GCL Yankees Announce Roster, Play 1st Game

The Perfect Storm movie Family Business on dvd Short season baseball is here. Staten Island has been playing games for a week now, and while the big free agents sign still has an incomplete roster. The GCL Yankees, on the other hand, have been training in EST for most of the season, and contain some big names in the young Yankee farm system. The next Robinson Cano or Melky Cabrera or even Jesus Montero, if he exists, is somewhere in this crop of players. The 2009 GCL Yankees roster:

Pitchers:

Julian Arballo
Manuel Barreda
Isaiah Brown
Daniel Gil
Shane Greene
Paul Heidler
Pablo Hernandez
Dickson Marquez
Alejandro Martinez
Richard Martinez
Dan Miller
Michael O’Brien
Paul Patterson
Jose Ramirez
Matthew Richardson
Wilton Rodriguez
Gabriel Tatis
Nik Turley

The GCL action is definitely found in the position players (not one of the large-bonus signings in 2008 by the Yankees was a pitcher), but there are some interesting names here. Michael O’Brien is a 2008 high school draftee with good stuff who was held back for a year. Manuel Barreda is on the roster as he continues to rehab. Isaiah Brown is an 09 draftee with some potential.

Sling Blade rip Catchers:

Buck Afenir
Francisco Arcia
Jeffrey Farnham
Jhorge Liccien

No big names here.

Infielders:

Mitchell Delaney
Issac Harrow
Emerson Landoni
Garrison Lassiter
Kevin Mahoney
Yunor Tabares
Jose Toussen

Garrison Lassiter resurfaces as the GCL Yank’s 3rd baseman. The young toolsy 2008 draftee played well enough for Charleston, but the Yankees decided to move him closer to his experience level. He’ll be exciting to watch.

Outfielders:

Kelvin De Leon
Ramon Flores
Justin Milo
Jose Mojica
Christopher Smith
Eduardo Sosa

Here is the big money. De Leon is the biggest Yankee signing after Montero in recent years. He has lots of power, but is very raw and strikes out a lot. Ramon Flores signed for almost a million dollars last year. He is a speedy centerfielder with some power. Sosa is a very young DSL standout. These guys are legit high-ceiling, super-young prospects who could all make the top-30 with a strong GCL season. De Leon could be the next uber-prospect that we have. I try to avoid rating young LA players, because all we really know about them generally amounts to hype. Finally, we get to see De  Leon in the minors.

I’m heading out to the woods for the summer. I’ll be mostly gone until August 17th, though I may chime in every once in awhile. Have  a great summer!

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