The Yankees made big noise on Wednesday with the players they let go, moving on from Jacoby Ellsbury and Greg Bird. B▨ut one reason those decisions w♏ere made was to protect their prospects by placing them on the 40-man roster. Get to know them below.
OF Estevan Florial
Injuries have held back the highly reꦚgarded outfielder whom scouts have raved about as a five-tool prospect. The 21-year-old broke hi🌜s wrist in spring training this year, one season after suffering a broken hamate bone. He slashed .237/.297/.383 in 74 games at Single-A Tampa, hitting eight home runs and driving in 38 runs.
P Deivi Garcia
A huge riser this past season, Garcia went from Single-A Tampa to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2019, striking out 165 batters over 111.1 innings with a 4.28 ERA. The 20-year-old hurler was selected to the Futures🍌 Game at All-Star weekend this year and is seen as one ⛦of the premier prospects in the Yankees’ minor league system.
P Luis Gil
Acquired in 2018 from the Twins for outfielder Jack Cave, Gil has impressed since joining the Yankees organization and is now considered the team’s fourth-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline. This year, the big-armed right-han♍der pitched to a 2.72 ERA, fanning 123 in 96 innings pitched and allowing only 71 hits.
P Luis Medina
A hard-throwing 20-year-old right-hander with a fastball that can reach triple digits, Medina came to the Yankees as an internatꦏional signee in 2015. Resuꩲlts have yet to match his stuff, with Medina pitching to a 5.47 ERA while struggling with Single-A Tampa.
P Brooks Kriske
The biggest surprise of the players protected, the 25-year-old Kriske isn’t considered one of the Yankees’ better prospects.🧜 He’s a reliever who saved 11 gameജs for Double-A Trenton last year and did put up impressive numbers, giving up just 30 hits in 48 2/3 innings and striking out 64. It was a big season for Kriske, who missed parts of 2017 and 2018 due to Tommy John surgery.
P Nick Nelson
The 23-yea♋r-old Nelson is coming off his best season of pro ball after advancing all the way to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The fourth-round pick in 2016 out of Gulf Coast Community College, who was only a part-time pitcher there, allowed only♐ 72 hits in 89 innings pitched and struck out 114.
P Miguel Yajure
After losing all of 2017 following Tommy John surgery, the 21-year-old righty has come on, impressing 🅘with his pitchability and control. His changeup might be his best pitch, helping him excel at Tampa and Double-A Trenton to the tune of a 🌱2.14 ERA and 1.07 WHIP across 138.2 innings.