Much like most other teams in MLB, New York Yankees are also spending their offseason trying to get skilled players and strengthen their roaster for the upcoming season. And according to several reports, they have added a new weapon to their arsenal in the form of pitcher Randy Vasquez.
Yankees Randy Vasquez To The Roaster!
On Tuesday, the Yankees added a player to their 40-man roster as they had extra room. This evening, the Yankees made the selection of right-hander Randy Vásquez to their 40-man roster official. He is no longer qualified to participate in the Rule 5 draft as a result of the action.
In the 2018–19 international signing window, Vásquez from the Dominican Republic signed as an amateur free agent. He recently held the ninth spot in Baseball America\’s rankings of New York\’s farm system\’s prospects. He is an expert with curveballs. His fastball has been rated as being in the low to mid-90s by the outlet. And if Vasquez improves his control, he might grow into a starter at the back of the rotation in the Yankees.
The 24-year-old played at Double-A Somerset during the previous season. He pitched to a 3.90 ERA in 115 1/3 innings over 25 starts while striking out 24.2% of hitters and generating 48.3% off ground balls. Along with his 8.3% walk rate, those are both excellent results. He is expected to begin the 2023 season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and stands a chance of a major league debut.
At 6 feet tall and 165 pounds, Vazquez dominates with a fastball that has reached 98 mph but often sits in the mid-to-low 90s and a powerful, high-spin curveball. Additionally, his slider and changeup are inconsistent. On Tuesday, the Yankees had the option of protecting more players from the Rule 5 Draft by adding more players to the 40-man roster, but they chose not to. Andres Chaparro at third base and Josh Breaux at catcher were two of the hopefuls who didn\’t make the team.
Are The Bombers Going For Brandon Nimmo?
The outfield for the Yankees has to be filled in two places this offseason. One of those items would be completed by re-signing Aaron Judge to a massive contract, which is the top priority for New York. Meanwhile, reports suggest that for the second spot, the Yankees might be looking at Brandon Nimmo. As per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, The Bombers have reached out to Nimmo.
In order to add some much-needed balance to their high-octane assault, the Yankees have been coveted left-handed batters recently. Nimmo would provide exceptional plate discipline, contact abilities, and pop. The 29-year-old had a 2022 batting line for the Mets of.274/.367/.433, with 16 home runs, seven triples, and 134 wRC+. In 151 games played, he scored 102 runs, setting career highs.