A Look around the Winter Leagues

With Luis Niebla, Adonis Garcia, Ali Castillo, and Ramon Flores doing well throughout the winter leagues it can be easy to overlook what other Yankees are doing in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and even Australia.

Right-hander Diego Moreno, who split 2014 between Double-A Trenton Thunder and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, is pitching for Aguilas del Zulia in the Venezuelan Winter League. So far in 22 games out of the bullpen he has 3-0 record with a 5.40 ERA in 20 innings. Luis Cedeno, a 20-year old right-hander who played in the Gulf Coast League in 2014, has yet to record an out in Venezuela, allowing 4 runs on two hits in his loan game this year.

Outfielder Ericson Leonora is having a good winter with the Cardenales de Lara in Venezuela, the 22 year old is batting .273 in five games. Catcher Jackson Valera has appeared in three games but has yet to have any plate appearances while Francisco Arcia is batting .195 in 23 games for far this winter.

Vicente Conde, a 2014 draft pick, is currently the only Yankees player in the Puerto Rican Winter League and with two games under his belt he has yet to get a hit with two at bats. In the Mexican Winter League, right-hander Giovanny Gallegos is 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA in 16 relief appearances.

Several Yankees are playing in the Dominican Winter League including recently acquired pitcher Jose De Paula who is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in two games, tossing 10 innings and allowing just one run, a walk and striking out 10 for the Gigantes del Cibao. Esmil Rogers is having a winter to forget, in two starts he has allowed six runs in 6.2 innings of work and Joel De La Cruz has yet to allow a run in six games in relief.

At the plate outfielder Eury Perez is batting just .194 in 30 games. The only Yankees farmhand to hit better in the Dominican is Jose Rosario who is hitting .200 while Eduardo de Oleo has yet to record a hit.

Finally we come to Adam Silva, a 20 year old outfielder, and the lone Yankees player in the Australian Baseball League. Adam is a native of Australia and his hitting .262 in 16 games, with three boules and a homerun. He has 11 RBIs and walked six times with a stolen base as well.