The Yankees couldn’t protect everyone.
After stashing as many quality prospects as they could on their 40-man roster to ensure they remain with the franchise, the Yankees lost four players in the major league Rule 5 draft: pitchers Nestor Cortes, Jose Mesa Jr., Anyelo Gomez and first baseman Mike Ford.
Cortes and Mesa were selected by Baltimore, Gomez by Atlanta and Ford by Seattle.
While none is a top-shelf prospect, all had intrigue. Ford, a Princeton graduate, split time between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last year, combining to slash .270/.404/.471 with 20 home runs in 126 games.