Strong showing not enough for former New York Yankees top prospect

It may have taken a decade longer than expected, but Manny Banuelos had finally found his way to the majors with the New York Yankees. The former top prospect may not have become the top of the rotation arm he was expected to be, and may have gone through five different organizations with stops in Mexico and Taiwan, but he was finally able to make his Yankees’ debut.

Banuelos even pitched well for the Yankees. He may not have had a high leverage role, but he was solid in his four appearances. Banuelos had allowed just two runs on seven hits and three walks in his 8.1 innings, striking out eight. It may be a small sample size, but it was enough to show that maybe he could stick in the majors.

Manny Banuelos victim of numbers with New York Yankees

However, that performance was not enough to spare Banuelos from the axe. He was designated for assignment on Tuesday to make room for J.P. Sears’ spot start. Sears ended up being optioned back to Triple-A after his outing.

At this point, the Yankees have a week to either trade Banuelos or pass him through waivers. If he goes unclaimed, he would slot back into Triple-A, serving as a viable depth option in case he is needed again. Since virtually every team is looking for bullpen help, it may not be a surprise to see other teams show interest in his services.

As it is, Banuelos is a victim of a roster crunch. The Yankees bullpen has been excellent this season with virtually any pitcher capable of succeeding at any point in time. As Aroldis Chapman and Domingo German are also working their way back, those roster spots are going to be even more contested. Banuelos’ strong showing was not going to save him from being sent back down.

Manny Banuelos had finally been able to make his New York Yankees debut. His strong showing was not enough to keep his place on the roster.