There’s no such thing as a bad minor-league deal, but there’s certainly such a thing as a bad pitcher on a minor-league deal. The New York Yankees certainly knew that lesson before Sunday, but they learned it again during their end-of-May roster tidying at the Triple-A level.
After a season in which he subtracted a remarkable 1.3 bWAR from the White Sox and Pirates combined – in just nine total games! – the Yankees tossed Jake Woodford a life raft with a minor-league pact. You can never have too much pitching, after all. Just in case Woodford clicked, the Yankees also offered him an opt-out at the end of the month so he could seek upward mobility elsewhere.
On Sunday, the Yankees lost Dominic Smith, who’s been mashing at Triple-A, but is wholesale blocked by both Ben Rice and the specter of Giancarlo Stanton.
They also lost Woodford who, uh … sure?
Yankees release Jake Woodford from minor-league contract at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
If the Yankees need additional pitching depth – and they certainly will soon, with Luke Weaver under the weather and Carlos Carrasco now on the staff once more – they can target Clayton Beeter and Allan Winans, two higher-upside options on the Scranton roster.
Woodford, the Cardinals’ 2015 Competitive Balance pick, was moderately successful in his Yankees role, but not enough to merit an accommodating move. In 10 outings (seven starts), he put up a 4.54 ERA, allowing more hits (45) than innings pitched (39 2/3). He was a mainstay in Scranton’s rotation, for better or worse, but his departure will likely open up a golden opportunity for a higher-upside Yankees pitching prospect like Cam Schlittler or Brendan Beck, both operating nicely at Double-A.
The addition of Woodford never made much sense in the first place, especially if the Yankees didn’t think they had anything in the chamber that could unlock another level within him. If they were willing to let him go after two month’s work, it’s pretty clear they don’t believe in his upside. Therefore, he’s free to roam about the cabin while the Yankees rededicate their efforts to finding some additional depth.
