The Washington Nationals have signed a free agent for the first time this season, landing Eddy Yean to a Minor League deal. It’s far from a big splash, but it interests me for a number of reasons. First, Yean has an interesting backstory and history with the organization. This should also be the first of a series of Minor League deals.
Yean has a big arm, which is probably why Paul Toboni wanted to sign him. In AAA last year, Yean average 97 MPH on both his 4-sieve and his sinker. At just 24 years old, he could potentially develop into an MLB bullpen piece. Despite posting a 3.06 ERA, Yean’s strikeout and walk numbers were both armwhich is probably why the Pirates let him walk.
Although he has a big fastball, he is better at getting ground balls than strikeouts. Last season, he faced fewer than seven batters per nine innings. He did have one though elite GB rate at 55%. Yean probably just needs Triple-A depth, but with his big arm he might get a look at the MLB at some point.
Interestingly enough, this isn’t Yean’s first stint in the Nats organization. He was signed by the Nats from the Dominican Republic in 2017. Yean was quite highly regarded at one point. He was part of the Josh Bell trade in 2020. Yean was the sixth seed in a weak Nationals system.
His time in the Pirates system was up and down, with Yean never living up to his promise. He’s only 24, though, so there’s time and arm talent. However, we should see a lot of signings like this in the coming months. Hopefully some of these guys can become MLB contributors.
The Nationals allowed 34 Minor Leaguers to become free agents. That’s the most of any baseball team. With that in mind, Paul Toboni will be looking for replacements in the distant future. The Nats depth in AAA has been an issue for years. With this mass exodus, Toboni is shaking things up.
That’s why I suspect we’ll see a lot of Minor League deals. The Nats need to reload their system. After all, the Rochester Red Wings still have games to play. It’s really important to have guys ready for AAA, especially on the pitching side.
Pitchers are very inconsistent, due to both injuries and fluctuations in performance from year to year. The Nats saw the consequences of this last season. All of the Nats’ free agent relievers have flamed out this season. However, they were given a sufficient leash because there were no capable replacements.
Last season, Triple-A’s pitching staff was a disaster. That is why Lucas Sims and Colin Poche were given a month of leeway. No one knocked on the door to replace them. That’s also why Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker persevered throughout the season. No one on the farm showed enough to start, even though Parker and Irvin had disastrous seasons.
One of the big tasks Paul Toboni has is building depth. I hope in the future there will be players waiting in the wings when guys are struggling. That kind of competitive culture brings out the best in everyone. It is also good for the organization. Eddy Yean is the first of many Minor League signings, and hopefully they can provide quality depth.
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