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June 06, 2007
Running Elvis On Board At Scranton
From The Citizens Voice -
With Henn called to the big leagues, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre rotation underwent a drastic makeover on Tuesday. Removed were Henn, Steven Jackson and Eric Junge. Added were Tim Lavigne, Runelvys Hernandez and Steven White.
Lavigne, who pitched one game for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier this season, was called up from Double-A Trenton and will start today in place of Henn.
Lavigne was converted from a reliever to a starter in Trenton and had a 1.13 ERA in three starts. Signed as a free agent earlier this season, he has had Triple-A success in the past, but always out of the bullpen.
Hernandez will take the next turn in the rotation and start on Thursday. He was signed by the Yankees after beginning the season in Pawtucket, where he was 0-3 but had a 3.06 ERA. He has 78 career starts in the major leagues, including 21 last season for Kansas City.
Kei Igawa will keep his turn in the rotation on Friday, then White will make his season debut with the Yankees on Saturday. White started the season on the Triple-A roster, but was on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. He came off the DL on May 29 and made two starts for High-A Tampa before finally joining Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was 1-0 with a 3.65 ERA in Tampa.
With Lavigne, Hernandez and White added to the mix, pitching coach Dave Eiland said Jackson and Junge have been moved to the bullpen for now.
More moves to come
Technically Lavigne is taking Henn’s spot on the roster and Kevin Thompson is taking Basak’s spot.
However, the Triple-A roster will have to make a series of additional adjustments later this week when Hernandez, White and DeSalvo are added. DeSalvo is tentatively scheduled to start on Sunday.
Yankees farm director Mark Newman said the team will not announce moves until they have to be made, meaning we are not likely to hear about any changes until Thursday when Hernandez has to be added to make his start. In addition, the New York roster currently includes just three bench players instead of the usual four. If the Yankees decide to change to a more traditional bench, there could be yet another move to be made in Triple-A.
Runelvys Hernandez is this year's Sidney Ponson.
He's a waste of a roster spot. Another brillant pitching find for Mr. Cashman.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at June 6, 2007 04:20 PM
Comments
Who would you prefer them to pitch in Scranton?
Posted by: RICH ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.waswatching.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at June 6, 2007 05:21 PM
~~~Who would you prefer them to pitch in Scranton?~~~
Someone who could potentially help the big league club in the future.
Posted by: Steve Lombardi at June 6, 2007 05:29 PM
Awful cynical there Steve... Jackson was someone who might have helped the big league club - but he's gotta go to AA to get his head straight.
Would you promote Ian Kennedy straight to AAA? How about Joba Chamberlain?
Not everyone on the AAA roster has to be a future major leaguer - AAA is that odd land where prospects, suspects and hangers-on mix and mingle.
This is a move to get a warm body in there - unless you'd rather they go with a four-man rotation?
Posted by: SMinDC at June 6, 2007 05:44 PM
It's a nice thought but until either the Yankees or you identify the pitcher he's probably a better choice than forfeiting.
Posted by: RICH at June 6, 2007 05:45 PM
***Someone who could potentially help the big league club in the future.***
All the guys that could potentially help the big league club in the future are either a) helping the big league club now, or b) on the DL. As good as the guys in AA have been doing, none of them are ready for AAA. It'd be foolish to promote any of them just for the sake of having "guys who can help the big league club in the future" in the AAA rotation.
There's a trickle down affect with the injuries, the big league club starts grabbing guys from the minors to fill spots, and the minor league clubs have to grab guys like Lavigne, Junge and Hernandez off the scrap heap to give them innings.
I'd be utterly shocked if any of Lavigne, Young or Hernandez even sees a spot on the 25-man roster this year, let alone throw a pitch for the Yanks.
There's nothing wrong with this move, Runelvys is a roster filler. Nothing more.
Posted by: Mike A. at June 6, 2007 05:49 PM
I watch a lot of minor league games here in Toledo. Every team (and by that I mean every single team) that I've seen play here has might bes, used to bes, and never will bes. A ball and AA ball are for prospects, AAA has the mixture. Plus, every team is looking for that guy who might help the club this season or in the future. Every club sometimes has to grab a scrub or two.
Posted by: rbj at June 6, 2007 07:56 PM
~~~There's nothing wrong with this move, Runelvys is a roster filler. Nothing more~~~
Don't kid yourselves fellas. Runelvys did not opt out of his AAA contract with Boston just to sign another AAA deal with a team 10 games behind them. I'm sure that the Yankees have promised him a job in the Bronx after "X" days - - just watch.
Posted by: Steve Lombardi at June 6, 2007 11:08 PM
Any possibility of this being an positive Aaron Small/Shawn Chacon situation ala 2005?
Posted by: B(rent) at June 7, 2007 02:44 AM
That would be a miracle.
Posted by: Steve Lombardi at June 7, 2007 10:17 AM
Runelvys did not opt out of his AAA contract with Boston just to sign another AAA deal with a team 10 games behind them. I'm sure that the Yankees have promised him a job in the Bronx after "X" days - - just watch.
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Isn't that tampering?
Posted by: Raf at June 7, 2007 10:49 AM