The Yankees made a big exchange for starting pitcher Jameson Taillon on Sunday, reinforcing his rotation. In addition to adding an arm, the Yankees were also trying to balance their 40-man roster to make room for the recent signings of free agents DJ LeMahieu and Corey Kluber. The Yankees switched four players, including two who were in the 40-player squad, Miguel Yajure, Canaan Smith, Roansy Contreras and Maikol Escotto. Let’s take a look at the players the Yankees gave up on the deal and how they impact the Yankees minor league system.
Miguel Yajure is the prospect in this business most familiar to Yankees fans after his major league debut in 2020. Prior to that, he was the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2019, when he posted a 2.14 ERA with 1 , 9 BB Rate / 9 when launching for High-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton. The scouts noticed a significant improvement in his stuff over the course of the year, and his efficient launch allowed him to accumulate 138.2 IP.
After that campaign, he was added to the list of 40 men and invited to the alternative site last summer. As the depth of the Yankees’ pitch was tested due to inconsistent injuries and performances, Yajure received his call to the majors and proved to be a pleasant surprise for many fans.
Entering the seventh entry 5-0 against the Tampa Bay Rays, Yajure launched three unsuccessful entries to end the game. The Yankees’ recovery failed as they lost 5-3, but he was able to save the bullpen from further use and fulfilled his role. A few trips on the Scranton Shuttle followed and Yajure ended his season with seven tickets launched and an ERA of 1.29.
Where Yajure would fit in with the Yankees next season is uncertain. He came through the minors as a starter and would likely be behind Deivi García and Clarke Schmidt on the depth chart for an early role this season. Other players, like Luis Gil and Luis Medina, would also have challenged him for playing time in the major league next year. Yajure has only 18 entries in Double-A and above, so he is likely to have worked in Triple-A for most of the season.
The Yankees split with another arm from their list of 40 players at Roansy Contreras. Originally hired by the Yankees as an International Free Agent in 2016, Contreras has been steadily growing in the system, launching the full season for Low-A Charleston at the age of 19 in 2019. He really activated in the middle of the season and became the team’s ace after several other high-powered weapons were promoted. In his last 11 games as a prospect for the Yankees, Contreras pitched for an ERA of 1.80 and a WHIP of 0.77. After that season, Baseball America ranked him as the 12thº best prospect in the South Atlantic League.
Contreras was not invited to the alternate training site last season, which makes it questionable whether he would be able to fill the Low-A gap to contribute to the major leagues soon. Although it is considered by many to be a future major league arm, it is generally not considered to have the same roof as other Yankees pitchers like Luis Gil, Luis Medina and Alexander Vizcaino.
Playing alongside Contreras with Low-A Charleston in 2019 was outfielder Canaan Smith. Smith was the only player in the position chosen by the Yankees in their first 11 choices in the 2017 draft. The Yankees grabbed Smith in the fourth round and removed him from his commitment to the University of Arkansas. He made headlines during his senior year of high school, as at one point he was about to break the national hiking record in one season.
After joining the organization, he excelled during his first season playing in the Gulf Coast League, but then had similar difficulties the following season with Short-Season A Staten Island. Upon entering 2019, Smith had left the prospecting radar for many, but his baton appeared in style to Low-A Charleston. Smith hit .307 / .405 / .465 with 11 homers and 16 stolen bases, finishing third in the South Atlantic League in total bases. He was one of 15 players in all minors with 15 homers, 30 doubles and 15 stolen bases. Baseball America recently ranked him as the best hitter in midfield and strike zone discipline in the Yankees system.
Smith is not considered a positive defender and played alongside two prominent defenders, Brandon Lockridge and Josh Stowers, during his time in Charleston. In addition, players like Everson Pereira, Kevin Alcantara, Ryder Green and Jake Sanford are considered good field players and, of course, Jasson Dominguez will play in the United States this summer. The Yankees have invested in the depth of the external field and can absorb the loss from a quality perspective.
Maikol Escotto exploded in the Dominican Summer League in 2019, reaching 0.315 / 0.429 / 0.552 and finishing eighth in the league at OPS. There were some concerns about his strikeout rate, as 26% of the time he saw pitching DSL. These concerns were addressed with output speed readings around 106 mph in adolescence.
The Yankees have several possibilities of intermediate inland field in their system, so Escotto was traded from a position of strength by the Yankees. Oswald Peraza, Ezequiel Duran, Josh Smith, Anthony Volpe, Alexander Vargas and Trevor Hauver are just some of the names that the Yankees have in the system and are scheduled to play in the middle.
The Yankees moved four players to bring a piece needed for their rotation. All were good candidates with a chance to contribute to the major leagues. Crucially, however, none of the players the Yankees have exchanged are considered to be defenders of an organization that wants to win in 2021.