New York Yankees Release Outfielder Slade Heathcott

To clear room on the 40-man roster, the New York Yankees have designated Slade Heathcott for assignment, the team announced on Wednesday evening. Left-handed pitcher Richard Bleier, who was called up to the majors on Wednesday, took Heathcott’s spot.

Chad Jennings of LoHud noted that the Yankees’ intention may have been to release Heathcott and re-sign him as putting him on waivers would likely result in a team claiming him. The Yankees did the same thing during the 2014 offseason, releasing Heathcott, only to re-sign him to a minor league deal. However, in an updated blog about Heathcott’s release, Jennings noted that the Yankees will not look to re-sign Heathcott this time.

The Yankees currently have an abundance of outfielders in their system. Ben Gamel was called up recently, Jake Cave is doing well in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Dustin Fowler is an emerging prospect, and Mason Williams — who’s currently rehabbing from a shoulder injury — is set to return soon.

Heathcott is currently on the Triple-A disabled list with a knee injury. He’s struggled in the minors this season, posting a.230/.271/.310 batting line, with seven runs batted in (RBIs).

A person close to Slade Heathcott says Heathcott is taking getting released as an opportunity and that he's in good spirits. #Yankees

— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) May 27, 2016

Heathcott, 25, is a former first-round draft pick (29th overall) from 2009. Considered a potential five-tool player, Heathcott has never been able to stay healthy enough to put together a full, productive season. After a productive season at Single-A in 2012, batting.302/.380/.461 through 65 games, Heathcott failed to continue that success at Double-A the following season.

After missing a significant part of the 2014 season, Heathcott returned with a vengeance in 2015, finally earning a long-awaited call-up to the big league roster. He was productive through his first six games, batting.353 (6-for-17) with a home run and three runs batted in (RBIs). Unfortunately, the injury bug bit Heathcott once again, as a right quadriceps injury forced the Texas native onto the 15-day disabled list.

“I was kind of surprised when I heard it. It [stinks],” Heathcott told the New York Post after his diagnosis. “In the outfield, it just kind of tightened up on me. Didn’t think much about it. It hasn’t gotten any worse, but it hasn’t gotten any better. It’s another speed bump, I’ve been up and down and faced a lot of bigger challenges than a quad [injury].”

Once healthy, Heathcott was sent down to Triple-A before being recalled in September when rosters expanded. Heathcott hit a three-run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 14 of last year, propelling the Yankees to a 4-1 victory as the team fought for a playoff berth.

Through 17 total games, Heathcott produced a.400/.429/.720 line with two home runs and eight RBIs. Entering Spring Training, Heathcott figured to be in competition for a backup outfielder role on the Yankees’ bench.

However, the Yankees acquired Aaron Hicks from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for catcher John Ryan Murphy. With Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Carlos Beltran occupying all three outfield slots, Heathcott had no viable role with the team.

Despite his injury history, Heathcott’s age and obvious skill set will likely draw many teams’ interest. The Texas Rangers recently learned that Josh Hamilton (knee) will miss the rest of the season. Also, Shin-Soo Choo (hamstring) also went back on the disabled list. A native of Texas, Heathcott could certainly pique the Rangers’ interest.

The Atlanta Braves also lost Hector Olivera to a suspension stemming from a domestic violence dispute. The Oakland Athletics’ Josh Reddick (wrist) and the Tampa Bay Rays’ Kevin Kiermaier (wrist) are also hurt, leaving vacancies in their outfields.

In regards to Heathcott’s health, vice president of player development Gary Denbo told Jennings that Heathcott was progressing well with his knee injury. So any interested teams should be able to trot out Heathcott onto the field soon.

[Featured Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images]