Severino, Urias and Glasnow Heading to Minors

Mar 5, 2015; Jupiter, FL, USA; A general view of baseballs on the field at Roger Dean Stadium prior to a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Opening Day is getting closer and the Major League rosters are becoming more and more clear. Unfortunately it is at the expense of the top prospects we here at Grading on the Curve cover on a weekly basis. This week some of the biggest names saw there Major League aspirations put on hold a little longer. Most don’t come as a surprise, and several you can expect to see back in The Big Show very soon.

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Don’t be surprised to see Buxton in Minnesota before 2015 is done if he shows he has fully healed from his injuries. He went 1-for-8 in his brief Grapefruit League stint. He singled once while starting six games in centerfield.

Jose Berrios, one of a bevy of elite Twins’ pitching prospects, also returned to Minor League camp. The 20-year old righty wasn’t expected to see the big leagues this season, especially with the likes of Alex Meyer and Kohl Stewart also competing against him.

Berrios climbed the Minor League ladder all the way to the top last year. He completed dominated High-A where he went 9-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 96.1 innings where he earned Mid and Post-Season Florida State League honors as well as two Pitcher of the Week Awards. He did well enough at Double-A to get a taste of Triple-A where he was lit up for six runs in three innings in his lone start. Berries probably won’t be back until 2016, but stranger things have happened.

Joining them in Minor League camp will be Ryan O’Rourke, Taylor Rogers, Tyler Duffy, Adrain Salcedo, Mitch Garver, Stuart Turner, Heiker Meneses, Argenis Diaz, Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Logan Darnell.

Mandatory Credit: milb.com

The New York Yankees

Yankees’ fans hopes that Luis Severino would replace the injured Chris Capuano in the starting rotation quickly came to an end Sunday. The Yankees’ No. 1 prospect and Grading on the Curve’s No. 20 overall was reassigned to Minor League camp and will most likely prepare for Double-A this season.

Severino skyrocketed from obscurity to stardom in one season of dominance across three levels last season. Starting in Low-A Charleston and ending in Double-A Trenton, Severino went a combined 6-5 with a 2.46 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP while striking out 127 in 113.1 innings.

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He showed dominance in his first inning of Spring Training this season striking out his first two batters. He did get roughed up a few times, but showed poise and confidence against season Major League All Stars. The Yankees’ starting rotation has shown they have their issues staying healthy, so to expect Severino back in 2015 is not far fetched.

Aaron Judge, their hulking 6 foot 5 right fielder already garnering comparisons to Dave Winfield and Giancarlo Stanton, was also sent back to Minor League camp. Judge, the Yankees’ top outfield prospect and No. 30 overall on Grading on the Curve’s list, was part of the 2013 first round draft class that has slowly started to turn around the Yankees’ farm system to relevancy again.

He had a great debut season in 2014 split between Low-A and High-A where he slashed a combine .308/.419/.486 with 17 home runs. He went on to have a solid Arizona Fall League debut and were he not overshadowed by team mate Gregory Bird, he may have won MVP. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and a 3-2 count on him in his first ever Major League Spring Training game, Aaron Judge hit a three run game tying home run, showing he has the poise and moxie to make it at the big league level. The Yankees have big money contracts locked down across the outfield, so expect Judge to start at Double-A and work his way to Triple-A in readying himself for 2016.

Also sent down were Jake Cave, Cito Culver, Tyler Webb, James Pazos, Diego Moreno, Juan Graterol,Trent Garrison and Nick Goody.

Danny Hultzen (Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-US PRESSWIRE)

The Seattle Mariners

The Mariners reassigned two of their pitching prospects but neither come as much of a surprise. Sean Newcomb and Danny Hultzen will see at least one more season in the minors before another chance at The Big Show.

Hultzen was a top Mariners’ pitching prospect until he missed all of last season with a torn rotator cuff. The 25-year old 2011 first round pick made it all the way to Triple-A in his debut 2012 season after a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League. He struggled a bit in his debut, but returned to Triple-A in 2013 and dominated.

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The big lefty went 4-1 in the hitter friendly PCL, with a 2.05 ERA and 0.85 WHIP. He made just one appearance this spring. Should he show he is recovered from the injury with a full season of work in the PCL, Hultzen should be right back on track for a September call-up and a 2016 debut.

The Mariners also sent lefty starting pitching prospect Sean Newcombe back to the minors. Drafted 15th overall last season by the Ms, Newcombe struggled after a brief Rookie League stint. He went 0-1 in Single-A ball with a 6.94 ERA and 1.54 WHIP across four starts. At just 21 years of age, Newcomb simply needs more seasoning and is still quite a bit away from his big league debut.

Sam Gaviglio, Stephen Landazuri, Forrest Snow, Jordy Lara, Steven Baron, Mike Dowd and Tyler Marlette were also sent to Minor League camps.

The Los Angeles Dodgers

The reality was that Julio Urias had little to no chance on making the Dodger Opening Day roster. That doesn’t mean baseball fans weren’t drooling at the to see the young lefty make his 2015 debut. That still may happen, but now it seems like it won’t be until September should the Dodgers decide to do so.

Urias is 18-year old sensation signed out of Mexico is already hailing comparisons to another Mexican sensation who took the nation by storm for the Dodgers in the early 80s. The Dodgers No. 1 pitching prospect and No. 6 overall on the Grading of the Curve Top 50, Urias may not have the star appeal the Fernando Valenzuela had, setting Major League baseball into a Fernando Mania frenzy, he certainly has the tool set.