Six-year free agents
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Nov 18, 2009 
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Baseball America has listed the six-year free agents for each team. Here’s the Yankees list.
New York Yankees (17)
RHP: Paul Bush (AA), Michael Gardner (AA), Justin Pope (AA), Humberto Sanchez (AAA), Jay Stephens (AA), Jose Valdez (AAA)
C: Brian Peterson (AAA), Chris Stewart (AAA)
3B: Eric Duncan (AAA), Carlos Mendoza (AA), Cody Ransom (AAA), Marcos Vechionacci (AA)
SS: Doug Bernier (AAA)
OF: Edwar Gonzalez (AA), Freddy Guzman (AAA), Richie Robnett (AA), John Rodriguez (AAA)
Starting pitcher Jason Hirsh, a mid-season addition from Colorado, is not included on the list. Neither is outfielder Noah Hall. I thought both would be free agents and I’ve sent an email to check on their status. Hirsh would be a nice addition if he’s still with the organization.
As for the 17 guys listed, Eric Duncan is probably the biggest name on the list. He was the Yankees first-round pick in 2003. Humberto Sanchez and Marcos Vechionacci were also highly touted prospects whose careers stalled.
UPDATE, 11:05 a.m.: Here’s the response email from Mark Newman: “(Jason Hirsh) is our property and subject to the Rule 5 draft. Noah Hall is a free agent.”
So there you have it. Not sure how Hirsh is still with the Yankees — he was drafted the same year as Eric Duncan — but he’s a nice addition. Once a huge prospect who put up terrific numbers in the Pacific Coast League before a series of injuries knocked him off track. He really pitched well in Scranton at the end of last season.
UPDATE, 11:32 a.m.: Some former Yankees who are now free agents from other teams: Chase Wright, Eric Hacker, Justin Christian, Casey Fossum, Matt DeSalvo, Scott Patterson, Charlie Manning, Oneli Perez, T.J. Beam, Justin Leone.
As for possible Yankees targets, they’re probably going to want/need a corner outfielder for the Triple-A team. They’ll probably also want a veteran catcher in Triple-A (might be keeping the spot warm until Jesus Montero comes up). And a veteran infielder might not be a bad idea considering that Scranton infielder could be really, really young next year.
I’ve said before that I’m a big fan of Bobby Scales, who can play anywhere except shortstop (and could probably do that in a pinch). Dallas McPherson and Terry Tiffee have good power at third base (which is a weak spot in the upper levels of the Yankees system). Rich Thompson has a lot of speed in the outfield (think Freddy Guzman) while Chris Denorfia, Chip Ambres, Brent Clevlen, Josh Kroeger, Michael Restovich or Brad Snyder would also be interesting in the Triple-A outfield. At catcher, getting Chris Stewart back makes the most sense, but I wouldn’t blame him for looking elsewhere.
Sanchez put together a respectable season coming back from injury and could crack the Bronx this year in some capacity, any chance we try to bring him back?
All are are career minor leaguers and are better off trying to find a team elsewhere and clear space for Yankee hopefuls with upside.
True, Marcos Vechionacci cauight some spring training attention but never gor further.
Humberto Sanchez has had difficulty getting past the DL stage.
NYY626
November 18th, 2009 at 10:48 am
I like Tex A LOT, but I’m not ready to declare him the next yankee captain after one season. I guess I’m just biased because I grew up in the age of the “dynasty boys” but I like the fact that our captain is homegrown.
However, why are we talking about this?? Do.Not.Like.
***********
I know what you mean, mostly because I don’t want to think about Jeter retiring. But I do think that Tex would make an excellent captain.
sj44-
i agree totally about teixeira. if the red sox had gotten him, the whole year plays out differently.
cashman beating out theo on teixeira was a tipping point that will throw the red sox out of their game for years down the road.
it was an incredibly good use of the money cashman has at his fingertips. the red sox were really trying to make it a competition between managements and cashman getting a player like teixeira makes it a competition between who has the best players.
the red sox have to go out , spend money, and get some players or they will be in second place for the foreseeable future.
teixeira is just rock solid as a player and a leader.
Too bad for Eric Duncan, so overhyped coming out of SHP, never got around to really hitting in AAA. Welp he got some big money so can’t feel sorry for the dude
Tex is awesome ! Too bad about Sanchez, I wonder if any players in the sheffield trade have stuck. Claggett maybe?
randy l -
It was a good use of his money; but also a good show of his “people” skills and/or negotiating skills to be able to let Tex know of the Yankees interest in spite of it not looking like they were interested, and public declarations specifically saying after CC and AJ, the “vault” was closed.
Interesting lot of players at AA/AAA. Too bad about Sanchez not panning out, I thought he’d make it. Worth the gamble at the price though, and it helped get rid of Sheffield too.
Speaking about minor leaguers … how many more years left on the Igawa contract?
Cashman could be considered for a GM of the Year award (if there were such a thing) if he could unload that guy for anyone who could simply make the big league roster, but he’d have to be disqualified for signing him in the first place.
Igawa’s deal expires after 2011, so 2 more years for Kei to cement himself as the winningest pitcher in minor league history or whatever.
Randy – Agreed on Tex being the big diff in the Sox/Yanks rivalry. Coming outta nowhere to close that deal might have been the pivotal point of the season, and the season hadn’t even begun.
CC was a huge difference maker of course, but while there existed a possibility that he could have gone to Boston (hey, he WAS a FA) somehow we all knew he was coming here. Tex? Not the same.
Could Igawa become the only pitcher in history to reach 3,000 K’s in the minors?
Willie Randolph and Graig Nettles were not homegrown Yankees and they became captains of the team.
Right now at least, Tex is the odds on favorite to be the captain once Jeter retires.
With the way he commanded his presence in the locker room this year, he’s already a co-captain. He just doesn’t have the title.
Regarding Teixeira only performing when A-Rod was behind him in the lineup, which betsy claimed on the last thread–that ignores the fact that Teixeira notoriously underperforms in the first month of the season, which has been consistent throughout his career no matter who else was either in or out of his lineups. To try and attribute the fact that he got hot to Rodriguez being back, and to also say he “came up small when the Yankees needed him most”, is not accurate especially since there is a precedent, and because he came up big consistently from April on.
I understand not wanting to rush to judgment and call him an all-time great or start carving his monument or prepping him for the Yankees captaincy once Derek is gone, but it is foolish to dispute that he is currently one of the best all-around players in the game.
Bring back Kevin Thompson for a Scranton corner outfield spot. He was most recently on the Texas Ranger’s AAA Oklahoma roster (but not the 40-man). KT would have been an upgrade over Freddy Guzman (similar speed, better bat and glove) and would have more opportunities under Joe Girardi (who values speed) than he did with Joe Torre.
Is Terry Tiffee in the Yankees organisation?
Greetings from Germany
Of the list of former Yankees, the one that makes the most sense to bring back is Justin Christian. He his a good outfield glove and can fill in at all three spots, he hits for average, has decent extra base power and runs like a deer. NYY would have been better off keeping him a couple of years ago and trading Gardner.
In reading the Baseball America article & the first post in the comments by the author of the article that list 77 more FA’s that are out there plus considering Chad’s opinion of what the Organization needs, I wouldn’t mind the Yanks going after these guys for organizational depth/hope they regain form/live up to their hype/potential:
SP – Rich Hill
SP – Buddy Carlyle
SP – Luke Hudson
SP – Chris Capuano
RP – Macay McBride
RP – Chad Cordero
RP – Jose Capellan
RP – Joe Nelson
RP – Wil Ledezma
C – Chris Coste
1B – Ryan Shealy
2B – Josh Barfield
3B – Dallas McPherson
OF – Trent Oeltjen
OF – Reggie Abercrombie
OF – Jerry Owens
OF – Norris Hopper
Utl – Chris Burke
Utl – Ryan Freel
There is little doubt (with me anyway) that the acquisition of Tex tipped the scales for the Yankees in their race for A.L East supremacy over the Red Sox. Not only in terms of solidifying the Lineup but more so in the absolutely great defense that he provided throughout the Season. Tex made plays that have not been seen since one Donald Arthur Mattingly and in highly pressurized situations such as the ALDS, ALCS and World Series. Can you imagine if Giambi was there during this Season??? As great as Mo Rivera was during this Championship Season, he would have a few key blown saves without Tex’s amazing defense !
i would want only stewart (not likely to return) and sanchez (probable) back. many of our aa pitchers are ready for swb, and aaa of choices are almost a dime a dozen. sad about the failures of duncan and vechionacci, though