The Yankees declined their 2012 option on righty Andrew Brackman, GM Brian Cashman told reporters on a conference call today. The 6'10" 25-year-old righty is now a free agent; ESPN's Keith Law explains that Brackman's contract called for the Yankees to release him if they didn't pick up his option.
Brackman, 25, made his Major League debut this year with three relief appearances. The Yankees drafted him 30th overall out of North Carolina State in 2007 and signed him to a $4.45MM Major League contract. The Yankees knew at the time that Brackman needed Tommy John surgery. Brackman made it up to Triple-A this year, where he was shifted to the bullpen. He posted a 6.00 ERA, 7.0 K/9, 7.0 BB/9, and 0.9 HR/9 in 96 innings.
Hmmm interesting.
What’s your rationale?
I’m guessing his value fell to the point where management felt there wasn’t a decent enough return to be had with a trade, even as filler, which probably surprises me the most. I believe all together the option would have been for $1.5mm so maybe it’s just as simple as opening a little extra payroll and a roster spot. Apparently that roster spot is more valuable than we think. As I said yesterday, Cashman has everything mapped out, I’m sure and I don’t expect this decision was made this morning.
I want to agree with you about Cashman having it mapped out… but if that’s the case, he should have gotten something back in return for a midseason trade.
I mean, let’s be honest here. $1.5m is not a big deal to the Yanks. Like, at all. The roster spot is probably the bigger issue.
That’s a sneaky clause in the contract. I hope there was a better reason than saving a roster spot or 1.5m.
Woww. Did not see this coming. And before people get confused, yes Brackman under normal circumstances would still be under team control (Pre Arb player) but Cot’s says Team had clause in contract that if they didnt pick up Club Options they would have to release him.
Can’t wait to hear the explanation on this
Depends on the options. No point in keeping the guy if his options were going to be expensive.
Look at that walk rate.
It’s not like they were going to keep him for league minimum.
$500,000 if he was in the minors for the whole year. So, yeah, basically league minimum.
OMG BUT THE KILLER B’S ARE CAN’T MISS PROSPECTS WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!
Obviously they aren’t “can’t miss,” because the Yankees just missed with Brackman.
Just goes to show… no prospect is can’t miss.
except Manny Banuelos, now that guy is a lock for the hall!
He’s the next Felix Hernandez, don’tcha know?
No, seriously, I’ve heard that one. I won’t say he won’t work out, he’s insanely young for AAA and holding his own, but people need to learn to temper expectations.
I wouldn’t call 24/25 “insanely young for triple A”.
In response to ECB, I was referring to Banuelos, who’s currently 20. He’s fast tracking extremely well. Any of the three could wash out, but Banuelos looks like the most sure bet of the three.
did you rtfc?
And which Banuelos that the Yankees have is “24/25?”
Maybe he knows something we don’t…
Did Brackman ever get praise that high?? Banuelos is the most promising. Betances might never get his control right and end up in the pen. Anyone with a modicum of prospect knowledge knows this stuff.
Rewind maybe eighteen months (Around when the Lee to the Rangers deal went down) and a lot of Yankees fans were referring to them as the Killer B’s and speaking as if they were all effectively can’t miss prospects.
Probably the same people that were thinking Melky Cabrera could headline a trade for Johan a few years back
Wow. Whoever signs him now is going to have six years of control of the guy, which is definitely going to spike his value. Brackman’s agent just heard the best news of his life.
Six years? How do you figure that?
Because, with just three big-league appearances to his name so far, he hasn’t used up any of his control years. Every player is under team control for at least six years (three minimum salary, three arbitration unless Super Two) after hitting the big-leagues. Whoever signs Brackman now will still get those years of control that the Yankees did not use.
False. He used up a full year of service while on the DL following his TJ surgery (Yanks chose to DL, so they wouldn’t waste an option year)
Good catch. Five years, then. Do you know many options he has remaining? That’s probably going to be the biggest point that determines his market value here.
He’s going to develop into a useful bullpen piece for SOMEBODY next year….
A team That needs a Starter.
Should not sign Andrew Brackman.
Alfredo Aceves… take 2?
hey ben! are you paying attention?
Boston’s bullpen is just fine…
We need a new definition of “just fine” then.
Here’s my definition: Leading all of freaking baseball in fWAR among relief corps with 7.7:
link to fangraphs.com
I’m not exactly sure what your expectations are, but that seems awfully good to me, no?
And the White Sox SP was ranked 2nd in that. Proof that WAR for Pitchers on Fangraphs is a joke.
Really? 1 year of WAR for 1 teams set of starting pitchers is proof it’s “a joke?” Methinks not.
So you think the White Sox had the 2nd best rotation in MLB?
2nd lowest BB/9 in MLB and a half decent K/9 & GB%. Why not?
24th in BABIP, 20th in BAA, 18th in ERA, 13th in WHIP, 16th in K%
So we base it all on walks?
24th in BABIP, 20th in BAA, 18th in ERA, 13th in WHIP, 16th in K%
So we base it all on walks?
Where exactly did I say that? I’m of the opinion that you are being quick to excuse a valuable (in my eyes) statistic based solely on the way it judged one teams SP staff in one season.
I know that’s not what you said, but it seemed as if you were arguing that Fangraphs WAR value (at least for pitchers) tells it all. Clearly you know something is wrong with it if it lists the White Sox rotation as the 2nd most valuable rotation in baseball.
Sorry, I guess earlier I should have said 2nd most valuable and not 2nd best. Point is, I don’t see any argument on how it is.
Again, I don’t know how you gathered that I was claiming fWAR “tells it all.” I don’t believe that it does, but at the same time I do think it is a valuable statistic, even if it happens to throw out the notion that the White Sox had the 2nd most valuable SP staff in 2011. I think it is better used on an individual comparison as well as in conjunction with other stats that help tell the complete picture.
Yes, because having 2 reliable pitchers by the end constitutes as fine. Especially since one of those is a free agent. When you have to depend on guys like Andrew Miller, Matt Albers, and Tim Wakefield, your pitching depth is fine.
Silly me, I forgot that every team in baseball has seven relievers who all throw 98 and strikeout every other batter they face. Oh, wait a minute, that’s only in your MLB The Show Dynasty Mode!
Boston ERA & IP in relief appearances only, min. 10 IP as RP:
Papelbon: 2.94 ERA in 64.1 IP
Bard: 3.33 ERA in 73 IP
Aceves: 2.03 ERA in 93 IP
Atchison: 3.26 ERA in 30.1 IP
Albers: 4.73 ERA in 64.2 IP
Wheeler: 4.38 ERA in 49.1 IP
Morales: 3.62 ERA in 32.1 IP
Jenks: 6.32 ERA in 15.2 IP
Wakefield: 3.63 ERA in 17.1 IP
Bowden: 4.05 ERA in 20 IP
Doubront: 6.10 ERA in 10.1 IP
So, by my count, that’s six relievers – Papelbon, Bard, Aceves, Atchison, Morales, and Wakefield – who each posted ERAs under 4 and combined for 310.2 innings of relief, much of it dominant. Seems to me that, considering the fact that most teams keep seven or eight relievers on their roster at any time, that’s most of an incredible corps of relief pitching by itself.
Sure, Jenks and Doubront blew chunks, but they also combined for just 26 relief innings. I hardly see how the Red Sox “depended” on Miller and his 6.2 relief innings, and I hardly see the problem with Wakefield and his 3.63 ERA as a reliever. Albers also posted a 4.00 FIP, so while his ERA was underwhelming, there’s no reason he can’t be a quality reliever going forward if the team decides to part ways with Wakefield.
So, yeah, Boston’s bullpen is just fine.
Bard blew up. Atchison was on the DL. Morales was on the DL. Wakefield sucks. None of them are consistent or reliable.
the majority of relievers aren’t. In many ways building an effective bullpen has more to do with quantity than quality. The more options you have the more likely you can catch lightning in a bottle, so to speak. Corey Wade for the Yankees was a good example of this strategy.
I got this! Curt Young is great with young pitchers….wait a second, nevermind
Curt Young is good with young pitchers, and he’s on the A’s…
Thanks for the info…wait second, I already knew that, hence the sarcasm.
Cot’s also said that his 2011 option only guaranteed him 400K if he stayed in the minors all year. Have to think the 2012 option was the same thing.
More must have gone on behind the scenes. He’s sucked for the most part, but there’s a lot there to like.
Probably a 40-man roster move.
Guess he wasn’t as KILLER as the NYY fans touted
in fairness, he was projected as a closer, not top-middle rotation starter like the others. Still… wish him the best where ever he signs.
Not really true. He was looked at as a possible starter who at worse would be an option out the pen.
We’ve argued about this before. I always saw Brackman as a closer/reliever. Baseball America agrees.
link to baseballamerica.com
Damn, looking at that list, he was ranked as our 5th best prospect. There better had been a good reason for letting him go.
5th? Ouch, what does that mean from 6th on down?
nothin’. brackman had a good 2010 and a horrid 2011
Yeah.. This has gone on here several times before and as I (and a couple others posted above and days before) both he and Andrew Miller in many ways mirror each other. They are hard throwers who have issues with the strike zone way to often to be reliable (now) as closers, or even really late inning relievers and have troubles as starters. This is really a trouble area of extremely talented pitchers and a shame. Both these people have outstanding secondary stuff, top notch FB’s, yet lose all control of the zone way too often to be successful at this moment.
This is not a knock on either of these guys, have been a huge fan of both since they played for NC/NC State and would love to see them get it together. Hopefully one day they can straighten their games out and become the #2-3 guys they were projected to be and face off with Boston-NYY as the outstanding pitchers they were thought to become at the MLB level.
On the surface, this looks like a bad move… but until more of the story comes forth, I’ll reserve judgement.
His stuff is so filthy, if he could just control it, he would be a very solid player. He has a big curveball and a pretty good fastball, he just has no clue where it’s going. If he went to the cards, I bet he would end up being ridiculous.
Boston will snag him and hope for Aceves 2.0
except Aceves was established as good, and didn’t have control issues, the only concern was his shoulder which held up fine. Brackman has control issues which means someone better help his mechanics or he’s going nowhere fast
He should have stuck with basketball- he had NBA talent.
Is there any way Yankees can still sign him? As a free agent? To perhaps a minor league contract? That should be legal, right? Why am I asking so many questions? I don’t know, do you?
Yes, yes, if he agrees, right, you’re on a roll maybe, and I don’t know do I?
White Sox!!!
Jays need to rebuild their bullpen, maybe all this guy needs is a change of scenery.
striking out only 7 per 9 and walking just as many at AAA, he needs way more than that
stem cells?
beer
Beer huh. I guess he is going to Boston. Time for some Sam Addams
stem cells?
It would make a ton of sense for the Padres to look at this guy. Balsley has had a ton of success getting the best out of big middle relievers. It would be a good move for both parties.
Make it happen Sandy!!
It`s only 400k.. oh wait…. never mind…. too expensive
Red Sox need pitching depth, I see a potential free agent signing. If this happened and he ended up dominating, it would be the 1st of many great moves by Cherington.
declines brackman to retain mitre and proctor. It has got to be the reason…
What makes you think he’s going to be cheap? Whoever signs him will have six years of team control of him, so there’s no reason he should take pennies to sign.
That 7 per 9 walk rate is a pretty good reason for some caution.
His 6’10” frame, enormous velocity, and closer upside are pretty good reasons to pay through the nose for six years’ worth of a guy, even with those problems.
Andrew Miller thinks you’re nuts.
If he is indeed out of options, then you’re right about the MiLB deal. Probably a split contract, so whoever offers the most money in the event that he makes the club and a legitimate chance to do so will probably get him.
Yeah, he has been very overhyped and is still a project at a point where he’s supposed to be a contributer.
Did you come up with that on your own? Or did you have a 2 hour meeting with your fellow Yankee haters to come up with that?
You do know that he had TJ surgery to start his pro career right? Then he started in A ball, not rookie ball or even short season A. Then he got promoted to A+ the following year and AA the same season. He never got a chance to dominate at any level. Then he got advanced to AAA when he clearly wasn’t ready and put in the bullpen. He was rushed through the system and never got a real chance bounce back from his TJ surgery.
You do know that he had TJ surgery to start his pro career right? Then he started in A ball, not rookie ball or even short season A. Then he got promoted to A+ the following year and AA the same season. He never got a chance to dominate at any level. Then he got advanced to AAA when he clearly wasn’t ready and put in the bullpen. He was rushed through the system and never got a real chance bounce back from his TJ surgery.
Yeah. It’s a shame too. Another of those Andrew Miller over hyped types that just never did blossom out.
We don’t know though, Cashman might have talked with him and his agent about cutting him loose and wanting to get him back at a lesser value, so he could be back at lesser dollars. Wouldn’t give up hope if was a NYY fan. Boston cut Miller lose last year and resigned him for fewer $$$. Wait a couple weeks and see.
Yeah. It’s a shame too. Another of those Andrew Miller over hyped types that just never did blossom out.
We don’t know though, Cashman might have talked with him and his agent about cutting him loose and wanting to get him back at a lesser value, so he could be back at lesser dollars. Wouldn’t give up hope if was a NYY fan. Boston cut Miller lose last year and resigned him for fewer $$$. Wait a couple weeks and see.
I hope they bring him back. I’d be quite upset if we let him go and he turns it around quickly for another team…cough, cough…Rays.
Who called the Meeting of the Yankee Haters and didn’t send out the memo?