Pitchers And Catchers Report Date Prepper 2014: The Catchers

(Courtesy of Corey Sipkin/NY Daily News)

Today's the day.  As you read this, the late arrivals from the pitcher/catcher corps are showing up at the Tampa complex in preparation for tomorrow's first official team workout.  Spring Training has begun and baseball is officially back!  It's a little late to prep with the players already arriving, but I'm giving myself a 1-day grace period since the first workout isn't until tomorrow and covering the catchers today.  Behind the plate is one part of the roster where the Yankees have very good depth.  They've got no less than 4 catchers who could play every day at the Major League level right now if they needed to and their top organizational prospect waiting in the wings.  After the jump, the backstops who'll be appearing in ST this year.

The Young Guys Most Likely To Contribute In 2014

(Jose could be closer to the show than you think. Courtesy of the AP)

The time for the unveiling of the 2013-2014 AB4AR Top 30 draws nearer.  As part of the prelude to that and to AB4AR Prospect Week in general, I'd like to revisit a post topic from last offseason and take a look at some of the organization's top prospects who are serious candidates to make the jump and contribute at the Major League level in 2014.  The Yankees haven't gotten any younger in their free agent spending spree and don't appear to be making that a priority as they fill out the rest of their remaining roster holes.  We saw this past season how that approach with an old core worked out, and the constant barrage of injuries created many opportunities for upper-level MiLers to break into the lineup and attempt to carve out roles for themselves.

Last season's version of this post came in late December, so I'm a little behind schedule on this post in comparison.  I hit the nail on the head with my first 2 picks, then whiffed on the next 4 and missed out on guys like Adam Warren and Preston Claiborne.  After the jump, my picks for the prospects most likely to follow in the footsteps of Austin Romine and David Adams and work their way into Major League game action in 2014.

Musing On The Playing Time Breakdown At Shortstop

(Courtesy of Ron Antonelli/NY Daily News)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

It's way too early to call anything for sure, but it sure looks like the Yankees are done addressing the shortstop position for 2014.  They gave Derek Jeter a new contract, in all likelihood his final one, so he can try to go out on his terms as the starter and they hedged their bets by re-signing Brendan Ryan to a reported 1-year/$2 million deal as the backup.  With as many other roster holes as they have to fill and the front office sticking to its "we're planning to have A-Rod around next year" story, it seems highly unlikely that they will go out and drop another $10-15 million on a Stephen Drew or a Jhonny Peralta as a third option.  Realistically we can assume the Yankees will roll with The Captain and B-Ry (still working on Ryan's nickname) at short and will split the bulk, if not all, of the playing time there between the 2.

Report: Yanks "Close" To Re-Signing Brendan Ryan

(Used courtesy of the fine folks at Pinstripe Alley)

I mentioned this earlier in the Freese post, but the other "big" infield story that popped up yesterday involved Brendan Ryan and the high level of interest both he and the Yankees are reported to have in each other.  Ryan became the everyday shortstop after he was acquired late in the season, and hit .220/.258/.305 (.252 wOBA) in 62 plate appearances while reminding everybody what a good defensive shortstop looks like.  That performance appears to have been enough to convince the Yankee brass he's worth another go because Joel Sherman reported last night that the 2 sides are "close" to a new deal.  It's not even in the same area code as a Tanaka or McCann signing would be, but bringing Ryan back would be a smart strategic decision on multiple fronts.

Searching For Some Free Agent Backup Plans

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

Free agency is just over a day old, and while the Yankees haven't signed or re-signed anybody yet they've definitely been among the most active teams so far.  They've reached out to a few teams to inquire about possible trades, they've built a long list of free agent targets to address the many holes on their roster, and they've set themselves up to possibly recoup some compensatory draft picks by making qualifying offers to 3 of their own free agents.  The activity is only going to increase from here and I expect the Yankees to start getting aggressive soon.

But what about players who haven't been connected to the Yankees yet?  There are a lot of guys out there who could be good fits for what New York is trying to do this offseason, at the very least solid backup options in case the Yanks don't hit on their primary targets.  Keep in mind that my mentioning of these names is not my way of saying I think the Yankees should or will go after these players.  Just pointing out that they're players who fit the Yankees' roster needs, their desire to keep payroll below the luxury tax threshold, and their preference for recognizable names.

Brendan Ryan Is My New Hero, And Needs To Be On The Team Next Year

(Oh so smoove.  Courtesy of the AP)

I have a confession to make.  I think I've got a little man crush on Brendan Ryan.  He's only been a Yankee for 11 games, but in those 11 games he's convinced me that he should absolutely be on the roster as the backup shortstop and de facto utility infielder next season.  It makes too much sense for him not to be on the roster.  He's exactly what the Yankees need at the position and a clear upgrade over any and everything they trotted out there this year in their lame attempt to cover for Derek Jeter's ankle.

How The Hell Is The 2014 Outfield Going To Work?

(1, or the number of wins these two have been worth this season.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

There was no shortage of heartbreaking, soul crushing, or facepalming plays in yesterday's 2-1 loss to the Giants.  Pick just about anything the Yankees did from the bottom of the 7th on and you're bound to come up with something that killed their chances to win what should have been an easy-to-win game on Mo Day.  The worst of the worst came when the Yanks were at the plate, which hardly comes as a surprise after 156 team games that have resulted in a .245/.309/.380 team batting line (.304 wOBA, 87 wRC+).

Vernon Wells and Ichiro Suzuki striking out with 2 men on and 1 out in the bottom of the 7th, while not the worst, was certainly on the medal stand of piss poor offensive moments yesterday.  To not even make contact in those at-bats and put the ball in play was the latest slap in the face example of how poorly the front office's plans for cutting payroll and remaining competitive were conceived.  Wells and Ichiro haven't just been bad at the plate this year, they've been terrible.  They're both coming back next year, as part of an outfield that could be even worse than the 2013 edition.

Concussion Shutdown Adds To Mounting Health Concerns For Romine

It's been over a week since Austin Romine suffered a concussion against the Baltimore Orioles, and despite being cleared by team doctors to return to catching bullpen sessions, Romine is going to be shut down for the rest of the season due to lingering concussion symptoms.  Romine talked about still feeling the effects of the concussion to Andy McCullough of The Star-Ledger on Thursday, saying he felt "off" and "I know my body. I know what I can do. So when I do stuff I’m not used to doing, I’m like ‘What the heck?’ I don’t want that to happen in a game.”

Romine referring to his knowledge of his body and how he is feeling may refer to the last concussion he suffered in 2011, one that cost him a lot of time in the Minors.  He followed that up with a back injury that sapped almost his entire 2012 season away before he finally got back to full health this year, so concussions and injury problems in general are nothing new for Romine.  That he is still feeling symptoms of this latest concussion almost 2 weeks after the fact is very concerning.  Catcher is a grueling position to play, and Romine is already racking up the job-related injuries that can cripple a guy's ability to be a good catcher at a young age.

With brain injuries and concussions being such a hot button topic in sports today, the Yankees are doing the right thing in shutting Romine down for the season.  You can't be too careful and this is already his second documented concussion in 3 years.  His long term health is the most important thing right now, and at 24 he's got plenty of time to work on improving his baseball skills.  But keep this in mind next year when the catching competition starts heating up in spring camp.  Romine could be the favorite to win the job if the team isn't active on the FA market, and it will be interesting to see if they take any extra precautions to limit his exposure to another potential head injury.

Do The Yankees Even Want D-Rob To Close Next Year?

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

In case you hadn't heard, Mariano Rivera is retiring after the end of this season.  When he does, he'll leave the Yankees with a decision to make that they haven't had to consider for the last 17 years- who takes over for him and assumes the closer role in 2014?  The smart money all season has been on David Robertson, Mo's long time setup man, one of the best late-game relievers in baseball, and magna cum laude graduate of the Mariano Rivera School of Relief Pitching.  But last night something happened that brought that potential passing of the torch into question.

With 2 outs and a runner on second in the 8th, Joe came out to remove D-Rob and go to Mo.  Not only that, he came out in the middle of an at-bat after D-Rob had already thrown a pitch to yank him.  While it might not seem like much, it's another instance of Robertson not being shown a lot of faith as the heir apparent and it raises the question of whether the Yankees really do view him as Mo's successor.

Seriously, When Is Austin Romine Going To Get The Starting Catcher Job?

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

It's been a little over a month since I pointed out the turnaround in Austin Romine's offensive game.  He started putting things together at the plate in July and finished with a stellar .333/.385/.500 batting line (.385 wOBA) in 26 plate appearances.  That performance has earned him a little more playing time in August - 37 PA in 10 games - and he hasn't missed a beat production-wise, hitting .310/.417/.448 (.381 wOBA) this month.  What's strange is that the dramatic increase in production at the plate has not earned Romine the same dramatic increase in PT.  The bulk of the work is still going to Chris Stewart, even as the trends for he and Romine are moving in completely different directions.