In a surprise move, the Yankees announced that they had granted outfielder and former top prospect Slade Heathcott his unconditional release Thursday. The transaction was designed to free up a 40-man roster spot for lefty Richard Bleier, who was called up earlier in the day, but the decision to cut ties with a player who had been ranked as the 18th best prospect in the system by Baseball America as recently as last season to add a journeyman reliever is an odd one. The former first round pick cracked BA’s top ten Yankees prospects list five times since his selection in the 2009 amateur draft, and even cracked the top 100 in baseball prior to 2013.
The Yankees Release Former Top Prospect Slade Heathcott
