Odds and Ends

In all the furor over a potential Cliff Lee deal this week, some other stories have flown under the radar that our readers may be interested in. I’ll put them all here, since none of them require a full length post.

Yanks sign Columbian Catcher-(translated) In what appears to be their first signing of the July 2nd IFA period, the Yanks have inked 18 year old Catcher Alfredo Junior Castellon. They’ve already sent him to the DSL and he’s seen some game action. No word on the bonus, but for a deal that flies this far under the radar I wouldn’t expect much.

Dealin Dellin gets some love from BA-Red hot Yankee prospect Dellin Betances got a nice write up from BA last week. Here it is:

Using his 95-97 mph fastball that originally made him a top prospect before injuries took their toll, Tampa RHP Dellin Betances (Yankees) is proving that he is too much for the Florida State League. His 39 strikeouts compared to just six walks in 34 innings are impressive, but what really jumps off the page is his league-leading 0.559 WHIP. Betances has allowed a paltry 3.4 hits per nine innings and has only been touched for 13 knocks this season, nine of them singles. Add it all up and you get a 0.53 ERA, which is second among all pitchers in the FSL. Don’t be surprised if the Yankees soon choose to reunite Betances with former teammate Andrew Brackman in Double-A Trenton.

Mark Newman has urged caution with promoting Dellin, citing his recent return from surgery. But as BA said, it will be hard for the Yanks to hold him back with the way he’s pitched this year.  I like the idea of keeping Dellin and Brackman on the same team whenever possible. Both are very tall and can help each other out staying on track with their mechanics.

Yankee farmhand Hector Noesi had a nice write up in the New York Post this morning. Check it out, he’s someone who gets very little fanfare and should have a bright future in the bigs someday. Although it will probably be on another team.

Chien Ming Wang update-Have you been wondering about the status of the ex-Yankee pitcher? I have. The reason why we haven’t heard much is there’s really nothing to report. He’s still rehabbing, and according to Nats GM Frank Rizzo the nature of the injury makes it difficult to establish a timetable. He said Wang’s shoulder was “dislocated” like what would happen to wrestler. Other players have come back from this, but it’s not something teams deal with all that often.

Aubrey Huff disses All Star Game-This is just funny. Aubrey manages to offend the developmentally disabled and pretty much everyone who loves the game of Baseball in one fell swoop. Way to raise your popularity among the voters, champ.

Folks, never doubt me again-Sorry, but in the wake of all the Cliff Lee rumors I just couldn’t resist. :wink: