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Franchy Cordero

Franchy Cordero, Albert Abreu Sign With NPB’s Seibu Lions

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First baseman/outfielder Franchy Cordero has signed with the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, his representatives at Republik Sports announced today on Instagram. He’ll be joined on the Lions roster by another former Yankee, right-hander Albert Abreu, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray, who reports that Abreu is also set to sign there. Abreu is represented by Vayner Sports.

Cordero, 29, has long tantalized Major League teams with his rare blend of immense raw power and plus speed. Persistent plate discipline and strikeout issues have undercut his upside in both departments, however, as indicated by a career .217/.283/.395 batting line in 797 plate appearances between the Padres, Red Sox, Royals and Yankees. He spent the 2023 season with the latter, enjoying a hot first week before falling into a prolonged slump and ending up with a .188/.211/.478 slash in 71 plate appearances.

The allure of Cordero’s raw tools is apparent to anyone who’s seen him enjoy a productive game in the big leagues or even just in glancing at his career line in the minors. He’s a .301/.384/.538 hitter with 54 home runs, 77 doubles, 22 triples and 42 steals (in 50 tries) over the life of 306 Triple-A contests. Cordero’s hit tool (or lack thereof), free-swinging approach and generally sub-par defensive grades in the outfield have all held him back. He’ll look to improve on each in his first venture overseas. He won’t turn 30 until next September, so with a good year or two in Japan, it’s feasible that he could eventually return to North American ball and make an impact.

As for Abreu, he’ll join his former and once-again teammate in his own debut in Asia. The hard-throwing righty was long considered one of the top prospects in the Astros and Yankees organizations — Houston traded him to New York in the Brian McCann swap — but he’s yet to find sustained MLB success.

Abreu tossed 59 innings for the Yankees in 2023, logging a 4.73 ERA with a 22.8% strikeout rate and 13.1% walk rate. The Yankees non-tendered him last month rather than pay him a raise in arbitration.

Command has been a consistent issue for Abreu, who carries a career 4.58 earned run average, 22.4% strikeout rate, 12.9% walk rate and 47.4% grounder rate. He’s averaged 97.9 mph on his sinker in his career, including 97.5 mph in 2023, and generates plenty of ground-balls with that pitch. However, Abreu doesn’t miss bats at the level you’d expect from someone with that type of velocity, as evidenced by his pedestrian career strikeout rate, below-average 10.2% swinging-strike rate and a sub-par 28.3% chase rate.

Yankees Select Carlos Narvaez

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The Yankees announced today that the club has selected the contract of catcher Carlos Narvaez. In addition, outfielders Franchy Cordero and Billy McKinney as well as right-handers Domingo German, Jimmy Cordero, Matt Bowman, and Ryan Weber have all elected free agency after rejecting outright assignments from earlier this week.

It’s an early birthday present for Narvaez, who turns 25 in a few weeks. A right-handed hitter, he signed with the Yankees as an amateur from Venezuela before the 2016 season. The cousin of Mets catcher Omar Narvaez, Carlos has spent the past seven years in the Yankee system. He didn’t reach Low-A until 2021 but has posted respectable numbers over the past couple years — albeit with a three true outcomes approach.

Narvaez opened this year in Double-A but spent the bulk of the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He hit .240/.373/.387 with 10 home runs across 84 games for the RailRiders. Narvaez walked in a huge 15.3% of his plate appearances but struck out more than a quarter of the time. He has routinely posted strikeout rates approaching 30% in the minors, generally limiting his batting average.

The ability to draw free passes and bring some power from behind the plate is clearly still intriguing to the New York front office. Narvaez has spent parts of seven seasons in the minors, meaning he would have become a minor league free agent were he not added to the 40-man roster. He joins Kyle Higashioka, Jose Trevino, Ben Rortvedt and prospect Austin Wells in what has become a crowded catching mix. Narvaez can be sent to Triple-A for the foreseeable future, as he’ll be in his first of three minor league option years in 2024.

Yankees Place Domingo German, Five Others On Outright Waivers

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The Yankees have placed six players on outright waivers, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (X link). Starter Domingo Germán, relievers Ryan Weber, Jimmy Cordero and Matt Bowman and outfielders Franchy Cordero and Billy McKinney were let go. All six players have the requisite service time to become free agents if they go unclaimed.

Germán is the most notable of the group. The right-hander pitched parts of six seasons for the Yankees, turning in a 4.41 ERA across 522 1/3 innings. He tallied 108 2/3 frames this year — the second-highest workload of his career — while allowing 4.56 earned runs per nine.

That pedestrian ERA belies the highs and lows of his season. Germán threw the first perfect game in more than a decade on June 28, completing the feat in Oakland. He allowed four or more runs in eight of his 19 appearances overall, though. Germán’s season ended in early August when the Yankees placed the pitcher on the restricted list so he could report for in-patient treatment for alcohol abuse. That was reportedly preceded by an incident in the New York clubhouse, which he had entered intoxicated.

Germán was eligible for arbitration this offseason. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected a $4.4MM salary if he were tendered a contract. That always made him a likely non-tender candidate. Germán turned 31 in August.

Jimmy Cordero posted a 3.86 ERA with strong peripherals over 32 2/3 innings. Major League Baseball announced in early July that he would be suspended for the remainder of the 2023 season after violating the domestic violence policy.

The rest of the players are back-of-the-roster depth types. Weber pitched 14 1/3 innings of five-run ball over eight appearances. McKinney hit .227/.320/.406 in 147 plate appearances after signing a minor league deal over the offseason. Franchy Cordero got into 24 contests after signing a big league deal late in Spring Training. The left-handed hitter posted a .188/.211/.478 line with six homers and a 35.2% strikeout rate. Bowman made three relief appearances, his first MLB action since 2019. He posted a 3.99 ERA in 58 2/3 innings at Triple-A.

Yankees Notes: Outfield, Judge, Loaisiga

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The Yankees shuffled their outfield mix today, optioning Oswaldo Cabrera and Franchy Cordero to the Triple-A while activating Greg Allen and Jake Bauers from the 10-day injured list. Bauers has been out since the beginning of the month with a rotator cuff contusion, while Allen has been on the shelf since early June with a strained right hip flexor.

The club is surely hoping the duo can help revitalize a beleaguered Yankees offense that has delivered a wRC+ of just 84 that ranks bottom four in the majors since star slugger Aaron Judge went on the injured list back in June. In 49 games this season, Bauers has slashed .224/.312/.470 with a solid wRC+ of 114 despite a strikeout rate nearing 30% thanks to a fantastic .246 ISO. Allen, meanwhile got into just 10 games with the Yankees before his trip to the IL. While he posted an excellent wRC+ of 138 during that limited time, a 41.2% strikeout rate and measly .162 xwOBA indicate that production is unsustainable. Nonetheless, Allen can nonetheless provide the Yankees with a switch-hitting outfielder with speed and quality defense off the bench.

The return of Bauers in particular could help provide the club’s lineup with a boost prior to the August 1 trade deadline, which is just over a week away. That being said, it goes without saying that the Yankees are going to need their $360MM man back to have any hope of turning around a season that’s seen them sink to fourth pace in the AL East despite a decent 52-47 record. To that end, the fans received good news today as Judge took live batting practice this morning from right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga, as relayed by MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. Judge had previously been reported as “close” to a return, but today’s exercise represents an additional step forward as he works his way back from the torn toe ligament that has kept him out of the lineup for nearly two months.

Loaisiga, himself, has been out for nearly three months since undergoing elbow surgery to remove a bone spur back in May. That he’s progressed to the point of facing live hitting represents a step forward in the rehab process for him, as well. The next step for Loaisiga appears to be a rehab assignment, which The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner relays could begin next weekend, per manager Aaron Boone. Despite the Yankees sporting an MLB-best bullpen ERA of 3.21 this season, a healthy and effective return from Loasigia, who sports a 3.04 ERA and 3.31 FIP in 145 innings of work since the beginning of the 2020 campaign, could provide a major boost to the Yankees down the stretch.

Yankees Reinstate Carlos Rodon, Transfer Nestor Cortes To 60-Day Injured List

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The Yankees made a series of roster moves today, reinstating left-hander Carlos Rodón from the 60-day injured list and recalling outfielder Franchy Cordero. To clear two active roster spots, righty Deivi García was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and outfielder Jake Bauers was placed on the 10-day injured list. Bauers’ placement is  retroactive to July 6 and due to a left rotator cuff contusion. In order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Rodón, lefty Nestor Cortes was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Rodón will take the mound tonight against the Cubs. It’s his long-awaited Yankee debut. The two-time All-Star signed a six-year, $162MM free agent contract over the winter. He was expected to pair with Gerrit Cole as co-aces atop the starting staff. That’s taken longer than anticipated, as Rodón battled a forearm strain in Spring Training and dealt with back discomfort over the past couple months.

The star southpaw has made three minor league rehab starts, tossing 10 2/3 frames of one-run ball. He threw 58 pitches in his final rehab outing last Saturday. The Yankees will surely be cautious with his workload tonight and coming out of the All-Star Break, but they’ll get their first glimpse of he and Cole as a one-two punch.

Cortes was expected to be a key part of the rotation himself. The southpaw has struggled to a 5.16 ERA over 11 appearances after consecutive sub-3.00 seasons in 2021-22. Cortes then landed on the injured list, retroactive to June 5, after straining his left rotator cuff.

The 60-day minimum backdates to his original IL placement. Cortes is now officially out into the first week of August. It appears he could be back around when first eligible. Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News noted earlier this week (on Twitter) that Cortes got through a 25-pitch bullpen session without issue and is expected to throw live batting practice on Sunday.

As for Bauers, he’ll be out at least through next weekend. The left-handed hitter has filled in reasonably well since being called upon in late April. Over 154 plate appearances, he’s hitting .224/.312/.470 with seven home runs.

Yankees Activate Stanton, Donaldson, Kahnle; Rodon Transferred To 60-Day IL

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1:32pm: The Yankees have now formally announced the full slate of moves. Stanton, Donaldson and Kahnle have all been reinstated from the injured list, while Cabrera, Cordero and Krook have been optioned. They indeed transferred Rodon to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Kahnle. Again, that’s a formality and doesn’t impact Rodon’s eligibility to return. He’s already missed more than 60 days, and the “60-day” term of his IL stint is retroactive to his initial placement on the injured list.

10:57am: The Yankees announced this morning they’ve optioned outfielders Oswaldo Cabrera and Franchy Cordero and reliever Matt Krook to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. (Jack Curry of the YES Network first reported Cabrera’s forthcoming demotion last night.) As Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty of the Athletic write, that clears the way for New York to formally reinstate Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson and Tommy Kahnle from the injured list before tomorrow’s series opener against the Dodgers.

Kahnle is coming back from the 60-day IL and will require a 40-man roster spot, though that can be opened by transferring Carlos Rodón to the 60-day IL. Rodón has already missed more than two months, so that transfer would be a strictly procedural move that doesn’t affect his return eligibility.

Cabrera is the most notable of the players being sent out. He was New York’s Opening Day left fielder and has started 41 of 58 games overall. The majority of his time has been spent in the corner outfield, though he’s also logged some action at each of the non-first base infield spots.

While Cabrera has shown plenty of defensive flexibility, he’s not offered much at the plate. He owns just a .195/.246/.292 line with a trio of home runs over 168 trips. Cabrera logged a similar amount of playing time last season but had a more formidable .247/.312/.429 showing as a rookie. In light of his sophomore slump, the Yankees will send him back for a reset against upper minors pitching.

Paired with Aaron Hicks’ recent release, Cabrera’s demotion leaves left field to some combination of Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Jake Bauers and Willie Calhoun. Stanton may eventually log some corner outfield reps as well, but manager Aaron Boone said yesterday he’ll break back in as a strict designated hitter for the first few weeks (via Kirschner). The club wants to be cautious about his responsibilities after a near six week absence due to a strained left hamstring.

Stanton had connected on four home runs in 13 games over the season’s first couple weeks. He returns to build on a .269/.296/.558 slash line. The former NL MVP has topped 30 homers in each of the last two seasons.

He’s not the only veteran right-handed bat returning to Boone’s lineup. Donaldson has been out for nearly the entire season thanks to a balky right hamstring. He’s gotten into just five games, a disappointing start to what he’d hoped what be a bounceback second season in the Bronx. Donaldson hit only .222/.308/.374 last year but Boone has already indicated he’ll be back in the lineup on an everyday basis once healthy. That should push DJ LeMahieu back into a multi-positional role after he’s been mostly at the hot corner of late.

Kahnle will be making his first appearance during his second MLB stint as a Yankee. The veteran righty returned to the Bronx on a two-year, $11.5MM free agent deal. He’d thrown just 12 2/3 innings for the Dodgers last season but showed mid-90s velocity and excellent ground-ball numbers in that brief look. Kahnle had been delayed by biceps soreness earlier in the season but has returned to throw five innings over as many outings on a minor league rehab appearance.

Yankees Activate Harrison Bader

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The Yankees announced Tuesday morning that they’ve reinstated center fielder Harrison Bader from the injured list. He’s missed the entire season thus far due to an oblique injury. Franchy Cordero was optioned back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move.

Bader’s return gives the Yankees a plus defender who can slot into center field on an everyday basis and also deepen a lineup that has struggled for much of the year. While Bader hit just .217/.245/.283 in 14 regular-season games with the Yankees following his return from another IL stint last summer, he erupted with a .333/.429/.833 batting line and five homers in just 35 postseason plate appearances. He’s also a career .245/.317/.405 hitter overall during 1764 regular-season plate appearances (97 wRC+).

For much of the season, Bader’s looming return seemed like it’d be the catalyst for the Yankees to make some degree of changes in the outfield, but any such decision is now pushed back a week or so, with Aaron Judge on the injured list due to a hip strain. There’s hope that Judge can return early next week, however, at which point the Yankees will have to determine how they’ll allocate outfield playing time. Bader and Judge will presumably take regular reps in center and in right field, leaving the Yankees with a collection of Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Cabrera, Jake Bauers, Willie Calhoun and perhaps the currently-optioned Cordero to split time between left field and at designated hitter.

Bauers was only just selected to the 40-man roster from Triple-A after a huge start to his season in Scranton, but the other four have struggled considerably at the big league level in the Bronx. Hicks, in particular, has floundered at the plate but is also signed through the 2025 season. Calhoun is out of minor league options and is hitting just .220/.250/.244 through 44 plate appearances himself.

Bader’s return also bears monitoring given his status as an impending free agent. The manner in which he produces and is able to remain healthy over the course of the ensuing five months will play a significant role both in his earning power and in the context of the upcoming free-agent market. The 30-year-old Bader is slated to join Cody Bellinger and Enrique Hernandez as the top center field options on the market this winter. Hernandez has been playing primarily on the infield this year thanks to injuries elsewhere on the Boston roster, however. Bellinger is out to a strong start with the Cubs but will need more than just one good month to erase the offensive swoon that defined his 2021-22 seasons. Bader’s own return from injury will help form that market.

Yankees Place Aaron Judge On Injured List

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The Yankees announced that outfielder Aaron Judge has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 28, with a right hip strain. Outfielder Franchy Cordero was recalled in a corresponding move.

Judge was diagnosed with a hip strain in recent days but he and the club tried to see how it developed before officially placing him on the injured list. IL placements can be backdated as many as three days, as long as the player didn’t play in that time. Judge last played on Thursday but it seems that there’s still enough lingering concern with the issue that he’ll take another week off to get it healthy.

Obviously, playing without Judge will be a blow for the Yanks as he’s one of the best players on the planet. Last year, he had an epic season that involved 62 home runs, a 15.9% walk rate and a .311/.425/.686 batting line. Keeping that kind of production going for a second straight year would have been an incredibly difficult task and Judge is indeed shy of that, but his .261/.352/.511 line this year is still excellent.

While losing Judge will undoubtedly hurt the Yanks, it’s still quite early in the season and it makes sense for the club to exercise caution as opposed to heedlessly throwing him into the lineup every day and risk of exacerbating the issue. Since his IL placement seemed to be a borderline case, it seems fair to expect a minimal stint, though the club hasn’t announced any kind of official timeline.

Without Judge, the Yanks will have a hodgepodge of outfielders jockeying for playing time, including Cordero, Willie Calhoun, Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Cabrera, Jake Bauers and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. None of those players is having a strong season so far, with Cordero’s .151/.182/.396 batting line and 52 wRC+ the strongest of the bunch.

Help could be on the way shortly, however, as Harrison Bader is currently on a rehab assignment. He’s missed the entire season thus far due to an oblique strain but manager Aaron Boone tells reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, that he could be back by this weekend.

Yankees Option Franchy Cordero, Select Jake Bauers

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11:46am: The team announced they have indeed selected the contract of Bauers. To make room on the 40-man roster, reliever Lou Trivino was transferred to the 60-day IL.

7:59am: The Yankees have optioned outfielder Franchy Cordero to Triple-A, the team announced. A corresponding move will come before tonight’s match with the Rangers, but there’s been some reporting that the team will select Triple-A outfielder Jake Bauers. Aaron Judge’s injury status will also likely play a part in the Yankees’ next move, with the team awaiting a report on the MRI on his hip, per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.

Cordero, always a player with tantalizing power, belted four home runs in his first seven games for the Yankees this season, and looked to be staking a claim for the team’s problematic left field spot. However, since April 13, Cordero has gone just 1-for-28 with 13 strikeouts and no walks. That’s left him with an overall line on the season of .151/.182/.396 with four home runs.

The Yankees signed Cordero to a split major/minor league contract late in the spring which paid him $1MM in the big leagues and $180K in the minors. Cordero has bounced around a few teams since making his debut for the Padres in 2017, with teams looking to unlock the raw power which makes him such an enticing player. Yet at every stop Cordero’s struggled to make enough contact to find that power, as his career .215/.282/.387 line suggests.

With Cordero heading back to Triple-A, the team looks set to take a chance on Bauers, a player who’s struggled over three big league seasons but is hitting .304/.448/.797 with nine home runs in 87 plate appearances at Triple-A this season.

It is a little concerning that the Yankees came out of last season with a clear need in left field yet find themselves still without a clear answer one month into the new season. Oswaldo Cabrera has seen the most time there, but he’s limped to just a .213/.238/.300 line this season. Veteran Aaron Hicks has been even worse, posting a .135/.220/.135 line in 41 plate appearances.

Boone: Yankees Working On “Potential Deal” To Add Pitcher

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The Yankees are working on a “potential” deal to add a pitcher to the staff, manager Aaron Boone told reporters prior to today’s season opener (Twitter link, with video, via SNY). Boone didn’t futher tip his hand as to whether the Yankees are talking to a free agent or discussing a possible trade. However, they’re opening the season with 14 position players and 12 pitchers on their roster, reflective of both a potentially incoming arm and an off-day on the schedule Friday.

“We’re going with just seven guys in the ’pen, obviously with an off-day tomorrow, where we have a potential deal going that’ll probably change that moving forward in the next day or two,” said Boone. “…A pitcher could be in play for us, that we add or not. Whether or not we do, we’d be in a position to pull from the minor leagues, too.”

New York’s pitching staff has been hit hard by injuries, evidenced by the sheer number of players who are beginning the season on the injured list. The Yankees announced today that lefty Carlos Rodon (forearm strain) and righties Luis Severino (lat strain), Lou Trivino (elbow strain), Tommy Kahnle (biceps tendinitis) and Frankie Montas (shoulder surgery) have all been placed on the 15-day injured list. Right-handers Scott Effross (2022 Tommy John surgery) and Luis Gil (2022 Tommy John surgery) both were placed on the 60-day IL. Center fielder Harrison Bader (oblique strain) and catcher Ben Rortvedt (shoulder aneurysm surgery) are both on the 10-day IL.

Also of note from Boone’s media session today, the skipper indicated that not only will Oswaldo Cabrera get the Opening Day start in left field — but he’ll open the season as the team’s primary left fielder (Twitter link via Joel Sherman of the New York Post). Aaron Hicks will still get some time against left-handed pitching, and Cabrera’s versatility means he’ll occasionally line up at other spots, but it seems the current plan is for him to be the most frequently used option in left field.

The 24-year-old Cabrera made his big league debut in 2022, slashing .247/.312/.429 in 171 plate appearances. Originally expected to be in more of a versatile infield/outfield utility role, the switch-hitting Cabrera seized a more prominent role with a monster spring showing. In 57 plate appearances, he batted .340/.386/.623 with four homers, three doubles, four walks (7%) and 10 strikeouts (17.5%).

The Yankees also confirmed some previously known/reported moves. Top prospect Anthony Volpe’s contract has been formally selected, and he’ll open the season as the Yankees’ primary shortstop. Right-hander Jhony Brito was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and is expected to start the team’s third game of the season on Sunday. And, as was widely reported yesterday, the Yankees signed outfielder/first baseman Franchy Cordero to a Major League contract and formally added him to their Opening Day roster.

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