Yankees: Looking for the Future

In an interview with Yankees Senior VP of Baseball Operations Mark Newman, Chad Jennings found out where some of the Yankees top prospects will start next year. My take is in italics.

Juan Miranda: Miranda will start the season at AAA, according to Newman. He and Eric Duncan will play every day, alternating between 1B and DH. Miranda has more upside than a Shelley Duncan/Wilson Betemit/Jason Giambi tandem, and should be the starter at 1B by mid-season.

Mark Melancon and J. Brent Cox: Both relievers will be ready on Opening Day after missing 2007 with elbow surgery. Both will also start in Tampa to avoid the cold weather at AA Trenton and AAA Scranton, but will advance throughout the year. Melancon, a closer drafted in the 9th round out of U of Arizona in 2006, is a high-ceiling player who projects to be a closer. This will be a setback for Cox, as he has gone as far as AA in 2006. Hopefully, he still has the stuff and control that made people say he had the potential to be better than Huston Street.

Humberto Sanchez: Sanchez will not be ready opening day after Tommy John surgery. He has been oft-injured throughout his minor league career, and it has derailed him from realizing his potential. With Anthony Claggett a non-prospect, and Sanchez and Kevin Whelan not sure things, the Gary Sheffield trade isn’t looking so good right now.

Alan Horne and Jeff Marquez: Newman notes that both Alan Horne and Jeff Marquez could make the Yankees out of Spring Training as relievers. He says that the club could do another starter-to-late-season reliever conversion, like that of Joba Chamberlain. Horne’s stuff is good for the bullpen, but last year had a 5.04 BB/9 rate in the 1st inning of starts, so his control might not be good as it takes him time to settle in. Marquez would be the groundball machine, but the Yankees’ bullpen doesn’t strike anyone out, and they already have LaTroy Hawkins to get a lot of groundballs.

Nick Green Signed: Green agreed on a minor league contract with the Yankees. On that note, Bronson Sardhina is being pursued as well on a minor-league deal. Newman notes that many of these fringe players don’t like to sign with the Yankees because the Yankees are very set with their lineups and pitching, so they won’t get much of an opportunity. Well, Nick Green isn’t a top prospect–he’s a fringe player, really–but he’s back with the Yankees, and could make the club out of Spring Training in the utility role as opposed to Alberto Gonzales.