The Yankees announced Wednesday that they’ve released right-hander Spencer Howard. The former top prospect, acquired from the Rangers in exchange for cash prior to the trade deadline, was pitching with the team’s Triple-A affiliate. His release opens a spot on the 40-man roster.
A second-round pick by the Phillies in 2017, Howard ranked among baseball’s top 100 prospects prior to the 2020 and 2021 seasons on the vast majority of publications. He went from the Phils to the Rangers as part of 2021’s Kyle Gibson swap.
Things haven’t panned out for Howard in the Majors. He’s appeared in parts of four seasons but tallied just 115 innings while pitching to a grim 7.20 earned run average. He excelled up through the Double-A level, breezing through the lower levels of the minors with pristine ERAs, strong strikeout rates and mostly sharp walk rates. Injuries have played a significant role in his struggles, as he’s battled shoulder trouble at multiple points and spent the bulk of the current season on the 60-day injured list due to a lat strain.
Howard, 27, struggled to a 5.40 ERA in 18 innings in the Rangers’ system prior to the trade, and his three outings with the Yankees’ top affiliate weren’t any better. He was tagged for five runs on seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. He’s sitting on a 6.86 ERA overall between the two teams’ Triple-A clubs in 2023 and now carries a 4.43 mark in parts of three seasons at that level.
With Howard’s release the Yankees’ 40-man roster is now down to 38 players. That likely sets the stage for them to add a pair of players to the 40-man roster when rosters expand from 26 to 28 players on Friday of this week. The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner reported yesterday that top catching prospect Austin Wells — who’s not on the 40-man roster — is among the likeliest candidates to be selected to the roster Friday. His colleague, Brendan Kuty, later added that the Yankees have also given consideration to promoting top outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez. Like Wells, he’s not on the 40-man roster.
There’s no guarantee just yet that it’ll be Wells and/or Dominguez receiving those September call-ups, though that’d certainly align with the Yankees’ recent youth movement. The Yanks released Josh Donaldson yesterday, firmly signaling that they’ll give young Oswald Peraza a legitimate look at third base down the stretch. They also called up outfielder Everson Pereira for his big league debut and have started him every day since.
Wells, 24, is hitting .243/.335/.447 in 424 plate appearances across three minor league levels (including .262/.355/.467 in 32 Triple-A games). Baseball America currently ranks him as the game’s No. 81 prospect. Dominguez has been generating fanfare since signing as a 16-year-old amateur and currently sits 60th on Baseball America’s list. “The Martian” has only played eight Triple-A games after slashing .254/.367/.414 in 507 Double-A plate appearances, but he’s handled himself quite well in Scranton, going 12-for-27 with a pair of doubles, a triple and more walks (five) than strikeouts (two) in 32 plate appearances.
Well that Cashman Dumpster dive at the trade deadline really worked out well….
It was an odd move then, now it looks even dumber.
I would add Florial and Wells to the 40 man roster. And just call up Jasson Dominguez next season, no reason to rush him up now. The Yankees likely will though.
He might be going nowhere beyond being removed from the 40-man, not that it matters greatly. A trade made at the deadline when a team is looking to add depth should have no impact on the same team opening up a 40-man roster spot once the team wants to play a prospect and needs that 40-man spot.
The trade for Keynan Middleton has worked great. He could be a key part of the pen next season.
He was decent with the White Sox, but he’s been pretty good for the Yankees. Probably helps that he was happy to leave the hot mess that is the White Sox right now.
It took some balls for him to rag on the WS’ clubhouse culture… and then Lance Lynn backed him up.
He’s a free agent next year!!! Wish he was signed
He’s arb eligible next season.
He’s a non tender candidate. Hal won’t pay. He’s a free agent
Hes a free agent in the off-season .
I stand corrected.
It’s probably not that big a deal anyway. Relievers are so volatile you don’t know how 95% of them will perform next season no matter what they did the season before. I suppose the best GM’s no how to deal with this issue, though. Consistently good to great relievers are even more rare than a starting equivalent.
If there is only one thing Cashman is good at identifying, it’s relief pitching.
Way to go Cashman, don’t expect your team to do better after this
Boy that 2017 Phillies draft keeps on giving, rounds 1-4
of Haseley #8
p Howard
p connor seabold
3b jack scheiner
Wish Howard the best. Seems like the guy is in his head too much?
which is crazy because as recently as like 3 years ago this looked like a great draft.
The Yankees told Joe Girardi that losing a gm 7 in the ALCS was a firable offense. So what do the Yankees do now with Aaron Boone who cannot even get the Yankees to a game 7?
Did they really say that? If so then Boone was hired to be Cashman’s puppet. Leads me to believe Girardi must not have wanted to follow some order from Cashman, and he was canned under that excuse.
I don’t know that they actually said this, but they did fire him shortly after losing game 7, so I believe that proves it wasn’t good enough to keep his job. And yes, Aaron Boone was definitely hired to be the puppet of Brian Cashman and the Yankees Ivy League analytics department.
So a really high bar for Joe Girardi but a low bar for Aaron Boone? It’s the Yankees so of course this makes no sense.
@acoss13- everything your saying makes so much sense. Boone must be fired. I can’t look at this dope on a rope for another year. Captain-Judge99 out! He’ll likely be back in 2024! Smh.
That’s why I don’t feel bad for Boone. By signing the contract extension, he was in compliance with whatever cash man said. If he wasn’t he would have demanded changes. But he’s completely compliant in all of this and I can’t feel bad for him. The majority of the problems are on cashman though
Cashman, like a lot of pro analytics weenies, is still using an outdated baseball formula where the only thing that matters is launch angle, exit velocity and hitting homeruns.
@acoss13- No Girardi was never fired, he was just not asked to come back. Big difference. You are 100% correct though in the end Girardi wouldn’t be Cashman’s yes man, or puppet anymore. It crushed Girardi then to leave or not even to be asked back to manage, but sure he’s thrilled he no longer has to but up with the Bronx Zoo anymore. I can’t stand Boone if he’s back in 2024 thinking of taking next season off. He’s the worst!
another genius move by dombrowski sell high on this dude, many phillies fans thought howard was a future ace, dombrowski is a great talent evaluator
“Thought Howard was a future ace”…That’s why Hall of Famer in waiting, Dave Dombrowski, heads up Phillie’s baseball operations and the fans are in the stands watching and eating hotdogs.
Told ya he stinks. Thanks for the money! (From a Rangers fan)
Yet, the Yankees retain the other Howards.
So Cashman is Moe and Boone is Curly in this scenario? With Sean Casey as Shemp?
@ahh- Or the trinity. Hal is the Father, Boone is the Son, and Ca$hman is the Holy Ghost! Too bad Hal can’t fire himself, or sell the Yankees. Now that would just be way too good to be true!
In other words, Spencer for hire?
We’ll always have those 2 months of Kenyan Middleton to cherish
Another great acquisition by Cashman…. How he’s still a GM is beyond any comprehension.
Guy should have been fired a long time ago.