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River Ave. Blues » DotF: Albert Abreu, Nestor Cortes wrap up winter ball stints

DotF: Albert Abreu, Nestor Cortes wrap up winter ball stints

December 17, 2018 by Mike

Hot Stove Rumors: Machado, Tulowitzki, Miller, Kikuchi, Gray
Yankees re-sign J.A. Happ, designate Bridwell for assignment

The Arizona Fall League season wrapped up nearly a month ago now, but the various Caribbean winter league seasons are still going strong. Here are some minor league notes, including a pair of injury updates, before we get to the performance updates:

  • OF Clint Frazier (concussion) has resumed baseball activities, he announced on Twitter. Hooray for that. Here’s some video. Frazier said he’s been at it for a few weeks now and that is good news. Seems to me he’s on track to be a full participant in Spring Training.
  • RHP Ben Heller (Tommy John surgery) either has started throwing off a mound as part of his rehab or will begin doing so shortly, according to his Twitter feed. Heller had surgery to repair his elbow ligament and also remove a bone spur from his elbow in April. He’s probably looking at a May or June return to game action.
  • The Yankees have announced the OF Tyler Hill trade. The Tigers selected him in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft last week then sent him to New York for cash considerations. “He’s a super athlete and is an under-the-radar baseball player,” said a scout to Kevin Kernan.
  • Triple-A Scranton will host the 2020 Triple-A All-Star Game at PNC Field, the team announced. It is the second Triple-A All-Star Game in Scranton and the first since the ballpark was renovated in 2012. Scranton hosted the 1995 Triple-A All-Star Game as a Phillies affiliate.

Arizona Fall League (stats are final)

  • IF Thairo Estrada: 19 G, 19-for-80 (.238), 9 R, 2 2B, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 15 K, 1 CS, 1 HBP (.238/.282/.263)
  • OF Estevan Florial: 21 G, 13-for-73 (.178), 10 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 8 RBI, 12 BB, 29 K, 2 SB, 1 CS (.178/.294/.260)
  • 1B Steven Sensley: 21 G, 15-for-76 (.197), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, 4 BB, 26 K, 1 CS, 2 HBP (.197/.256/.263)
  • RHP Jordan Foley: 7 G, 7 GS, 19.2 IP, 20 H, 20 R, 20 ER, 19 BB, 20 K, 2 HR, 1 HB, 2 WP (9.15 ERA and 1.98 WHIP)
  • RHP Hobie Harris: 9 G, 15 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 7 BB, 16 K, 1 HR, 2 WP (4.20 ERA and 1.40 WHIP)
  • RHP Matt Wivinis: 11 G, 12 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 14 K, 1 HB, 1 WP (1.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP)
  • RHP Kyle Zurak: 9 G, 9.1 IP, 16 H, 15 R, 12 ER, 10 BB, 3 K, 3 HR, 3 WP (11.57 ERA and 2.79 WHIP)

Dominican Winter League (regular season ends today)

  • IF Hanser Alberto: 43 G, 55-for-171 (.322), 16 R, 9 2B, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 10 BB, 15 K, 2 SB, 1 CS, 2 HBP (.322/.366/.392) — nice winter ball showing for the utility infielder candidate
  • IF Gio Urshela: 26 G, 22-for-96 (.229), 11 R, 9 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 4 BB, 12 K (.229/.260/.354) — winter ball showing notwithstanding, I’m still surprised and happy the Yankees were able to re-sign him to a minor league deal … I thought he’d go to a team with an easier path to MLB playing time
  • RHP Albert Abreu: 6 G, 6 GS, 20 IP, 13 R, 7 ER, 11 B, 15 K, 1 HB, 2 WP (1.80 ERA and 1.20 WHIP) — he hasn’t pitched in three weeks so I assume six winter ball starts was the plan
  • LHP Nestor Cortes: 8 G, 8 GS, 42 IP, 26 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 10 BB, 45 K, 3 HR, 2 WP (1.71 ERA and 0.86 WHIP) — hasn’t pitched in three weeks so I assume he was shut down after throwing 175.2 total innings this year, 49 more than his previous career high
  • RHP Carlos Espinal: 7 G, 9.2 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 H, 1 HR, 1 WP (4.66 ERA and 1.86 WHIP)
  • RHP Raynel Espinal: 11 G, 15.1 IP, 13 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 11 K, 1 HB, 2 WP (2.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP) — I thought he had a chance to get picked in the Rule 5 Draft last week, but no luck
  • RHP Joe Harvey: 4 G, 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (0.00 ERA and 0.55 WHIP) — hasn’t pitched since he was added to the 40-man roster last month
  • RHP Adonis Rosa: 11 G, 18 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 9 BB, 14 K (3.00 ERA and 1.11 WHIP) — kinda funny to see him with nine walks in 18 innings after the Yankees said they trusted his control and brought him to New York to pitch a simulated game to Aaron Judge when he was working his way back from the wrist injury
  • LHP Anderson Severino: 1 G, 0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HB

Mexican Pacific League

  • 1B Ryan McBroom: 28 G, 24-for-106 (.226), 8 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 10 BB, 28 K, 3 SB, 1 HBP (.226/.294/.321) — hasn’t played in three weeks, so I imagine his winter ball stint is over … he was passed over in the Rule 5 Draft last week, which didn’t surprise me … teams usually look for pitching and up-the-middle talent in the Rule 5 Draft, not righty hitting first basemen

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico)

  • LHP Reiver Sanmartin: 2 G, 1 GS, 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (2.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP) — wrote about him in last week’s mailbag

Venezuelan Winter League

  • IF Angel Aguilar: 34 G, 27-for-93 (.290), 13 R, 6 2B, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 6 BB, 21 K,5 SB, 1 CS (.290/.327/.452)
  • C Francisco Diaz: 39 G, 33-for-118 (.280), 12 R, 4 2B, 7 RBI, 18 BB, 14 K, 1 HBP (.280/.386/.314)
  • IF Wilkerman Garcia: 14 G, 11-for-42 (.262), 9 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 BB, 8 K, 1 CS (.262/.279/.381) — he’s only played once since the last DotF three weeks ago … that could mean an injury or it could mean he’s lost playing time to someone else … these winter leagues are highly competitive and, if you don’t produce, you won’t play no matter your prospect status
  • C Eduardo Navas: 1 G, 0-1 (.000) — 22-year-old has hit .192/.252/.241 (46 wRC+) in 519 plate appearances as Low-A Charleston’s backup catcher the last three seasons
  • C Jerry Seitz: 4 G, 1-for-9 (.111), 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K (.111/.182/.111)
  • RHP Daniel Alvarez: 12 G, 15 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 15 K, 2 HR, 1 WP (2.40 ERA and 1.13 WHIP)
  • RHP Alex Mejias: 1 G, 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (0.00 ERA and 2.00 WHIP)
  • RHP Anderson Munoz: 15 G, 19 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 9 BB, 17 K, 1 HR, 2 WP (2.37 ERA and 1.05 WHIP)
Hot Stove Rumors: Machado, Tulowitzki, Miller, Kikuchi, Gray
Yankees re-sign J.A. Happ, designate Bridwell for assignment

Filed Under: Down on the Farm Tagged With: Ben Heller, Clint Frazier, Detroit Tigers, Tyler Hill

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