KNICKS TO HONOR JOE GIRARDI WITH “CITY SPIRIT” AWARD
Yankees’ Manager Wins “City Spirit” Award For Heroic Efforts After World Series Win

NEW YORK, November 20, 2009 – The New York Knickerbockers have announced that Yankees Manager Joe Girardi is the winner of the Sweetwater Clifton “City Spirit” Award for the month of November. The award, named in honor of Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, the first African-American to play for the Knicks, recognizes individuals who have made a significant difference in the lives of others. Each month, a winner is chosen by members of the Knicks front office staff and honored at center court during a Knicks game with a $2,000 donation in his or her name made out to a charity of their choice.

After leading the New York Yankees to the 2009 World Series crown on Nov. 4, Girardi served as a good Samaritan by stopping to aid Marie Henry, who had a car accident on the Cross County Parkway in Westchester County. Ms. Henry, 27, lost control of her automobile and crashed into a wall in the early morning hours. Girardi, who was driving home, came to her assistance and flagged down police. Luckily, Henry sustained only minor injuries, but Girardi’s efforts on and off the field that night embodied the essence of what the “City Spirit” Award means.

At Sunday’s game versus the Boston Celtics, Joe Girardi will accept the City Spirit Award at Madison Square Garden. Girardi will donate the award money to Catch 25, a foundation he created to support families and individuals who have been affected by ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and fertility issues.

To nominate your hero, or to read more about this month’s winners and other past winners, please visit nyknicks.com.

MLB Trade Rumors pointed me to this report, which points to another report that I can’t read without a translator.

Basically, Chien-Ming Wang was asked about his uncertain offseason for what must have been the thousandth time. He said he prefers to stay with the Yankees, but the idea of playing for Joe Torre was brought up.

“The media asked whether to switch teams to the Dodgers, he said ‘That’s good,’” according to the original story (and according to Google’s translator).

 What to do with Wang is one of the great Yankee mysteries of the offseason. Two years ago he won 19 games for the second straight season. He was solid when he was able to pitch in 2008 and 2009 was more or less a completely lost year, but it was so bad that you have to wonder if he can play a role at all next season, especially given the money he’s likely to make in arbitration. There’s no guarantee he’ll accept a smaller contract offer.

UPDATE, 12:50 p.m.: Got an email from Lynn who clarified Wang’s comments about playing for the Dodgers. Google’s translator came up with, “That’s good” as the translation of Wang’s quote. Lynn says it’s more like “it’s not a bad idea” or “it’s okay too.”

The Surprise Rafters played their final game of the Arizona Fall League season yesterday. They finished second in the division with generally encouraging numbers for the Yankees on their roster.

Colin Curtis, one of the Yankees who would have to be added to the 40-man to be protected from the Rule 5 draft, finished with a .397 average. He had seven doubles, two triples and five home runs in 20 games. Even in a hitters’ league like the Fall League, those are eye-popping numbers. The outfield is thin in the upper levels of the Yankees system, but Curtis is an interesting player with a lot of tools. Can’t overlook him.

Third baseman Brandon Laird finished tied for second in the league with six home runs, tied for third with nine doubles and fifth with 24 RBI. He hit .333. With Brad Suttle coming back from injury, Laird may have established himself as the top third base prospect in the system (assuming he doesn’t move to first fulltime).

The Yankees other position player in Arizona, catcher Austin Romine, suffered a minor finger injury and played just four games, with six hits.

Of the four Yankees’ pitchers, Ian Kennedy was the only starter and he led the league with 29.2 innings, which was by far the most important thing for him. This was about work, not results, for Kennedy. In his last start, he went five innings, striking out five, walking none and allowing one run. He finished with a 4.25 ERA, 28 strikeouts and five walks.

Power lefty Mike Dunn had 20 strikeouts in 10.1 innings, but he also walked 10 guys. Power righty Grant Duff had a 2.89 ERA, but he struck out only four while walking five. Zach Kroenke struck out 14, walked four and pitched well in most of his outings, but he also had three multi-run games and finished with a 5.28 ERA.