Palladino: Greening Of Homegrown Talent Could Help Yankees In Long Run
By Ernie Palladino
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The Yankees will always lean on veterans for success, as they did when ancient but resurgent Carlos Beltran banged a two-run homer and an RBI single in Saturday's 5-3 win in Oakland.
They have never proclaimed themselves in rebuild mode, after all, at least not in the traditional sense where the young up-and-comers of the farm system rise to replace the aged and infirm. In fact, for years it was thought the Yanks barely had a farm system.
Or at least one worth talking about.
As soon as a prospect began to develop, off he'd go for a proven veteran. Home-grown was a hyphenate anathema to this franchise's yearly win-now philosophy. To put together a bunch of kids greened in the system such as Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada occurred about as rarely as, well, that very same Core Four.
This year is somewhat different, however. Whether by injury or intention, the first-place Yanks have had to get some contributions from farmhands that in previous years produced barely a blip on the average observer's radar.
Make no mistake, the Yanks will always lean toward the veteran. Of Saturday's lineup, the only longtime starter to emerge from the farm system was Brett Gardner. The other regulars -- Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Beltran among them -- all came from elsewhere.
Even so, there was a presence from the farm system. Ramon Flores, who started his pro career in the Yankees' rookie leagues in 2009, made his big league debut in left field. He went 0-for-4 out of the No. 7 hole, but contributed greatly on defense with a two-out strike to the plate that ended the first inning and a diving catch in the second inning.
And Flores was only up because Slade Heathcott, the Yanks' first-round pick of 2009, went on the 15-day DL with a strained right quad after hitting .353 with a homer and four RBI since his call-up six games ago to replace injured Red Sox expatriate Jacoby Ellsbury.
Adam Warren, a fourth-rounder in 2009, took his 10th start of the year Sunday after two years of bullpen work with the big club.
Jacob Lindgren, a 22-year-old left-handed reliever drafted in the second round only last year, became the first rookie brought up within a year of his drafting since 30th-round, 1988 pick Deion Sanders came up in 1989, has made two appearances. Though his two-inning debut went fairly smoothly in the 14-1 win over the Royals May 25, he was tagged for a homer and two runs Friday against Oakland.
Jose Pirela, another homegrown product, has seen big league action in two seasons now and has produced mixed results as a backup second baseman.
The point is, while none of these players will ever be called on to carry the 2015 Yankees, the talent drafted into the low minors half a decade ago is beginning to show its worth. According to Joe Girardi, there is more below, some of which is primed to appear in the big leagues in the near future.
The perception is that the farm system has suddenly become talent rich. But Girardi told Newsday it was always there. It just needed ripening.
"I think the system has been deep, but I think it's been at the lower levels," the manager said. "Well, these lower-level kids have gotten to the upper levels. And that's why I think you'll start to see contributions from them."
But that begs the big question. If the Yanks remain in range of a playoff spot, will a pitching prospect like 21-year-old Luis Severino or 23-year-old right fielder Aaron Judge, both of whom appear in Baseball America's list of the top 55 prospects league wide, be kept around long enough make those contributions? Will second baseman Rob Refsnyder, who looked good in spring training, still be wearing the uniform of the franchise's Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when he gets a major league call?
The common practice of the past was to trade away the younger talent for the needed starter or solid bat down the stretch. The preference for buying veteran talent in the must-win framework has always depleted the talent pool below.
Now that it appears flush, it might behoove GM Brian Cashman to give some of those kids a try.
