Brackman Continues To Be A Bust
Via Tim Bontemps -
Shortly after landing a franchise record $3.35 signing bonus in August 2007, [Andrew] Brackman underwent Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2008 regular season. He then spent his first full season with Low-A Charleston a year ago, with little success. The 24-year-old right-hander was 2-12 with a 5.91 ERA in 29 games (19 starts), striking out 103 and walking 76 in 106 2/3 innings.
This season hasn’t been much better. After spending two weeks on the disabled list with an injured finger on his pitching hand, he is 0-3 with a 11.49 ERA, including allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings in a loss to Brevard County on Thursday night.
The Yankees could have taken Brett Cecil with the pick they wasted on Brackman. That’s too bad. Cecil would be much more useful to them now…
SL, I know I rip JP retardi on many things BUT not on pitching. The guy could smell a great pitcher from a bloody mile away. And Cecil is not the only kid that has the ability to pitch like that in their system, they got Drabek in the Halladay trade, Morrow whose doing well for them lately(both Drabek and Morrow are there because of JP JR AKA Alex Anthopoulos The Greek Contagion) and Marc Rzepczynski who is injured. They’ve done a great job selecting their picks pitching wise relative to their position players. Though Lind and snider seem to have a bright future, though they are still suspects in my opinion as good as Lind has been.
SL, Cecil is up with the Jays because they are rebuilding right now. The way that Arnsberg(their former pitching coach) and Walton (their present one) who have working with him seem to be different than what the Yankees might have done with him. Also remember that Cecil was under the wing of Doc Halladay and that leaves a great impression on any young pitcher for sure.
In terms of Brackman, SL you lose some you win some. Not every bloody prospect can turn out as absolutely golden. as much as I chastise Cash Man,it’s a luck of the draw sometimes. Add to the fact, that they’ve lost draft picks by their big signings they don’t live and die with the draft like other teams do. when Hughes, Ian “Alfred E Neumann” Kennedy and Joba flatered 2 years ago the Yankees went out and bought CC and AJ. That being said when they do draft they don’t do that bad a job of it relative to other organizations then again those organizations have more lint in their pocket BUT also the ability to sign higher draft picks at times.
Lord knows they just would have made Cecil a LOOGY for the 8th.
The point behind drafting Brackman was that the organization could take a risk in doing it. The Yanks can afford to take on projects in the draft, and have been doing it for as long as I can remember, drafting guys with signability problems, drafting guys who have little interest in playing baseball, so on and so forth.
Brackman’s a bust, BFD; the Yanks haven’t and won’t lose stride because of it.
There are risks and then there are risks. The Yankees looked at Brackman, saw a tall guy with a strong arm, and gambled on finding the next Randy Johnson. But Brackman’s elbow was already a question mark; his command was at best erratic; and the probability he would realize his potential was low from day one. I am all for drafting high-upside talent in the first round, but not if there are serious injury worries and real doubts about the likelihood the talent will ever be realized. No need to reach so much on a first-round pick.
The real tragedy is that the Tigers, with three picks before Brackman, took Porcello. I’m sure the Yanks would’ve have forsaken Brackman for Porcello.
Dombrowski ain’t dumb.