Yankees add 6 players to 40-man roster
Earlier today, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
· Added RHP Albert Abreu, RHP Domingo Acevedo, INF Thairo Estrada, RHP Jonathan Loaisiga, OF Billy McKinney and INF Gleyber Torres to the Major League roster.
Abreu, 22, made 14 appearances (13 starts) in 2017, splitting the season between Single-A Charleston, Single-A Tampa and the GCL Yankees East while posting a 2-3 record and 3.38 ERA (53.1IP, 45H, 23R/20ER, 18BB, 61K, 3HR). Following the season, the Guayubín, Dominican Republic native pitched for Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League, going 1-2 with a 2.60 ERA (27.2IP, 21H, 8ER, 14BB, 23K, 3HR) in six starts. He was one of two pitchers acquired by the Yankees from Houston in exchange for C Brian McCann and cash considerations on November 17, 2016. The Astros originally signed the right-hander as a non-drafted free agent on August 5, 2013.
Acevedo, 23, went 6-6 with a 3.25 ERA (133.0IP, 126H, 58R/48ER, 34BB, 142K, 13HR) in 23 starts between Single-A Tampa, Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2017, ranking second in the organization in strikeouts. The right-hander owns a career 9.81 K/9.0IP ratio (362K/332.0IP) across five minor league seasons. Born in Villa Los Almacigos, Dominican Republic, Acevedo was signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on October 17, 2012.
Estrada, 21, spent the 2017 season with Double-A Trenton, batting .301 (149-for-495) with 72R, 19 doubles, 4 triples, 6HR and 48RBI in 122 games. The 2017 Eastern League Mid-Season and Postseason All-Star tied for fourth in the league in runs scored, while his 149 hits were second-most among Yankees farmhands. He played primarily shortstop while also seeing time at second base and third base. Following the season, he joined Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .342 (27-for-79) with 13R, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1HR and 10RBI in 20 games, and was named to the league's Fall Stars Game. The Bejuma, Venezuela, native was signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on August 2, 2012.
Loaisiga, 23, went 1-1 with a 1.38 ERA (32.2IP, 17H, 7R/5ER, 3BB, 33K, 1HR) in 11 starts between the GCL Yankees East, the GCL Yankees West and short-season Single-A Staten Island in 2017. The right-hander was signed by the Yankees as a minor league free agent on February 9, 2016. In 25 starts over parts of three minor league seasons, he owns a 9-2 career record with a 2.43 ERA (103.2IP, 79H, 38R/28ER, 20BB, 75K, 6HR). A native of Managua, Nicaragua, he was originally signed by San Francisco as a non-drafted free agent on September 13, 2012.
McKinney, 23, split the 2017 campaign between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, combining to hit .277 (122-for-441) with 66R, 29 doubles, 7 triples, 16HR, 64RBI and 39BB in 124 games. Following the season, the left-handed hitter played for Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .279 (19-for-68) with 8R, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1HR, 20RBI and 11BB in 19 games. McKinney was acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs along with three others in exchange for LHP Aroldis Chapman on July 25, 2016. The Dallas, Texas native was originally selected by Oakland with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft and traded to Chicago as part of a five-player deal on July 5, 2014.
Torres, 20, played in 55 games between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before suffering a torn UCL in his left elbow on June 17 and undergoing "Tommy John" surgery. He combined to hit .287 (58-for-202) with 31R, 14 doubles, 2 triples, 7HR, 34RBI, 30BB and 7SB while playing shortstop, third base and second base. The Caracas, Venezuela native was acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs along with three others in exchange for LHP Aroldis Chapman on July 25, 2016. The 2016 Arizona Fall League MVP was originally signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2013. He was ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect by Baseball America entering the 2017 season.