John Sickels On David Phelps Redux

Earlier this year, John Sickels spoke of Yankee RHP David Phelps (Double-A, Trenton Thunder) and put him on the radar for Yankee prospect-watchers.  He also got notice here and here.  Now that the season is over, Sickels comes back for a retrospective look at one of his preseason sleeper picks.

As Sickels says, there are a few guys ahead of Phelps — Banuelos, Betances, Brackman, too, perhaps — but with another season like the one he just turned in, Phelps should make someone’s rotation by early 2012.  In truth, he’s just the kind of guy the Yanks can afford to deal in a trade down the road.  Just like Ian Kennedy before him, young back-of-the-rotation starters are attractive to teams looking to keep costs down and tend to not have long futures in Pinstripes.