TAMPA – Corey Kluber held his first live spring hitting practice at the Yankees minor league complex on Sunday, with Gary Sanchez behind the plate and Aaron Boone looked pleased with what he saw.
The manager rated the tour as “good”.
“Obviously, a lot has been said,” said Boone of Kluber’s arrival in a $ 11 million one-year deal after collecting just one ticket in the past two seasons due to a 2019 forearm fracture and a shoulder injury in the last year.
“He came here having played live and it was even more arduous than [Sunday] was. It was nice to have Gary with him in a live setting. Another good step forward in the process for him. “
The health of Kluber’s right arm is the key to a rotation aimed at supporting Gerrit Cole after losing Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and JA Happ to the free agency during the off-season.
Aroldis Chapman revealed a fast ball of split fingers last year, but used the field sparingly. Expect to see more this season.
“I believe it is definitely an argument for me,” said Chapman through an interpreter. “I feel like I incorporated that pitch into my pitch mix.”
He hopes to use the divisor more than his modification, which launches “only a few times here and there”.
“I definitely feel great about it,” said Chapman of the divider. “[It’s] definitely a weapon that will be used in the future. “
Austin Wells was drafted by the Yankees last June and has never been able to play due to the pandemic, so he is trying to make the most of the benefits of being at camp early.
“I was away for a year with remote training, ” said Wells. “Any hit against any pitcher I get is beneficial to me.”
Wells is just one of the minor leagues that lost as much as a development season when the minor leagues were closed last year.
Reese said that running the development of players without games has been “interesting”.
“It’s been a challenge,” said Reese. “It has been difficult. You throw away the game plan for a year and adjust it on the fly. “
The Yankees chose not to have an instructional league last fall, with Reese saying that the organization decided that there was a lot of risk involved with COVID cases growing in Florida at the time and the Yankees not having their own hotel to host players safely.
Miguel Andujar is not the only position player who is expected to attend camp this week with the hope of proving that he can provide value in more than one position.
Boone also mentioned newly signed Jay Bruce and Derek Dietrich, as well as Andrew Velazquez, the Fordham Prep product that is also in a secondary league contract.
Dietrich can play on second and third bases, Bruce on first and Velázquez short and they can all be used in corner positions.
“I think we have some guys with good defensive versatility and flexibility,” said Boone.
– Additional reporting by Ken Davidoff