Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |
On July 12, Yankees GM Brian Cashman told our pal Jim Duquette on Jim's Sirius/XM radio show that top prospect Deivi Garcia was "putting himself in the mix" to help the team this year.
When Cashman made that comment, Garcia had just pitched a scoreless first inning in the Futures Game and earned a promotion to Triple-A. The notion that he could emerge as a 20-year-old phenom and contribute to a World Series run tantalized both the team and its fans.
But in reality, player development is usually a slower burn. The Yankees still see a bright future for Garcia -- their refusal in July to trade him for Zack Wheeler, Marcus Stroman and others is proof of that --
Talking to people involved in the decision, it's clear that between Garcia's up-and-down-performance and the Yankees' deep bullpen at the major league level, there is simply no reason to rush him, barring an injury or other unexpected event.
Additionally, if the Yanks add Garcia to the 40-man roster, they would risk losing another player in this winter's Rule 5 Draft.
If Garcia's recent performance had suggested that he could emerge as an October flamethrower in the mold of a 20-year-old K-Rod for the 2002 Angels, the team might have ignored all other factors.
But given Garcia's more typical progression -- it's rare to reach the majors at his age, after all -- the team decided not to deviate from a more standard development plan.
Though Garcia is in Tampa, and manager Aaron Boone said on Sunday that it's "not out of the realm that at some point he could still be a factor," Yankees fans should not hold their collective breath waiting to see Garcia in 2019.