The Yankees have a few weeks to prepare for the Rule V draft. The Yankees have 40 roster spots, and a list of Rule V eligible young players to protect. The Yankees have shed good players for years now. Could this year be different? How many players will be vulnerable? Is anyone in line for a DFA?
Locks: (25)
Derek Jeter
Mark Teixeira
Robinson Cano
Jorge Posada
Mariano Rivera
Phil Hughes
Nick Swisher
Joba Chamberlain
Ian Kennedy
Phil Coke
Damaso Marte
Francisco Cervelli
Michael Dunn
Mark Melancon
Ramiro Pena
Melky Cabrera
Brett Gardner
Andrew Brackman
Wilkins De La Rosa
Alfredo Aceves
David Robertson
CC Sabathia
AJ Burnett
Andy Pettitte (let’s be honest)
Alex Rodriguez
Near Lock: (2)
Juan Miranda
Chad Gaudin
Threatened: (7)
Edwar Ramirez
Sergio Mitre
Shelley Duncan
Brian Bruney
Jon Albaladejo
Sergio Mitre
Chien-Ming Wang
Christian Garcia
Free Agents: (6)
Jose Molina
Johnny Damon
Hideki Matsui
Eric Hinske
Jerry Hairston
Xavier Nady
Rule V locks:
Austin Jackson
Kevin Russo
Ivan Nova
Rule V eligible, not locks:
Josh Schmidt
Reegie Corona
Eduardo Nunez
Colin Curtis
Zach Kroenke
Romulo Sanchez (Pretty sure he is eligible)
George Kontos (TJ surgery)
The Yankees are going to add at least 2 players to the 40-man to replace Matsui and Damon. They will need spots available for them. I think that we can also expect one of Hinske or Hairston to be retained. That makes 3 spots. That means that between threatened and and on-lock Rule V players needs to be weened down to 7.
My guess is that the Yankees will retain Ramirez, Mitre, Kroenke, Nunez, Wang, and Albaladejo. They will value players that can be optioned down after spring training.
Schmdit will definitely be taken in the Rule V draft. He’s gone. No big loss. Corona will probably be taken, but may have problems sticking with a major league team. Curtis is probably safe, and Sanchez may or may not still be eligible.
Its a much better situation than the Yankees faced last season. Various roster crunches caused them to shed four (the most I can ever remember a team giving up) Rule-V eligible players, all of whom were later returned to traded. The Yankees also would lose Anthony Claggett, Eric Hacker and Steven Jackson to 40-man crunches this season, and had to trade Jeff Marquez for Nick Swisher (not that I’m complaining) last season.
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9 Responses to Looking To Rule V: 40 Man Roster Situation
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TIQ IQ
A lot of these guys have value and surely some of them will be traded, opening some roster spots. Good luck figuring out which ones.
Agreed on Schmidt and Reegie. At least the no big loss part. It would be nice to keep them but they’re not going to make or break anything. Personally, I wouldn’t mind Curtis in NY as the 4th OF. He’s the type of guy that can learn anywhere and he’s versatile.
So if Colin is your 4th outfielder are you looking to start Melky, Gardner and Swisher in the outfield then?
Sort of, yes, as it stands right now. There has to be another OF in the mix though. It might just be Nady or Damon or both, but I’d prefer neither and I’m hoping for a trade. A trade that solves some rule 5 issues and strengthens the OF. I realize it won’t be this but something like, Melky, Coke and Hughes for Justin Upton. That nets 2 40 man spots and secures RF.
I’m always a defense first guy. If you have good gloves everywhere, you will win, no matter how they hit. The reverse is not true. In the OF I want 4 CF’s and Gardner, Cabrera, AJax and Curtis sounds fine to me.
I love Justin too, but I really doubt the Diamondbacks would trade him for anything other than Jesus Montero in a deal… and I doubt they would do that before next offseason because he is still so young and still under there control for a long while.
Justin Upton for Jesus Montero, Hughes, Joba and Jackson is what I would ask for if I was the Diamondbacks right now, I mean why not? You have a nudding superstar who isn’t even 23 yet!
I would rather sign Cameron than make a trade for an OFer, Cameron plays LF with Gardner in CF and Swisher in RF unless we make the Granderson trade in which case he plays CF and then you can trade either Gardner or Melky for a good bullpen arm or as apart of a deal that bring in a starter.
At this point that is where I am at, if we make a trade I think it should be for an arm that can either bring Mo for the long term or a starter who is younger and can step in right away.
I noticed you listed Sergio Mitre
as ‘threatened’ twice. Approrpiate.
Definitely a mistake, though I might just keep it for style.
I don’t see the Kevin Russo thing. He’s an offensive minded 2nd baseman, but doesn’t play anywhere else and he’s already 25. While there may be some interest in him in the rest of baseball, he has no potential to play for the NYY. Eduardo Nunez has more upside, is younger, and could play 3 infield positions. I’d also offer that the chances that NYY protect Sanchez as much higher than Kroneke (who they have no plans of protecting) as he throws in the upper 90′s with high K/IP numbers. I’d protect Kontos, as he was sucessful before TJ sx, and he could potentially be hidden on someone’s DL for most of the year. So, I’d protect Jackson, Nova, Nunez, Kontos and possibly Sanchez. I’d expect to loose Russo, Kroenke, and Grant Duff (who also throws in the upper 90s). However, all bets are off if Cashman can pull off a 3 for 1 or a 7 for 2 trade with Detroit for Granderson and or Jackson.
hate to lose Duff and Russo should have some value as trade bait.RUsso hit .320 in tripe A with some pop and can play 2nd base.Supposedly has a pretty good arm too.
What “pop”? The guy is almost a pure singles hitter with no stolen base specialties at all.. He plays average D from what I have read, I am sure he has some value but it can’t be much because the power looks like it will never come along.