As you probably know by now, the Yankees set their 40-man roster today by protecting several prospects from the upcoming Rule 5 draft. They could have protected one or two more, but decided to leave open slots, presumably for a Rule 5 selection of their own if they see someone out there who intrigues them.
For those who are wondering, players eligible for the Rule 5 draft are players who are not on a team's 40-man roster and have been in the minor leagues for four or five years, depending on the age when they were actually drafted/signed. In other words, players drafted in 2014 do not have to be on a team's 40-man roster to be protected from the draft; they are not eligible.
The Yankees had several players eligible, but the reality is that only a handful are important for the discussion: OF Tyler Austin, OF Mason Williams, P Branden Pinder, P Danny Burawa, P Mark Montgomery, P Matt Tracy, SS Cito Culver, and P Zach Nuding.
The Yankees decided to protect Austin, Williams, Pinder, and Burawa, while not adding Montgomery, Tracy, Culver, or Nuding to their 40-man roster.
Austin was a no-brainer. He is a right-handed power hitting outfielder who seemed to come along in the second half of 2014, and continued his hitting ways in Arizona this fall. Although the Yankees are settled in the outfield right now with Gardner, Ellsbury, Beltran, and Young, don't count Austin out of the mix - a hot start to his season coupled with a Beltran injury or Young ineffectiveness could have Austin knocking on the door quickly in 2015.
Pinder and Burawa are relief pitchers in a system full of relief pitchers. One thing about 40-man roster spots and relief pitchers: Once you get on the 40-man roster, your debut is inevitable if you show any signs of life in the minors. Pinder and Burawa can be shuffled up and down between New York and Scranton all year in 2015, so unless they are ineffective or injured, I can almost guarantee that both of them will be in pinstripes at some point.
Not long ago, the big debate was whether or not Gary Sanchez or Mason Williams was the top prospect in the entire system. Neither is anymore, but it is Williams who has taken the biggest step back. He simply hasn't hit a lick, but has defense and speed on his side. The Yankees likely protected him because of his pure athleticism, and sometimes players like this can suddenly "click". I tend to doubt it with Williams at this point, but it is not impossible.
As for those left off the list, Culver is a bust who might get selected because of his defensive ability, but I doubt it. A couple of years ago, Montgomery looked to have some David Robertson in him - striking out minor league hitters at extreme rates by using a devastating breaking pitch. But an injury to his shoulder and reduced velocity since coming off of that injury has made him a project, at best. His devastating slider isn't nearly as effective when he can't throw even 90 MPH anymore. Tracy is a left-handed pitcher with some talent, but his K/BB ratios have often been pedestrian. The Yankees have been stockpiling left-handed pitchers this winter (signed one, acquired one), so that likely sealed Tracy's fate (along with Nik Turley). Nuding may be the most intriguing of them all - a failed prospect as a starter with a big arm that could find some success in the bullpen. I can see a team drafting him and instantly shifting him to the bullpen in spring training to see if he can stick. This is not a major loss at this point, because Nuding hasn't even begun the transition to the bullpen yet. He is still a work in progress.
Overall, no huge news here - the unprotected players, like most unprotected players, are not likely to make an impact (there are always exceptions to this in baseball history, though - Johan Santana was once a Rule 5, for example). The players they did protect have talent, but only Austin seems to have any potential to be a significant major league player.
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