In addition to the Yankees re-signing shortstop Jose Rosario they have signed five more to minor league contracts including LHP Richard Bleier, RHP Vinnie Pestano, OF Juan Silva, catcher Sebastian Valle and RF Cesar Puello according to Baseball America’s Matt Eddy.
Puello, 24, spent his career with the New York Mets organization. He reached as high as Triple-A Las Vegas but sat out most of the 2015 season with a stress fracture in his back. In 578 minor league games he owns a .282 career batting average 117 doubles, 14 doubles and 44 RBIs. In 2013 MiLB.com named Puello a New York Mets organizational All-Star. He is also the lone Biogenesis player to not reach the major leagues.
Sebastian Valle in the 2011 Florida State League All-Star Game (Bryan Green)
Valle, 25, has spent his 8 seasons in the minor leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies organization and last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates reaching as high as Triple-A in 2012 and 2014 with the Phillies. In 2015 he played in 70 games for the Altoona Curve of the Eastern League where he hit .279 with 21 doubles and 4 homeruns. He owns a career .258 batting average in the minors and was a mid-season all-star with Williamsport in 2009, Clearwater in 2011 and Reading in 2012. He was also named a Caribbean Series All-Star in 2014 as well as played in the Futures Game in 2011. In 2010 he was also a MiLB.com Philadelphia organizational all-star and the Mexican Pacific League Rookie of the Year.
Silva, 24, spent his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds organization where he had a combined .266 batting average in 7 seasons. He split the 2015 season between Double-A and Triple-A. In Triple-A he had a .244 batting average over 43 games. In 2014 Silva as named a MiLB.com Organizational All-Star for the Reds as well as earned a Player of the Week nod.
Pitcher Vinnie Pestano with the Cleveland Indians (Flickr User: Keith Allison)
Pestano, 30, has appeared in 223 major league games over his career including 19 in 2015 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim where he had a 5.40 ERA in 11 2/3 innings over 19 games. In his minor league career, he has a 2.42 ERA over 260 1/3 innings including 35 games and 34 1/3 innings for the Salt Lake Bees of the Pacific Coast League in 2015. Over his major league career, he owns a 2.98 ERA in 202 2/3 innings in 223 games, most of his time in the majors was spent with the Cleveland Indians.
Bleier, 28, was a former sixth round draft pick by the Texas Rangers. The lefty has not made it to the majors but has reached as high as Triple-A with the Rangers, the Blue Jays and the Nationals organization. In 2015 he was 14-5 with a 2.57 ERA in 28 games, 26 starts, and 171 2/3 innings between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse. Over all he owns a 53-54 record and a 4.04 ERA over 229 games in the minors.
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