Prospect Profile -- No. 1: Gary Sanchez

Gary Sanchez, C:

Gary Sanchez was signed as an international free agent in 2009. Because he was regarded as one of the best IFA free agents; he got 3 million dollars as a very raw catcher. Since making his debut as a New York Yankees prospect ,Sanchez's defense has progressively done better, and he has performed very well as a hitter.

Vital Statistics:

DOB: December 2, 1992
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 195

2011 SALL (82 gms) BA/OBP/SLG/WOBA/WRC+                         .256/.335/.485/.364/122
2012 SALL (68 gms)                                                                           .297/.353/.517/.390/136
2012 FSL    (48 gms)                                                                           .279/.330/.436/.351/117 
2013 FSL    (94 gms)                                                                           .254/.313/.420/.336/108
2013 EAS   (23 gms)                                                                           .250/.364/.380/.348/113

Background:

The Santa Domingo native signed with the Yankees as a 16 year old free agent out of the Domincan Republic. His $3 million bonus set a Yankees record that won't be broken anytime soon.

The Yankees trusted Sanchez so much that they let him skip the DSL league and had him begin his career in the United States. Sanchez had an immediate impact in the league and was quickly compared to Yankee top prospect Jesus Montero.

Generally GCL players don't receive such lofty praise but Sanchez put up a WRC+ of 188 and deserved all the praise he received, and was rated the best prospect in the GCL by BA. Sanchez ended his season in Staten Island and was considered a top prospect by BA(30) and Keith Law (68).

The 2011 season went slightly less smoothly as Sanchez was sent down to extended spring training for disciplinary reasons. However the move seemed to serve as a spark for the young catcher, as he hit 8 homers in his next 13 games. Overall Sanchez did well at his first go-around in A ball.

Especially considering he was one of the youngest players in the league. BA ranked him as the 14th best prospect in the South Atlantic league and dropped him to 81st on the top 100 list. Sanchez actually rose on Law's list and finished as his 55th best prospect.

Despite his success Sanchez started the 2012 back in A ball. This was probably due to his defense, he was very bad at blocking balls, and the presence of JR Murphy in the system. The move seemed to pay off as both Murphy and Sanchez improved their defensive games. Sanchez allowed 8 fewer passed balls, and started throwing more runners out.

Offensively Sanchez stayed very consistent and  earned himself a midseason promotion to High A. 2012 was a very strong year for Sanchez and he was named the 5th and 9th best prospect in A ball and High A. Sanchez was also named to the following top 100 lists: BA (57), Law (18), John Sickels (46), Fangraphs (42).

2013 Season:

In 2013 Yankees kept Sanchez in High A, and wanted him to work on catching tough fastballs. This was the main reason that they kept him down for so long.The plan worked out as he got a chance to catch Rafael DePaula and some other hard throwers. Sanchez stills needs to work on that aspect of his game but it is improving.

Another aspect of his game that is improving is his strikeout total. For the past few years his stikeout percentage has been consistently over 20. In 2013 he struck out 17.8% of the time in Tampa and only 14.5% of the time in Trenton. His walk rate also went up as the year went on. This shows that Sanchez is really working on particular parts of his game and so far he's doing a good job of fixing the few flaws that he has.

Sanchez finished as the 7th best prospect in the FSL according to BA, and was not eligible for the EAS list. Sanchez also finished top 50 overall range on many lists, including Sickels year end review. Overall Sanchez had a very nice season, and showed his glove is catching up to his bat. His offensive numbers got worse in Tampa as the season went on, and he did better in his short stay at Trenton.

Scouting Report:

Sanchez's two biggest tools are his plus-plus power and his elite throwing arm. While most know that Sanchez has a lot of pop, people seem to ignore his arm while talking about his defensive potential. Sanchez threw out a league leading 46% of base stealers last year. Sanchez still has problems blocking the plate and calling a game, but his arm is solid and every aspect of his defensive game is improving. Allowing "only" 11 passed balls is an improvement for him.

Despite his improving defense he will probably always be regarded a bat first prospect. Of course this isn't exactly a bad thing, and he certainly has the bat to make the statement work. Sanchez has short compact stroke, and great bat speed. Sanchez has some patience and he has shown the ability to wait for his pitch. He doesn't take that many walks, but he does work big counts in an attempt to get a pitch he can handle. Sanchez biggest tool on offense is his right-handed power potential.

Projections:

Sanchez projects to be an all-star caliber catcher. If everything goes right he should be able to hit .270 and have a 30 homeruns a year. If he can continue to would on his selectivity he might be even better than that. There aren't that many good offensive catchers in the majors so he should be a pretty valuable player.

2014 Level:

Gary Sanchez will begin the year in AA, and should be promoted later in the year. Like Murphy he will greatly benefit from catching with Tony Pena in spring training. There is also the possibility that the Yankees trade Sanchez, as he is their best trade chip. I do not think this will happen, as he has too much potential. Additionally there aren't so many options on the trade market. Sanchez has the bat to play first or DH so getting him playing time wont be too difficult. If he has a good season it is entirely possible that he becomes a top ten prospect, as he has that much ability.

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Yankees considering making a run at Stephen Drew

During yesterday's press conference to discuss the signing of Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that the team was basically done doing any more heavy lifting this offseason.

But that might not be the case anymore.

According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the Yankees are weighing the decision to make a run after free-agent shortstop Stephen Drew since the goal of being under $189 million is essentially out the window.

Cashman said back in December that he and the Yankees had no plans of signing Drew, but that was when the $189 million goal was realistically possible. When looking at the logic, since the Yankees are going to be over the luxury-tax mark, it would make more sense for them to be far over the line, rather than just past it.

The Yankees had been showing some interest in Drew earlier in the offseason, but after the re-signing of Brendan Ryan to be insurance for Derek Jeter, it appeared that there would be no room for Drew to play shortstop, his natural position.

Drew could also play third base, which is where the Yankees would mostly likely use him, but it's unknown whether he would change positions just to suit the need of one team. It would, though, make sense for him to play third base this season, then move to shortstop when Jeter retires -- which could be after this season, if he decided to hang up the cleats.

Drew made $10 million last season with the Boston Red Sox, and will probably land a deal earning him just over that amount. He has been asking for a three-year deal, at least.

There hasn't been much of a showing market for him this offseason. There was always a chance that he winds back up with the Red Sox, but I've always seen him signing with the New York Mets, and I still think he will -- unless the Yankees decide to join the race.

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Yankees' rotation shaping up nicely with Masahiro Tanaka in the mix

It's official. He's coming. Masahiro Tanaka is coming to New York just like you wanted, all for the price of $155 million over seven-years.

We had been talking about it all throughout the offseason, that the Yankees needed to add at least one starting pitcher in order to actually contend next season, with Tanaka being the top target. They wanted him badly, and now they got him.

With Tanaka in the rotation, there is no long so many questions surrounding the Yankees' starting five. In fact, there aren't many questions at all.

On paper, the Yankees' will open the season with a rotation of CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Tanaka, Ivan Nova, and who ever wins the battle for the fifth spot during spring training -- if he comes in healthy, I'd give Michael Pineda the best chance to win the job.

And that applies to the rest of the rotation, too. Sabathia will be the biggest question mark of the bunch coming into the season.

Coming off the elbow surgery, Sabathia lost a few miles per hour on his velocity, and never seemed capable of making the adjustment to being a high-80's, low-90's pitcher, rather than being the mid-to-high 90's guy that everybody knew him as.

I don't want to state the obvious here, but I believe that had a lot to do with his career-worst season. A lot of people tried to blame it on the fact that he had lost quite a bit of weight during the offseason, and that's why he wasn't the same guy on the mound, but I don't buy it.

If you've seen the pictures that have been going viral around social media, you can see that Sabathia has lost even more weight this winter, some have estimated about 40 pounds.

I think that being a year removed from the surgery will be very good for him. He knows how bad last season was, and he is going to come back in 2014 looking to prove everyone wrong. I'm not saying that he'll be the ace of the staff one again, but a top of the rotation starter is all you can really ask for at this point in a pitchers career -- especially one that has logged as many innings as Sabathia.

With Kuroda, you pretty much know what you're going to get. He's a 39-year-old pitcher that is going to give you a lot of innings. You going to attack hitters, and he's going to get outs when he needs them. He's been very good for the Yankees in his two seasons in the Bronx, and really stepped up last season when the team needed him. Sure he broke down towards the end, but that doesn't make him a bad pitcher.

Because of all of this, and the fact that Joe Girardi likes to use his veteran guys, I think that Kuroda has earned the right to be the team's second starter, even with Tanaka, who will probably slide right behind him in the third spot.

Obviously Tanaka is going to come in with a lot of weight on his shoulder. He just got paid a massive amount of money, and you know that Yankees fans are expecting to pitch like he's worth $155 million.

A lot of scouts have compared him to Yu Darvish, and some have said that he'll be a second or third starter at best. The game is a lot different in American compared to Japan, and if Tanaka is able to be a second or third starter for the length of his contract, I'd say the Yankees did just fine in paying him what they did.

Nova has the potential to team up with Tanaka in a couple of years to create one of the best one-two combinations in the game. He broke into the leagues in 2011 and really showed what kind of pitcher he can be.

But we didn't see much of the greatness again until the second half of the 2013 season, when he came back from injury and spent some time in the minors, then got his chance in July and took off. He was fantastic in August, earning AL Pitcher of the Month honors after going 5-0 with an ERA under 2.00. If he could pitch just under, at least, the level he is capable of pitching, then the Yankees will have the best fourth starter in the game. Realistically, there aren't many fourth starters as talented as Nova.

Then that's where you reach the fifth and final spot in the rotation. Like I said above, I really think this will be Michael Pineda's job to lose. The Yankees were hoping that he would be the future ace of the staff, but injuries have kept him from throwing even one official pitch for them.

Luckily for the Yankees, giving up Jesus Montero hasn't worked out well for the Seattle Mariners, either, so at least they didn't lose much, technically.

Pineda was an all-star with the Mariners in 2011, and if he can come back to be at least half of that, you have to be very, very happy if you're the Yankees. A fifth starter should only be able to get you some quality starts here and there, and basically serves as an extra rest day for the top of the rotation starter, at least in my opinion. But if the Yanks can get something good out of him, the rotation will be extremely dangerous.

Even after saying all of this, I still think that the Yankees will have quite the competition in competing with the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East next season.

The Red Sox just won the World Series, and even though they didn't get a lot better -- I mean, how much better can a World Series champ get? -- but they didn't really get worse, either. And the Rays are the Rays.

They're going to put a decent team on the field, and Joe Madden is going to make every player much better than they actually are, just like he always does. And let's not forget to mention that Tampa will always be attacking you with their very talented young pitcher staff, led by David Price and Alex Cobb.

No matter how much offense you bring to the table, you need a solid pitching staff in order to win a championship. With the signing of one player, yes, just one player, the Yankees suddenly have that solid pitching in their rotation, and they're ready to be a playoff team once again.

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Prospect Profile -- No. 2. Slade Heathcott

Slade Heathcott, OF:

Taken in the first round in 2009, Slade Heathcott has always shown impressive tools. However a myriad of injuries has stopped him from showing evaluators his true potential. During the first three years of his Yankees career it seems as if he has spent more time recovering from injuries than actually playing. While he did have a minor surgery in 2013, he set a career high in games played and that may be his most important stat.

Vital Statistics:

DOB: September 28, 1990
Bat-Throws: L/L
HT: 6.1
WT: 190

2011 SALL stats (52 gms) AVG/OBP/SLG/WOBA/WRC+                            .271/.342/.419/.346/110
2011 FSL  stats (1 gm)                                                                                      .600/.600/1.200/.794/408
2012 GCL stats (5 gms)                                                                                    .235/.409/.353/.378/139 
2012 FSL stats (60 gms)                                                                                   .307/.378/.470/.389/142
2012 AZFL stats (18 gms)                                                                                .388/.494/..612/.499/192
2013 EAS   stats (103 gms)                                                                               .261/.327/.411/.334/104

Background:

Heathcott's injury history started before his minor league debut, as it was a big reason that the Yankees were able to draft him. Slade entered the 2009 draft as one of the toolsiest players in the draft, and if it weren't for shoulder/knee injuries the Yankees would've had no chance in drafting him. However a combination of injuries and makeup concerns led him to be ranked as only the 72nd best prospect by BA, the 51st best prospect by Keith Law. The Yankees selected him with the 29th pick in the draft and gave him a $2.2 million bonus.

This may seem like an overpay but no one really questioned Slade's talent. His stock was only low because of injuries and makeup concerns. Most of these makeup concerns can be found in the following link, http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20110513/PC1602/305139915. There's no question that Slade has been through a lot in his life, but so far his past mistakes haven't really affected his baseball career. Additionally it would be unfair to punish him for having bad parents as he doesn't appear to be a bad person.

Heathcott's first full season as a Yankee began in 2010 and like Mason Williams, Slade was able to skip low A and start in A ball. It was clear to scouts that Slade was something special and he was initially compared to a power hitting version of Brett Gardner. His strong 2010 season led BA to rank him as the 18th best prospect in the South Atlantic League. BA also named him as the best defensive OF in the Yankees system.

However his season ended with a shoulder surgery, and many worried that the injury would slow him down. This would quickly become a theme for the young slugger as he has visited the disabled list every single year. The surgery kept him in A ball for another year, and it was only in 2012 that he was really able to breakout again.

Slade may have missed a big chunk of 2012 recovering from his second shoulder surgery, but he made up for lost time by dominating high A and the Arizona Fall League. His performance got him some national praise as the BA (63) and Keith Law(52) considered him a top 100 player. BA also ranked him as the 17th in the FSL, which is good when you consider how little he played. BA also ranked him as the sixth best prospect in the Arizona Fall League.

2013 Performance:

While his stats weren't great, the simple fact that Heathcott avoided a major surgery may make it his best year yet. Additionally Slade did start to heat up at the end of the 2013 season as he hit for a .851 OPS in July and a .996 OPS in August. Because he has had so many injuries, it's almost as if his age doesn't matter as much as it should.

He is inexperienced compared to other AA hitters his own age due to all the time he missed.  It may not seem impressive that he was a slightly above average hitter in AA, but when you consider his lack of experiance and the fact that Trenton has a park factor of .953 it wasn't an awful season either.

His performance won't, and shouldn't get him onto many lists, but sadly staying healthy as long as he did makes his 2013 season a success.Unfortunately his success didn't last an entire year. His season was cut short by a minor knee operation, and according to Mark Newman Slade may not be 100% for spring training.

Scouting Report:

Despite a long history of injuries Heathcott is still considered to have 5 tool potential. Even his surgically repaired arm is regaining some power. Slade is considered a plus defender and has the ability to develop above average power. His biggest question mark is his bat as something he gets into bad habits. However, he has exceptional bat speed and strong hands so there is no reason he shouldn't be a good hitter. The one thing holding him back is pitch selection, which may be due to his lack of game time experience.

One of the biggest aspects of Slade's game is his effort. He is the type of player fans will love to watch as he sacrifices his body to make plays and he runs out easy ground-outs. He's the type of guy that will actually be affected by MLB rule to ban collisions. While fans may like this type of play it leads to injuries and Slade shouldn't go out of his way to put his body at risk. He has missed enough games as it is, so it would be in Heathcott's best interest to tone down his game.

Projections:

It is entirely possible that Slade manages to reach his potential as a Brett Gardner player with more power. But with the number of outfield prospects in the Yankee system he has to break out soon.Even if he doesn't reach his full potential he could still be a  valuable player. Chris Denorfia was worth a fwar of 4 last year due to being a slightly above average hitter and having a good glove. Slade already has a plus glove, and is the faster player.

2014 Level:

According to Mark Newman the Yankees won't know where Slade will start 2014 until the end of spring training. However the newlywed is probably ticked for AAA, as too many players need to begin the year at AA. Even if Tyler Austin gets most of his reps at third, Slade would still need to battle Mason Williams, Ben Gamel, and Taylor Dugas for time in AA. A good season in AAA may mean that Slade can become a major league starter if any of the Yankees outfielders get hurt. At this point Heathcott can't afford another injury, and must start to tap into his immense potential.

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Masahiro Tanaka will sign with the Yankees

The bidding war if over, and the Yankees have won the rights to right-handed Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka on a seven-year, $155 million contract with an opt-out after the 4th year that would let him become a free-agent.

To make room for Tanaka on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designated left-handed pitcher David Huff for assignment.

The Yankees needed Tanaka more than any team in the league with the clear holes in their starting rotation, and not that they are an automatic World Series champion right now, but this makes their chances to win a lot better.

"This is an exclamation point that's been made today that our work was not complete or finished in terms of try to put in a team that people could at least talk about at having a shot to take a run at qualifying for the playoffs and playing into October," Yankees GM Brian Cashman said.

Tanaka had been drawing interest from a ton of teams, most notably the Los Angeles Dodgers. As of this morning, the Arizona Diamondbacks, who were also chasing him, were reported to be out of the running by MLB.com. The Chicago Cubs were also trying to make a big push, but were considered "long shots."

Tanaka, 25, went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last season in Japan, and was heavily scouted by the Yankees over the course of last season. He has been one of their top priorities, and are ready to go all-in on him if posted.

And because of the new posting system, the Yankees will have to pay a $20 million posting fee to Tanaka's now former club, the Rakuten Golden Eagles, bringing the total bill on Tanaka to $175 million for a seven-year contract -- the same contract they were trying to give Robinson Cano.
Many compare him to be the next Yu Darvish, while some scouts would say that he is good, but no Darvish good. The Yankees would rather he be Darvish good.

Adding Tanaka to the current rotation, the Yankees will go into spring training with a starting five projected to be CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova, Tanaka, and the winner of the battle between Michael Pineda, David Phelps, Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno.

Keep it here for continuing coverage throughout the day.

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Prospect Profile -- No. 3: Mason Williams

Mason Williams, OF:

The Yankees selected Mason Williams in the fourth round of the 2010 draft. Williams is one of New York's toolsiest prospects. Unfortunately Mason's stock has plummeted in the past year due to concerns over his attitude, and a poor showing in 2013. Despite his poor season prospects often get graded on their potential and they're truly few prospects in baseball with his combination of tools. For this reason he is still considered a top 10 Yankee prospect. 

Vital Statistics:

DOB:8/21/1991
Bats/Throws: L/R
Height:6-0
Weight:195

Stats:

2011 NYPL (68 gms) AVG/OBP/SLG/WOBA/WRC+                                   .349/.395/.468/.404/148
2012 SALL (69 gms)                                                                                        .304/.359/.489/.381/130
2012 FSL    (22 gms)                                                                                        .277/.302/.350/.331/104 
2013 FSL    (100 gms)                                                                                      .261/.327/.350/.317/95
2013 EAS   (17 gms)                                                                                        .153/.164/.264/.191/8
2013 AZFL (22 gms)                                                                                        .267/.330/.337/.313/84

Background:

Mason Williams comes from a good bloodline; his father was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds, and played for the New England Patriots. Additionally Williams is also a distant descendant of Walt "no neck" Williams. It was clear from an early age that Mason possessed special athletic ability. WIlliams was so advanced at baseball that his family felt the need to move to Orlando, so that the 13 year old would have some competition.

In high school Mason was shortstop, centerfielder, and a pitcher. Mason led his team to three district championships, and helped his travel team win two Connie Mack championships. His travel team was the Midland Redskins, which is a very competitive team.

His strong pre-draft performance led him being ranked a top 200 prospect. BA ranked him as the 145th prospect in the draft, which coincidentally is where the Yankees took him. To sign him the Yankees offered him 1.45 million dollars, which is well over-slot for a fourth round pick. His bonus was higher than any other Yankee pick.

It didn't take long for Williams to prove he deserved that bonus. Mason began his first full season as a professional baseball player as a member of the Staten Island Yankees. Evaluators loved Mason from the start. Writer David Gershman called him a must see talent in a league where few prospects are.

Mason impressed scouts with a good consistent bat and a terrific glove. BA took note of his performance and ranked him as the best prospect in the NYPL, and the 85th best prospect overall. BA noted that he showed a good eye at the plate for such a young player, and was a plus-plus runner. Additionally in 2011, BA named him the best defensive outfielder, fastest baserunner, and best athlete in the Yankees system.

Mason continued his success in 2012 and quickly advanced out of A ball. Despite his short stay Mason did enough at Charleston to be named as the 9th best prospect in the league and the 32nd best prospect overall. He was named as the best defensive outfielder in the league and the Yankees system. He also was named the systems most athletic player and fastest runner.

His progress didn't entirely slow in High A, but the league seemed to be his first real challenge. Additionally reports began to surface  that he had attitude problems, and wasn't playing as hard as he could. His season ended early as he needed shoulder surgery but overall he held his own in his first taste in High A.

2013 Performance:

Williams started his 2013 season coming off of surgery and getting himself in trouble with the law. Unfortunately things didn't get better as the year went on, as he apparently put on too much weight and started slapping at the ball during games. This led to a disappointing year in Tampa and Trenton. His poor play may also be attributed to a pretty serious sickness he got in the middle of the year.

His performance led to Baseball America ranking him the 19th best prospect in the Florida State League. His ranking was mostly based on his reputation, and represents how much his stock dropped. Before 2013 it looked like he could've been a top 20 prospect in baseball and yet he barely made the top 20 in the FSL.

His poor performance will keep him off most top 100 lists, and now he must rebound in 2014 in order to become a serious prospect again. It's clear from listening to his family's story that he loves the game of baseball but he has to show that love on the field. Because of his lack of hustle the only real positive of his game that scouts were able to see was his elite defense. Scouts also noted that his swing looked better in the cage than it did during games, and it's clear that his Ichiro like approach at the plate isn't working.

Scouting Report:

The prospect that once was compared to Jacoby Ellsbury did not show up last year and that complicates his scouting report.In 2013 he wasn't making hard contact, and slapping the ball. He still showed speed, and great defense but he made people question his bat. 

In 2012 BA seemed to believe he had a power rating of 60, and hitting rating of 60 however he showed neither of those qualities in 2013. While he may show that ability next year it may be more appropriate to begin thinking of him as speed first offensive player. He still has the tools to be an impact player in the future, but must prove that 2012 was a fluke.

One reason to think he will rebound is that he is such a natural athlete. He has great bat control and eye-hand coordination. These aspects of his game are the reason so many thought he could him for a high average. He was once thought to have a plus bat and needs to show that again to be more than a fourth outfielder.

Projections:

Last year ex-ESPN writer, and current scout.com writer Kiley Mcdaniel remarked that Williams reminded him of Jacoby Ellsbury. In the insider only piece, Kiley mentioned that he saw Williams hold his own against top pitching prospect  Dylan Bundy, and that this shows what kind of hitter Mason can become. As of now his projections have been lowered and he may project to have a similar career to former Yankee top prospect Austin Jackson.

2014 Level:

Williams should begin the 2014 season in Double-A Trenton. He will have a lot of competition at that level. The Yankees will have to find playing time for Taylor Dugas, Slade Heathcott, Ramon Flores, Tyler Austin, and Ben Gamels. The Yankees will have to fit all these options, plus a few more, between just two levels. Mason has the talent to start over all these names but he most show the Yankees that he is maturer and healthier than he was in 2013.  

If he rebounds next year the Yankees system will instantly become much better, as he was once thought to be an impact player. Some prospects just have to be humbled sometimes there's still a lot of potential in his game.

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Which team really needs Masahiro Tanaka the most?

We all want things in life, but that doesn't mean we really need it. Sure, you may want to get the new iPhone 5s, but you're not going to die without it.

The same thing can be said about baseball players and Major League teams.

The Yankees always want to sign everybody on the market, no matter the cost, but a lot of time, they just want to buy out that certain player because they can, not really because they need to. But Masahiro Tanaka is different.

The Yankees actually need to sign Tanaka. Without him, they will likely go into the season with a rotation filled by CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Hiroki Kuroda. Sabathia is a question mark, Kuroda is 39-years-old, and Nova can go either way.

Michael Pineda might also be in the Yankees' rotation, but he hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2011 with the Seattle Mariners, and you really don't know what kind of pitcher he is going to be.

Even with all the money the Yankees have spent this offseason -- over $300 million to be precise -- I can't consider them a legit World Series contender if they don't address the issues in the rotation, and it all begins with Tanaka.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a perfect example of Need vs. Want. The Dodgers really don't need Tanaka as much as the Yankees or some other teams. They only want him.

They just signed Clayton Kershaw to a monster contract extension. They signed Zack Greinke to a big contract last offseason. And they just signed Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu last winter, too. Realistically, their rotation will be just fine without Tanaka. Adding him would put it over the top, though.

The Chicago Cubs, if anything, don't really need him for the next years or so, but in a couple years down the road, the Cubs are going to have a large crop of their prospects reach the big leagues, and that's when they finally become championship contenders.

I would imagine that it was pretty tough for the Cubs to convince Tanaka of coming to Chicago considering, well, it's not New York or Los Angeles, and the team isn't going to be a contender right away as it would be in the Bronx and LA.

However, because so much of their future is tied into young players, the Cubs have enough money to throw around, and even with the great group coming up in a few years, pitchers aren't really a part of that, and adding Tanaka, who is only 25, would be a great fix to that problem.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have appeared to be in hot pursuit on Tanaka throughout the winter, and though they don't really have much of a shot to land him.

The D-Backs could really use him to go along with Patrick Corbin and Trevor Cahill in the rotation, and who better than Tanaka? They have shown that they have the money by going hard after Shin-Soo Choo, but that might not be enough to get Tanaka in Arizona.

We're days away from finding out who will win the Tanaka Sweepstakes. The latest rumors have him deciding between the two teams that need him the most -- the Yankees and Cubs. Although the Yankees really, really, really need him. Much more than the Cubs.

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Prospect Profile -- No. 4: JR Murphy

J.R. Murphy, C:

JR Murphy was selected out of the Pendleton school in the second round of the 2009 draft. Murphy was selected as a bat first catcher. However he has progressed nicely behind the plate and is now considered an average or better catcher. With the McCann signing, Murphy has become one of the Yankees best trade chips, but it is entirely possible that they hold on to him and let his value grow in AAA. 

Vital Statistics:

DOB: 5/13/1991
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 5-10
Weight: 170

2011 SALL stats (63 gms)   BA/OBP/SLG/WOBA/WRC+                          .297/.343/.457/.357/117
2011 FSL    stats (23 gms)                                                                              .259/.270/.365/.284/70
2012 FSL    stats (67 gms)                                                                              .257/.322/.374/.324/99
2012 EAS   stats (43 gms)                                                                              .231/.306/.408/.319/94
2013 EAS   stats (49 gms)                                                                              .268/.352/.421/.353/116
2013 INTL stats (59 gms)                                                                              .270/.342/.430/.350/117
2013 MLB stats (16 gms)                                                                              .154/.185/.192/.171/-4  

Background:

After missing his junior year of high school with a knee injury, Murphy entered the 2009 as a bit of a mystery. However, he impressed scouts at various showcases right before the draft. Murphy was a part of the well regarded IMG Academy, and he won a MVP award for each tournament his team participated in (4). Because of this, his stock was relatively high coming into the draft. Baseball America called him the 12th best prospect in the state of Florida and the 95th best prospect overall, and Keith Law rated him as the 88th best prospect for the 2009 draft.

Murphy was selected as a catcher with the 76th overall pick. The Yankees were able to break his  commitment to the University of Miami by offering him a $1.25 million bonus. This major over-slot signing is very similar to what the team did with Greg Bird, as they were both drafted as bat first catchers. However Murphy was thought to be more athletic at the time of the draft and didn't have to deal with the injuries that Bird had. Because of this, Murphy was able to concentrate on becoming a good defensive catcher.

Not only did Murphy have to learn to be a good catcher, but because of the other good catching prospects in the system, he had to learn how to play third base as well. 2012 was the first year that he got to really be a full time catcher. For most of his career he has had to battle Yankee prospects like Gary Sanchez, and Kyle Higashioka.This may have slowed down his progress a bit.  But after five seasons in the Yankees' system, scouts agreed that the Yankees succeeded at making him a real catcher.

2013 Performance:

By the end of the 2012 season Murphy established himself as a top 15 prospect in the Yankees system. The reason that he wasn't a top ten prospect was that he had never simultaneity had a good offensive and defensive year. Since Murphy was so focused on becoming a better defender his offensive numbers have never really reached his potential.

That was until 2013 where he hit well at every minor league level. Murphy had a 372. WOBA once park factors are calculated. With this performance it's no surprise that he jumped 11 spots in BA's rankings. The performance also led to him being ranked 18th in BA's top 20 Eastern League prospect list.

Scouting Report:

Murphy doesn't really have one strong tool, but instead is a very well-rounded prospect. Murphy has nice bat that produces line drive power to all fields. He also has enough power to hit 12 or so homeruns a year. His defensive game currently has several strengths. Murphy is very good at throwing out runners, gunning down 48% of attempted runners in AA and AAA. However he still has room to improve, as he allows too many passed balls. Like most catchers Murphy is a below average runner and will only get slower now that he is catching more.

Projections:

Early on his career Murphy was projected to have a similar overall skill-set to Todd Ziele, but it now appears his glove may be better than that. Murphy ceiling is of a catcher who can hit .278 and get 10-12 homeruns a year.

Since he has a good arm and calls a good game he should be able to become an above average catcher. Especially now that he is on the 40 man roster and will be invited to spring training. At spring training he will be able to learn how to frame pitches from Tony Pena, who has had a positive effect on every catcher he has ever worked with.

2014 Level:

If he's still a Yankee next year Murphy should begin the Year at AAA. He will split time with Austin Romine at that level. Considering Romine's and Francisco Cervelli's injury history he should make the big league club at some point. The Yankees may also look to trade Murphy for a prospect, though prospect for prospect trades are rare. Murphy would be a very good backup catcher in the big leagues and it may be in the Yankees best interest to keep him.

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Looking at the potential Yankees bullpen next season

We've spent so much time this offseason talking about who is going to play third and second base, and who the Yankees are going to sign with round out the starting rotation, that a lot of attention has seemingly been taken away from the bullpen.

For the first time almost 20 years, there is some uncertainty at the backend of the Yankees' bullpen entering the upcoming season.

David Robertson appears to be the favorite to over the closer role, while there has also been talk of the Yankees bringing in one of the free-agent closers instead.

However, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner came out and said this past week that Robertson will be their guy, saying, “We're going to rely on [David] Robertson. I'm sure he'll do a good job for us.”

Pressed whether he thought Robertson would be the team's closer, Steinbrenner said, "I think you'll have to ask [Joe] Girardi that, but that's my understanding. He's the number one candidate. Rightfully so."

But that still leaves us with the rest of the bullpen? Who will be doing what? Ans who will even be there in houston on Opening Day?

Starting with the setup man, Robertson had been in that role for the past few seasons, and now that he's likely going to be closing, Girardi is going to need someone to setup. Assuming the Yankees don't sign someone, I think that Shawn Kelley will go into spring training as the favorite to win that job.

He was a very reliable pitcher for the Yankees last working working in the 6th, 7th and sometimes the 8th inning. He's a pure strikeout guy, doesn't walk a whole lot of people, and could be the man in the 8th.

Following behind him will be Matt Thornton and Preston Claiborne, who Girardi counted as one of the only three sure-things in the bullpen this season -- Kelley and Robertson being the other two. Thornton will replace Boone Logan as the team's lefty-specialist after signing a two-year, $7 million deal with the Yankees this winter, and Claiborne will likely be more of a middle-inning reliever after being more of a mop-up man for Girardi last season.

No one has ever been able to take a picture
of Pineda in pinstripes

You can also look at someone like Dellin Betances, who could get a roster spot as a middle-reliever, maybe a late-inning guy -- like the Yankees are hoping he can be -- as the season goes on.

The Yankees will go into spring training with a handful of pitchers looking to win a job in the starting rotation -- David Phelps, Michael Pineda, Adam Warren, Vidal Nuno and David Huff. Should the Yankees sign Masahiro Tanaka, only one of those guys are needed in the rotation, but two will likely get jobs if Tanaka isn't in pinstripes this year.

Either way, it'll likely be that two of those starters could end up in the bullpen as long-relievers. Warren was decent in that role last season, and might be there again in '14, and as much as I'd like to see Pineda win a starting job, it could also be very beneficial for him and the Yankees if he starts the year in the bullpen.

This kid hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2011, and it would be good for him to get some innings from the bullpen before jumping straight into the rotation.

Starting Pineda in the bullpen, Phelps would be the leading candidate for the 5th spot in the rotation. He spent most of his 2013 -- when he wasn't on the DL -- in the rotation. He mainly got his chance to start when Ivan Nova went down with injury, and pitched well enough to keep it when Nova was ready to come back.

Looking at who the Yankees could possibly add to the mix for competition this spring, they've already added Thornton, as mention, and also signed pitchers like Matt Daley, Robert Coello, Brian Gordon to minor league deals in the past couple of weeks.

A lot of the talk earlier in the offseason involving the Yankees possibly adding a closer involved the Joe Nathan, but he signed with the Detroit Tigers long ago, taking him off the board. A couple successful closers of the past couple of years, Grant Balfour and Fernando Rodney are still on the board.

Balfour is still out there because of some wrist and knee concerns that caused the Baltimore Orioles to back out of a deal with him. And Rodney is still a free-agent because he followed up a great 2012 season with a shaky year with the Tampa Bay Rays, causing him to lose some of his value as he heads into the final years of his career.

And speaking of Balfour, recent reports have the Washington Nationals being interested in the right-hander, leading them to the idea that trading Drew Storen would be something worth looking into. I think that making a trade for him was also be a good idea.

Brian Cashman drafted Storen in the 34th round of the 2007 draft, but couldn't get any deal done to sign him. If Cashman still likes his as a pitcher, it would almost be a no-brainer do at least make a call to Washington to gauge was the asking price is there.

If the Yankees can work something out to acquire him, Storen would give them a great late-inning are that they're looking for, and could possibly be the 8th inning setup man for Robertson.

There are also a few low-risk, high-reward players out there that the Yankees could take a look at, and it wouldn't hurt them at all to do so.

Joel Hanrahan was an all-star closer with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012, then got hurt after being traded to the Boston Red Sox last winter. He had to undergo Tommy John Surgery last season, and is expected to workout for teams in the spring, suggesting that he is ahead of schedule, and could be ready to get back in the majors early in the season.

If you ask me, it wouldn't do any harm to sign him on a minor league deal, let him spend some time in Triple-A Scranton while he gets his groove back, and hope that he comes back just as good as he was while in Pittsburgh.

The same can be said about Eric O'Flaherty, who also underwent Tommy John Surgery last season. Another very good reliever that could possible just as good as he was before he got hurt. Give him a minor league deal and let him work his way back into the Yankees' bullpen sometime mid-season.

I've also mentions this offseason a guy like Andrew Bailey, who was great while with the Oakland Athletics a few years ago before coming to Boston. Mitchell Boggs was a solid reliever with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012, but was a terrible 2014. Maybe you sign one of them and hope they bounce back under pitching coach Larry Rothschild.

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Prospect Profile -- No. 5: Eric Jagielo

Eric Jagielo, 3B:

Eric Jagielo was the first of the Yankees first round picks, and the third baseman is the the safest pick of the three. Jagielo was previously drafted out of the 50th round coming out of high school. This shows just how far he's progressed in his three years at Notre Dame. Considering the teams need for a third baseman and their lack of top third base prospects he was the smartest choice at pick 26. If he is able to stick at third he could be the third baseman of the future. 

Vital Statistics:

Born:   May 17, 1992. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 195
Drafted: Notre Dame, 2013 (1st round).
2013 GCL Stats(1 GM): BA/OBP/SLG/WOBA/WRC+                              .000/.333/.000/.260/61
2013 NYPL stats(51 GMs)                                                                           .266/.376/.451/.390/153

Background:

Jagielo was never considered a good high school prospect. The Chicago native was not ranked as one of the states best prospects, and was only selected in the 50th round by the Chicago Cubs. Instead of signing with the Cubs, he decided to go to Notre Dame and became a much better player there. Like Aaron Judge, Jagielo earned many accolades during college including:

2011 New England Collegiate Baseball League All-Star, 2012 Cape Cod League Post-Season All-League. In 2012 he achieved the following: 2012 Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star, 2012 Cape Cod League Home Run Derby participant, 2012 BIG EAST Second Team All-BIG EAST 2012 College Sports Madness First Team All-BIG EAST, 2012 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I Second Team Mid-East All Region. 

Finally in 2013 he had biggest year earning the: 2013 Golden Spikes Award watch list, 2013 Preseason Baseball America Third Team All-American, 2013 Preseason Coaches First Team All-BIG EAST, 2013 Preseason Perfect Game First Team All-BIG EAST.

These honors made him a top rated draft prospect for the 2013 draft. Jagielo was rated as the 1 prospect in the Big East by Baseball America and Perfect game. His overall ranking ranged from 16(BA) to 49(MLB). The Yankees ended up taking him with the 26^th pick which was coincidentally right where Keith Law had him ranked. 

Jagielo is new to third base as he only has played the position since 2012. Because of his size and inexperience at the position, some question his ability to stick at third. However, many scouts believe he can play there. The pick was praised throughout the industry as the Yankees simultaneously took the best player available and addressed a major need within their system.

2013 Performance:

A hamstring injury kept  Jagielo out for some time and limited him to the NYPL last year. Despite his injury he was able to make a strong impression in the NYPL. He began the year slowly but turned things around quickly in part due to advice taken from injured Yankee star Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez's gave his future replacement advice that helped him change his approach for the better. Jagielo's season placed him 6th on BA's NYPL top 20 list. With the recent struggles of past Yankee first round picks, Jagielo's strong start is a bigger deal than it should be.

Scouting Report:

Jagielo has worked hard to learn third base, and as of now many believe he will become an average defender. His main weakness on defense is his range, however he has a strong arm and quick instincts. Because of his range some questioned his long term future at third, and suggested that he may end up at first.

If he ever has to move to first, he has a good enough bat to make the switch. Jagielo should be able to hit for a good average and plus power, and has shown a good eye at the plate, throughout his college career. In his three years at Notre Dame his walkout and strike out numbers were almost identical. His strikeouts were high in NYPL, but this may be due to the break he took after being drafted and the fact that he was coming off of an injury. 

Projections:

Jagielo's ceiling is a 20-25 homerun guy who hits for a high average and gets on base. A good comparison for Jagielo may be Matt Skole, who BA rated as the Nationals fourth best prospect. However Jagielo seems to have a better bat and doesn't have anyone blocking him at third base.

According to Keith Law, Jagielo has the ability to be "a 20-homer guy with mid-.300 OBPs who plays solid-average defense in a few years, which makes him an everyday guy who could make an All-Star Game or two. Because of his advanced plate approach, I could see him in pinstripes sometime in 2014, early 2015." ESPN's Christopher Crawford is also high on Jagielo and thinks he is polished enough to make the majors at some point in 2014 or early 2015.

2014 Level:

In a recent interview with Chad Jennings, Yankees executive Mark Newman said both Judge and Jagielo could start the year at High A Tampa. Because Jagielo is so polished and has seen game time he may be able to move up to Double-A Trenton after a hot start. 

This would help prevent a logjam of sorts, as Dante Bichette may be pushed to Tampa and Miguel Andujar may start the year in A-ball. Jagielo would need to a really strong showing to reach to reach the majors this year, but more realistically he will make it to the Bronx at the end of 2015.

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