Things at the Major League level seem to be going great for the New York Yankees, but they’re going through a bit of turmoil in their Minor League system.
Former third-round pick from 2019, Jake Sanford, was released last Thursday after being discovered for his criminal activity. He was caught stealing from teammates and scamming fans, allegedly.
First reported by NJ Advanced Media, Sanford was a legit prospect they got roped into some bad habits. According to the New York Post, there is a belief that he could’ve been trying to pay off gambling debts, but there’s likely more to the story.
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Sanford spent the 2021 season with Tampa and Hudson Valley in High-A ball. He hit a combined .285 with 16 homers and 61 RBIs over 101 games. Sanford was considered a middling prospect, featuring a lefty bat and solid defensive attributes in centerfield.
Obviously, the Yankees will be upset about the sequence of events, but he wasn’t a star prospect or close to reaching the MLB, so parting ways wasn’t a difficult thing to do.
Since Sanford was cut, he’s already signed with the Ottawa Titans in the Frontier League, an independent team. Sanford doesn’t seem to be skipping a beat, but the Yankees will now have to do an investigation and get to the bottom of the current situation.