The New York Yankees aren’t in any rush to promote young players to the Major League level, even if they’re dominating the farm system and climbing the ranks at a rate unheard of. However, protecting prospects is of the utmost priority, and the Yankees did just that by adding young pitcher, Deivi Garcia, to the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft.
The Rule 5 Draft allows lesser teams that cannot fill their 40-man roster to sign players from other team’s farm systems, paying them a small fee. By adding a top prospect to a given team’s 40-man roster, it makes them untouchable in the draft. Garcia is undoubtedly one of those prospects.
The undersized pitcher at 5-foot-9 dominated in the minors last season, reaching High-A ball in just three months. He did struggle a bit at the top minor-league level, primarily because of the change in grips, but his promise hasn’t wavered (5.40 ERA, 24 ER, 8 HR, over 40-innings). The Yankees could look to utilize his services in a bullpen role during the 2020 season, as getting him accustomed to the MLB will be a priority for manager Aaron Boone.
Garcia is only 20-years-old, though, making him a mere infant when it comes to playing at the top tier of baseball. There’s no need to rush him or put him in a disadvantageous spot. Although, I believe Garcia is fit for those situations — ones that require him to step up and reach into his bag of tricks to develop his game.
“What comes out of his arm is pretty special, and the Yankees are a very sort of trackman-focused team when it comes to all players,†said Keith Law from ESPN. “But they love their high-spin guys throughout their system. He’s a guy who has that and has command and has control. Which says to me, at least, they’re not going to hesitate to trust him with some kind of major league job by the end of the year.â€
The Yankees don’t have to overuse Garcia in any fashion, but rather ease him into their rotation. He can be used in various ways — a starter, similar to Chad Green, or a relief option, pitching one inning later on and moving on. All of these little experiences will add up to provide him with the confidence to take on a starting role. It boils down to development and how Boone envisions his top prospect featuring on the team during the 2020 season.
Could the New York Yankees trade Deivi Garcia?
One rumor that has circulated is that Garcia could be on the trade block if it involved an established player. There’s no glaring need for the Yankees in any position, which increases the value of Garcia and should make him theoretically untouchable. Considering he hasn’t reached his potential yet, dealing him Justus Sheffield style would be a bad decision.