Ex-Yankees Prospects: Where are they?

A look at the prospects the Yankees have traded/lost over the last several years. This list is comprehensive (in my opinion) but not complete.

The Jameson Taillon deal:

RHP Roansy Contreras – The “big fish” in the deal for Pittsburgh, Contreras has struggled to the point where the Pirates moved him to the bullpen.

RHP Miguel Yajure – Yajure compiled an 8.69 ERA in 39.1 innings for the Pirates before moving to the Giants’ organization. Last year, he pitched at three levels, compiling a 6.07 ERA in 65.2 innings. He elected free agency at the end of the campaign and signed with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Many players have earned their way back to MLB using this route.

OF Canaan Smith-Njigba – Still a member of the Pirates organization, Smith-Njigba went 5-for-25 in spring training with three home runs. Designated for assignment at the end of spring training, he passed through waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A.

IF Maikol Escotto – Still only 21, Escotto has been unable to get on track after a big debut season for the Yankees DSL squad. At the very least, he is a cautionary tale about taking rookie league numbers too seriously.

The Pirates are hoping that Contreras salvages this deal for them by pitching well out of the bullpen.

The Joey Gallo deal:

RHP Glenn Otto – The Rangers designated Otto for assignment in September. The Padres claimed him and he made three late-season starts for their Triple-A ballclub in El Paso. He is on the injured list due to a “Right teres major strain.”

UTIL Ezequiel Duran – Duran seemingly was having a breakout to start 2023, but slowed down considerably to the point where he wasn’t included on the postseason roster (he was eventually added to the World Series roster when Adolis Garcia went down in Game 3). He made the Rangers’ Opening Day roster.

UTIL Josh H. Smith – Smith earned his World Series ring by playing a variety of positions for the Rangers in 2023. The bat wasn’t there (.185/.304/.328), but the Rangers’ offense was dominant enough to absorb it. This season, he has played two games at third base and an inning at shortstop so it appears his role will be similar.

UTIL Trevor Hauver Hauver is now in Triple-A after hitting .260/.374/.429 in 107 games for Double-A Frisco in 2023. Hauver was Rule 5 eligible this past winter but went undrafted.

This isn’t a group of All-Stars, but the Rangers must be happy about the return.

The Anthony Rizzo deal:

RHP Alexander Vizcaino – After failing to report to the Cubs last year, Vizcaino resurfaced in the Dominican Winter League, where he pitched to a 2.70 ERA in five games. I have no idea what his plans are.

OF Kevin Alcantara – Alcantara is the #5 prospect in the Cubs organization (Pipeline). At 20 years old, he made it to Double-A in 2023 after posting a .286/.341/.466 line in 408 plate appearances for High-A South Bend. His ETA is in 2025, but he can push up that timetable. He is on the 40-man roster with a pair of options remaining.

The Andrew Heaney deal:

RHP Janson Junk – Junk has since moved on to the Brewers, where he made two appearances (one start) in 2023. His 2024 began in Triple-A Nashville.

RHP Elvis Peguero – After the Yankees traded Junk/Peguero to the Angels, the Angels packaged them again in a trade to the Brewers. Peguero made the team out of spring training and has picked up two wins in two relief appearances to start 2024. Nice pace.

The Yankees traded a pair of spare parts for Heaney. It is good to see that both have lived out their MLB dreams.

The Clay Holmes deal:

UTIL Hoy ParkPark hasn’t played in MLB since 2022. After signing with the Braves organization in 2023, he moved on to the Oakland Athletics in 2024. Park had an incredible spring training (21-for-44 with five doubles and a homer). On a team as bad as Oakland’s, that could have been enough to earn him the #3 spot in the lineup. However, they sent him off to Triple-A instead.

UTIL Diego Castillo – Castillo was briefly a property of the Yankees this spring after they claimed him off waivers. After being designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks, he took a mid-Atlantic tour, being claimed by the Mets, the Yankees, and the Phillies before settling in with the Orioles. The Orioles also designated him for assignment, but he passed through waivers and is in Triple-A.

This trade didn’t look like much, but the Yankees struck gold.

The Jose Trevino deal:

LHP Robby Ahlstrom – Ahlstrom (24) pitched in 40 games between High-A and Double-A in 2023. He compiled a 3.68 ERA in 58.1 innings with a 79/32 K/BB. Ahlstrom was traded to the Rangers before appearing in the Yankees organization.

The Andrew Benintendi deal:

RHP Beck Way – Way had a tough time in Double-A, pitching to a 6.67 ERA in 79.2 innings. With that, he was invited to Spring Training in 2024 where he appeared in two games.

RHP Chandler Champlain – Champlain is the #12 prospect in the Royals organization. After a dominant start in High-A, he was pushed to Double-A, where he pitched to a respectable 3.82 ERA in 73 innings with a 64/25 K/BB. He could profile as a bottom-of-the-rotation innings eater or multi-inning reliever.

LHP T.J. Sikkema – Sikkema has moved on to the Cincinnati Reds organization after being drafted in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Sikkema was roughed up in Double-A last year, pitching to a 5.85 ERA in 72.1 innings.

This trade seems to be all about what happens with Champlain.

The Scott Effross deal:

RHP Hayden Wesneski – Wesneski received an extended look in 2023, pitching to a 4.63 ERA (5.48 FIP) in 34 games (11 starts) with a 21.9% K and 8.4% BB. His strikeout rate spiked to 25.6% as a reliever (however, his BB% spiked to 11.9%). He starts the season in Triple-A Iowa.

Wesneski will be back. His future role is to be determined.

The Frankie Montas deal:

LHP Ken Waldichuk – Waldichuk has a bullpen session coming after undergoing surgery in October to address a couple of arm issues (sprained UCL/damaged flexor tendon). He is on the 60-day injured list. Last season, Oakland forced him to battle through his struggles (5.36 ERA/5.30 FIP in 141 innings) and we’ll see if that pays off going forward.

RHP Luis Medina – Medina is on the 15-day injured list to address a right knee MCL sprain. Like Waldichuk, Oakland gave him the ball and told him to run with it in 2023. He finished the season with a 5.42 ERA (4.76 FIP) over 109.2 innings. The inconsistency that plagued him with the Yankees continued. In June, he owned a 25/21 K/BB over 26 innings. In July, he improved that to 27/5 over 22 innings. August/September? 30/21 over 34 innings. The tantalizing talent remains but can he harness it?

LHP JP SearsSears went 5-14 with a 4.54 ERA (5.15 FIP) in 172.1 innings last year, allowing 34 home runs. He didn’t fare well in his first outing in 2024. For a pitcher like Sears, Oakland seems like a good place to be. He is just good enough to continue to accumulate service time.

IF Cooper Bowman – Bowman went 5-for-16 in spring training following his .262/.358/.435 line in 319 Double-A plate appearances. He stole 35 bases in 38 attempts. Bowman played primarily second base with a handful of games at shortstop and a game in center.

The Athletics received three pitchers who ate considerable innings in 2023. Whether they become a part of their future remains to be seen. Bowman has MLB potential in some capacity.

The Greg Allen deal:

RHP Diego Hernandez – Hernandez spent 2023 on the injured list and has yet to pitch in the Red Sox organization. He is 19 years old.

The Keynan Middleton deal:

RHP Juan Carela – Between the Yankees and White Sox High-A affiliates, Carela pitched to a 3.58 ERA in 115.2 innings with a 136/43 K/BB. The Yankees likely traded him due to his Rule 5 status. However, he wasn’t protected by the White Sox and slipped through.

Carela isn’t an upside pitcher, but the White Sox did fine in acquiring him for a rental reliever.

The Alex Verdugo deal:

RHP Richard Fitts – Fitts, who has a bulldog mentality, had a solid season in Somerset, pitching to a 3.48 ERA in 152.2 innings. He is ranked 12th on the Red Sox prospects list (Pipeline). I would be surprised if Fitts doesn’t make it to MLB as he is a relatively “safe” pitching prospect.

RHP Nicholas Judice – The 22-year-old Judice hasn’t made his professional debut. He was drafted in the 8th round by the Yankees in the 2023 draft out of Louisiana-Monroe.

RHP Greg Weissert – Weissert is in the Red Sox bullpen, where he has tossed three scoreless innings with a 4/1 K/BB to start his campaign. If the walks remain low, he can be effective. Can he do that, though?

The Juan Soto deal:

RHP Drew Thorpe – Thorpe was flipped to the White Sox when the Padres acquired Dylan Cease in mid-March. Using his advanced changeup to his advantage, Thorpe went 14-2 with a 2.52 ERA and an 182/38 K/BB over 139.1 innings between Hudson Valley/Somerset in 2023. His performance was enough to earn him the Minor League Pitching Prospect of the Year award.

RHP Jhony Brito – Brito was a useful utility arm for the Yankees in 2023. His first four appearances for the Padres haven’t gone well (six runs in four innings).

RHP Randy Vasquez – Vasquez started the season in Triple-A after a decent showing for the Yankees last year (2.87 ERA/4.98 FIP in 37.2 innings).

RHP Michael King – I am including King because he was a part of the package, even though he is no longer a prospect. King is having trouble locating to begin this season (ten walks in 7.1 innings) but a pitcher with his talent (2.88 ERA (3.13 FIP) in 219 innings between 2021-2023) is unlikely to suddenly “lose” it). Whether or not he truly is a starter or better off in the multi-inning relief role is to be determined.

The Victor Gonzalez/Jorbit Vivas deal:

SS Trey Sweeney – The Yankees’ first-round pick in 2021 started the season in Triple-A Oklahoma City for the Dodgers. He is 3-for-15 with a homer and five walks. He went 6-for-20 in spring training. While there has been talk about moving Sweeney off of shortstop in the past, he has yet to play a professional game elsewhere.

The Caleb Ferguson deal:

RHP Christian Zazueta – The Yankees acquired two left-handed relievers from the Dodgers. In this deal, they gave up Matt Gage (since released by the Dodgers) and Zazueta. Zazueta has pitched the last two years in the DSL, compiling a 4.54 ERA and 75/22 K/BB over 73.1 innings.

The Jon Berti deal:

OF John Cruz – The intriguing teenager hit 15 home runs in 426 PA between the DSL/FCL in 2022-2023. Last season, his performance created a buzz, as he compiled a .907 OPS in 48 games. He is a good long-term “get” for the Marlins.

The Clayton Andrews deal:

RHP Joshua Quezada – This was your prototypical lottery ticket for a depth player move. Quezada is a teenager who pitched to a 3.69 ERA in 46.1 innings in the DSL in 2023. That was his professional debut.

The Cody Morris deal:

OF Estevan Florial – Florial, who was around the organization forever, won his freedom this winter. After an 8-for-52 spring, he made the Guardians’ Opening Day roster (it was either that or expose him to waivers). So far, he is 1-for-7 with a triple and stolen base.

Others:

RHP Mitch Spence – The Athletics chose Spence in the Rule 5 draft. Last year, he tossed the most innings in minor league baseball (163) while compiling a 4.47 ERA (5.21 FIP) and 21.8% K rate. Spence made the Athletics’ roster out of spring training (rather than returned to the Yankees) and has appeared in a pair of games.

RHP Matt Sauer – Another Rule 5 loss, Sauer was chosen by the Royals. So far, he has appeared in one game, tossing a scoreless inning. Sauer received some notariety on August 25, 2022, when he struck out 17 batters for the Somerset Patriots.

RHP Carson Coleman – The 25-year-old Coleman (also selected in the Rule 5 draft) had some buzz as a Yankees’ relief prospect after a solid 2022 campaign. However, a shoulder injury cost him all of 2023 and he is currently on the 60-day IL for the Rangers.

LHP Matt Krook – The groundball-heavy Krook had a rough time in his 2023 MLB debut. The Yankees traded him to Baltimore for cash this past winter and he is currently at Triple-A Norfolk.

UTIL Oliver Dunn – The Phillies went crazy in the minor league phase of the 2022 Rule 5 draft, selecting seven players. The seventh player was Dunn, an 11th-round pick by the Yankees in 2019.  Acquired by the Brewers from the Phillies over the winter, he made the roster out of spring training and is 3-for-12 with an RBI in four games. He is primarily a 2B/3B type, though he has played some SS and LF.

1B Eric Wagaman – Wagaman was chosen by the Angels in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Now 26, he hit .320/.382/.500 in 35 games for Somerset in 2023.

C/1B Mickey Gasper – Taken by the Red Sox in the minor league phase, Gasper hit. 269/.388/.423 in 52 games for Somerset. He struggled in 22 games for Scranton. Gasper has hit for average and taken walks in the minors, setting himself up as someone with a real shot to make it.

RHP Michael Gomez – Taken by the Rays in the minor league phase, Gomez is at their Triple-A affiliate in Durham.

3B Marcos Cabrera – Taken by the Pirates in the minor league phase, Cabrera has 31 homers in 1,022 career plate appearances. While there might be some pop to tap into, the rest of his offensive game needs work. He is a .219/.328/.386 career hitter with a 30.4% K rate.