In recent years, the Yankees have been hit by the Rule 5 Draft as hard as any team in the game. Barring the unexpected returns of Garrett Whitlock or Trevor Stephan, the Yankees will have lost three pitchers to the Rule 5 in the last few seasons.
As the Yankees look at their roster, they need to both add to the major league club while managing the 40-man heading into the offseason. No franchise in baseball has seen their minor league affiliates win more games this season than the Yankees. The superb minor league record has been fueled by strong individual performances, and while Brian Cashman would love to hold onto all of these breakout minor league players, that is virtually impossible — especially when there are serious holes to fill if this team is going to make a playoff run.