The Yankees have granted right-hander Allan Winans his release so that he can sign with a team in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. It’s not yet clear which team the 30-year-old righty will be joining. His release opens a spot on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, which is now down to 36 players.
Situations such as this one tend to benefit all parties. The Yankees will lose some depth, but Winans wasn’t a lock to last the whole offseason on their 40-man roster anyhow — particularly since he’s out of minor league options. Japanese teams typically pay a release fee of a few hundred thousand dollars to a player’s MLB club in order to facilitate the release. Winans, meanwhile, will earn far more pitching overseas than he would on a split big league deal that sees him oscillate between Triple-A and the majors.
Winans has pitched in each of the past three major league seasons, albeit sparingly. He’s totaled 49 1/3 innings between Atlanta and New York but been roughed up for a 7.48 ERA in that time. His track record in Triple-A is superlative, however. He’s spent parts of fours seasons between the Braves’ top affiliate in Gwinnett and the Yankees’ top affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, combining for a 2.79 ERA with a 23.1% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate in 355 1/3 innings.
Despite that success at the top minor league level, Winans has been hit quite hard in the majors. The flat 90 mph he’s averaged on his four-seamer in the big leagues is well below the average in today’s era of increased velocity but is more common in NPB, where the average heater sits closer to 91 mph. Given his sharp command and strong track record in the minors, Winans should command a rotation spot in NPB and could fare quite well.
It’s increasingly common to see pitchers thrive overseas and come back to North America on notable free agent deals, though most typically throw harder than Winans. Pitching well in Japan could also position him to re-sign on a more lucrative deal in subsequent seasons. There are plenty of former fringe 40-man players in the majors who’ve gone overseas and enjoyed lengthy, lucrative careers pitching in NPB, the Korea Baseball Organization and/or Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League.
On one hand, i get it; let him pursue a better opportunity. On the other hand, Yankees have some openings in the bullpen and depleting depth isn’t going to help
I’m not worried about losing him. He Had his chance last year and failed. I’m ready to give ERC or Lagrange an opportunity for the BP
He’s honestly never had much of any chance because teams assume he won’t be able to make it in the majors. If given the look that a harder thrower generally gets I am pretty confident he would be a regular in the back of a big league rotation by now. I get it tho. Teams want to develop strikeout pitchers they think will win playoff games. But thats only half the truth. The rest is bias assessment of talent based on current standard ideas that in the future will be seen as bias (albeit probably not for 25 years or so
I’m confident in pitching coach Matt Blake finding and utilizing undervalued relievers. If Winans were to be breaking camp, I’d be concerned.
Yes, it seems like a very fair trade. Winans for Imai.
Good riddance, he stinks.
Meh… Don’t hate the player, hate the game. Dude’s a quad A up and down guy, not his fault when teams use him. Good for him grabbing the bag while he can.
Not liking this off season so far… if they resign bellinger and add Imai or king C+ to B- grade. But I have the feeling the yankees are going to let bellinger go and say Tucker wants to much then trade Chisholm for pitching needs and Cashman will end up weakening the team! Grisham should not have been offered the tag.. they should have used his $ to resign bellinger and then offered Grisham a contract around 10 to 12 mill per 3 yr deal and if he said no let him walk and sign a Cedric Mullins type or another free agent and groomed Dominguez and Spencer Jones more… awful hot stove so far for NY they are watching arms come off the board and not replacing these guys… let’s go a off-season with Trent Grisham and Rosario isn’t going to cut it! Another thing saying Rosario is insurance if bellinger leaves is a joke! I like Rosario but he won’t come close to putting the numbers that bellinger puts up offensively or defensively for that matter.. end of rant!
@Dmac
I don’t get your feelings towards the Yanks. When have they day on their hand and some nothing? There at plenty of guys in the top 10 list that are still available and who knows who might be available in trades. You act like this is the norm for the Yanks.
@knicks all the top bullpen arms are gone except fairbanks. The yankees have always had a strong bullpen and last year it was weaker than the norm. Now subtract williams and weaver. The yankees failed last year 2 years ago the made the WS and they brought in bodies to try to win it and ran into a gritty Toronto team. Now they have let guys come off the free agent board only to have Toronto and Baltimore get better. If king comes back and is a starter then goes to the pen maybe but I can’t see a guy making 15 or so million in there pen.. Fairbanks im guessing might sign for 2 yr 20.. my frustration is they are the Yankees stop operating like the rays.. yes 300 million is where they may be but don’t spend to spend ie Grisham at 22… spend it wisely Grisham career wise is a 10 million max guy bellinger is a no brainer the longer he waits the more is costs the yankees and the more likely he doesn’t resign. Then they will trade jazz when they should be extending him now. As I said earlier losing belli and jazz is 60 Hr and 2 major offensive weapons.. the judge window to win it all is shrinking! Labor strike in 27? If they don’t make it in 26 we are going on what 18 years?
So right now they would have no Second Baseman?and no centerfielder.,, two 800+ OPS guys,while you hope to outdid the Mets and Dodgers for Bellinger? Reply with your guaranteed Game One lineup.
Hal says Yankees can’t afford to keep acting like his father’s Yankees. They’re going broke and losing money on the season at this level of spending. No need to look at their books though.
When have they day on their hand and some nothing?
Please explain to the internet.