2 Yankees Facing Uncertain Futures (and 4 Prospects Poised to Take Their Spots)

As the summer heats up, the New York Yankees will have some decisions to make regarding their roster, specifically the players who reside at the bottom. The trade deadline will no doubt bring in some reinforcements, but that will cause some reshuffling that may minimize certain players’ roles while eliminating jobs for others altogether.

With a greater and greater sample being accumulated, the team has a clearer idea of who can be a piece for the playoff push and who is nothing more than an anchor weighing the club down. On the flip side, they’ve also gotten a long enough look at the minor league talent to begin reevaluating some top prospects and perhaps begin accelerating timelines.

To be fair, most of the Yankees top talent in the farm system is down at the lower levels. However, that doesn’t mean the system is devoid of players at the upper levels who can push for a role on the big league club before it’s all said and done, especially when it comes to the bottom of the roster.

The strength of this Yankees team is in the outfield, so barring injury,
top prospects like Spencer Jones
and Everson Pereira won’t likely be getting the call anytime soon. Instead, the likely areas where the Yankees might look to make a change are in the infield and with some of their depth relievers.

These two Yankees find their place on the roster to be in a precarious position

Infielder Oswald Peraza

Though recent news might hint to the contrary, the Yankees need to realize that there’s no redemption path for Oswald Peraza, the busted former top prospect. This latest attempt to i
ncrease his versatility with outfield reps
reeks as a desperate attempt to revitalize his trade value before they inevitably have to cut bait.

The 25-year-old is out of options, and the Yankees, being who they are, will be stubborn and try to wring any value out of him before writing him off. But the Venezuelan native will quickly show that he has nothing left to give. A wRC+ of 50 and some shaky glove work at positions he’s familiar with just won’t cut it, and it won’t get any better in the sparse outfield reps he may receive.

Maybe some other team can revive the potential that made him
MLB.com’s 52nd-best prospect
back in 2023, but after some serious failings on the club’s part in developing him, he’ll surely never reach any semblance of his potential in the Bronx.

Reliever Ian Hamilton

The Yankees’ bullpen doesn’t appear to be a weakness, ranking 10th in the majors in ERA at a 3.53 mark through June 18. However, there are some cracks that need to be addressed.

After struggling mightily to begin the season and getting demoted from the closer role by the end of April, Devin Williams has mostly righted the ship. However, those early-season hiccups cast enough doubt as to whether he’s truly returned to form, leaving the closer role an open question with
Luke Weaver’s impending return
.

Regardless, having Weaver back in the fold will do wonders for the unit’s depth. Still, Fernando Cruz has struggled in recent weeks, posting a 6.35 ERA in 5.2 June innings, making the once-reliable setup man something entirely different.

Elsewhere, Mark Leiter Jr. has been combustible at times. Tim Hill has been great, but at the end of the day, the submarining lefty has his limitations. Perhaps the weakest link, however, has been Ian Hamilton.

Hamilton typically handles low-leverage situations, where 17 of his 24.2 innings have come. He also has performed most poorly in these situations, with a 4.30 FIP. In total, Hamilton has a 4.38 ERA and a 3.79 FIP; not terrible numbers by any stretch. However, what is

most

concerning is his propensity to give up walks.

A 14.4% walk rate is way too high, and can strain the bullpen by taking low-leverage situations and turning up the pressure due to unforced errors. That taxes his peers and can create issues down the road as the relief corps prepares to navigate the season’s dog days.

As a result, Hamilton could find his days numbered, especially if his meltdowns lead to continued depletion of the Yankee pen.

These four Yankees prospects might break through and bump the on-the-hot-seat big leaguers off the roster

Third baseman / Catcher / Outfielder Jesús Rodríguez

Jesús Rodríguez might not be the Yankees’ highest potential prospect, ranking 30th in the system according to MLB.com, but the 23-year-old might be one of the most interesting.

Rodríguez primarily plays catcher, a position the Yankees don’t need much help at with Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra,
and now Ben Rice
all pulling duty behind the dish. With that said, the former international free-agent signee out of Venezuela also has experience playing at first base, third base, and left field.

As a hitter, Rodríguez is unique. Through 50 games at Triple-A Scranton, he’s hit a sparkling .351/.434/.448, albeit with just one home run. Rodríguez has a strong feel for the strike zone, swinging at pitches outside of the zone just 33.9% of the time. When he gets pitches in the zone, he makes contact often, boasting a 92.2% zone contact rate.

While he’s a bit more strikeout prone (14.9%), the best-case comp for his offensive profile might be Luis Arraez if Arraez could draw walks, posting a 12.7% walk rate. When he does make contact, he sprays line drives all over the field, with a 28.4% line drive rate, most often depositing the ball into the opposite field, with 38.0% of his contact going to right field.

Mix in some surprising stolen base prowess, and the offensive package is enticing, if unorthodox. The issue for Rodríguez is the defensive fit. Part of the reason he’s played so many different positions is that he’s not particularly good at any of them. Third base is an area of need, especially if the Yankees
strike out on the second base trade market
and end up being forced to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to third.

The bat might force the issue, however, and Rodríguez could come for Oswald Peraza’s roster spot, providing another option at the hot corner and the versatility to provide depth elsewhere.

Infielder Jorbit Vivas

It may sound strange to give Jorbit Vivas a second go, considering the Yankees did already give him the call, which he answered with a very lackluster .156/.255/.267 line over 22 big league games this season.

However, the club would be wise not to follow in the same path they did with Peraza, and should give their No. 19 overall prospect some runway to get his feet under him. Vivas has performed well at Triple-A, slashing .309/.426/.449 with four homers, walking 14.1% of the time, and striking out at a minuscule 6.5% rate.

Though he didn’t show it in his brief stretch in the Bronx, Vivas has very solid bat-to-ball skills that could be useful in a lineup that’s prone to striking out. He’s got some pop, though not a lot, but his lefty swing would be aided by Yankee Stadium as well.

Vivas might not be the most exciting name, but he does have some potential. If replacing Oswald Peraza is the bar, it’s not a high one to clear, and there’s a decent shot that Vivas could out-produce him if given semi-consistent playing time.

A trade candidate might be preferable here, but until that comes to fruition, Vivas is not a name that should be overlooked, making a return to the major league roster at some point this year.

Reliever Clayton Beeter

Righty Clayton Beeter might be getting a little old for you to think of him as a prospect, but the 26-year-old still qualifies with just 3.2 major league innings under his belt. After years of trying to make it work as a starter, Beeter is now a full-time reliever, which is a switch that could jumpstart his career.

Pitching out of the bullpen maximizes Beeter’s best two pitches, the four-seam fastball and the slider, which he can use to devastating effect and rack up Ks. In 13.1 Triple-A innings this yea,r he’s done just that, posting 14.85 K/9.

Control has always been an issue for Beeter, and his unortodox delivery does little to help matters. These issues might be less of an issue in the pen, but again, the walks are the primary bugaboo that plagues Ian Hamilton. Therefore, it would be risky to replace him with a greener version who also has the propensity to give out hall passes.

Beeter has struggled greatly in that regard this season, with a 6.75 BB/9 at Scranton. With that said, he’s also been working his way back from a
shoulder impingement
, and while he’s struggled with walks his entire career, perhaps he can cut them down a bit as he finds his groove post-injury.

Reliever Eric Reyzelman

Eric Reyzelman, 23, flashed some serious potential last season, posting a 1.16 combined ERA over 38.2 innings split between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, with 23.1 innings coming at the more advanced level.

The former LSU Tiger racked up the Ks, striking out an eye-popping 14.66 batters per nine innings. His fastball can touch 99 miles per hour, and his slider is a serious weapon – and there’s potential for more if he can generate consistency with his changeup.

However, this year at Triple-A Scranton, Reyzelman has struggled. His walking more batters than he strikes out, with a 9.91 BB/9 alongside a 9.23 K/9 over 26.1 innings. He’ll need to develop more consistency before getting the call.

Still, it’s hard to count Reyzelman out. The 2022 fifth-round pick has battled injuries throughout his young career, but has also
displayed moments of dominance
. If he can get his act together over the next few weeks, it might not be a surprise to see him get the call, given his potential. One would have to imagine that the leash would be very short, but at the end of the day, it’s very likely that Reyzelman provides much more upside than the veteran Hamilton.

This article was originally published on yanksgoyard.com as
2 Yankees whose futures look tenuous (and 4 prospects who could take their spots)
.