Giovanny Gallegos Earns Spot On 40-Man Roster

Giovanny Gallegos (Photo by Tomasso de Rosa)

NEW YORK—When the Yankees assessed their chances of losing four pitchers in the Rule 5 draft it wasn’t so much wondering if they would be taken. Instead, the organization feared not getting any of them back.

“You take a risk of having them taken,’’ GM Brian Cashman said “But do you think you will get them back? We didn’t feel comfortable getting them back.’’

So righthanders Giovanny Gallegos, Ronald Herrera and Yefrey Ramirez joined lefty Dietrich Enns on the 40-man roster, which took them out of the Rule 5 draft pool.

Of the four, Gallegos is the closest to the big leagues, as the 25-year-old from Mexico pitched very well in stops at Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“His numbers were ridiculous,’’ Cashman said of Gallegos. “His strikeouts per nine innings (12.2) and the walks per nine (1.96), the numbers speak for themselves. He got to Triple-A and dominated.”

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Gallegos appeared in a combined 42 games and went 7-2, 1.27 with four saves. In 78 innings, Gallegos used a 93-95 mph fastball to fan 106 against just 17 walks.

“He would have been taken because he is closer to the big leagues; it’s not like he is an A-ball guy,’’ a scout who saw Gallegos pitch this past season. “He can pitch. He has a lot of late life and command. He is going to pitch in the big leagues for sure, somebody who can give you a couple innings in the middle of the game.’’

Of the four, Ramirez might have the highest ceiling despite being 23 and not pitching above high Class A Tampa. Selected in the minor league Rule 5 draft in 2015, the converted infielder made a combined 22 starts for low Class A Charleston and Tampa this past season, going 7-9, 2.82. In 124.1 innings he fanned 132, walked 32 and allowed 82 hits.

“He has a loose arm and a three-pitch mix,’’ a scout said of Ramirez, who played the infield in 2011 before the native of the Dominican Republic turned to the mound.

YANKEE DOODLES

• Yankees minor league hitting coordinator James Rowson left the organization to take the big league hitting coach job with the Twins.

• Nick Rumbelow, a seventh-round pick from Louisiana State in 2013, appeared in 17 games for the 2015 Yankees and appeared to become a valuable part of the big league bullpen going forward. However, after one inning in April this past season in Triple-A, the righthander had Tommy John surgery and in mid-November was released.