Those Damn Yankees (Potential Trade In The Works?)

[missionhockey21]

Per C. Trent:

Hey guys, just throwing this out, something I've heard about, but... keep the name Alan Horne in the back of your mind. Horne is considered a prospect, so not sure I'd expect him to be had for a bit player, but more for someone big. -- ctr

Cincinnati Reds

Minor League Baseball: Stats: Player

[redsrbetter]

After reading up on him, it sounds like he was a very highly touted player by scouts in 2002. But after Tommy John surgery he plunged. I would like to see how his numbers looked in season's after.

His stats look really good right now though. More Ks than IP. Very good SO/BB ratio. More of a grounball pitcher. But the problem is, he is in AA. So the numbers would obviously be different as he moves up.

I think he is worth a gamble, but not if it costs much. Would any of you do it for Hatteberg?

[Mario-Rijo]

Hatteberg or Weathers?

My Guess is Hatteberg!

But the problem is, he is in AA. So the numbers would obviously be different as he moves up.

Supposedly he has had control issues over his career. And he has now started to right the ship to a tune of 2.4 BB's per 9 IP.

[missionhockey21]

He is also 24 in AA doing that, you would have to imagine that if moved to AAA his numbers, the K rate in particular, could drop some. Not that he couldn't still dominate, but I wonder if Cashman has been holding him back for this purpose (to boost his value in a deal.)

[Fishercat]

One of the Yankee fans I know who kisses the ass of every decent Yankees prospect likes Horne, so he could be good.

[Mario-Rijo]

He is also 24 in AA doing that, you would have to imagine that if moved to AAA his numbers, the K rate in particular, could drop some. Not that he couldn't still dominate, but I wonder if Cashman has been holding him back for this purpose (to boost his value in a deal.)

It wouldn't surprise me, but to WK's credit he is generally good at judging young pitchers. Let's just hope the scouts have as good an eye as does he.

[Mario-Rijo]

Here is the profile.

Prospect Profile: Alan Horne
Name: William Alan Horne
Position: RHP
Vitals: 6'4", 195 lbs
Born: January 5th, 1983
Hometown: Marianna, Florida
Drafted: 11th round (349th overall) in 2005 (Yankees 11th selection). Recieved a $400,000 bonus.

Background: As John Manual of Baseball America puts it in the 2006 Prospect Handbook, "Horne has lived a baseball lifetime." Drafted in the first round out of high school by the Indians in 2001, Horne was selected ahead of current big leaguers Noah Lowry, David Wright, JJ Hardy and Danny Haren. He opted not to sign and instead went to the University of Mississippi where he has a solid freshman season only to succomb to Tommy John surgery and take a medical redshirt his sophmore year. Horne then transferred to his local Chipola Junior College (Marianna, Fl) for his junior year and was drafted in the 30th round of the 2004 draft by the Angels. Horne bypassed a reported six-figure bonus to attend the University of Florida, his third college in 4 years. After helping the Gators to the College World Series Finals, Horne considered returning to Florida as a fifth year senior, but turned pro after the the Yankees pursuaded him with third round bonus money.

Strengths: Horne is a mature pitcher that knows how to get outs on days he doesn't feature his best stuff. His best offering a a heavy 92-95 mph fastball that he does a good job of keeping in the bottom third of the zone. He works off his fastball with a hammer curveball that bites hard and down in the zone. Horne's curve can be unhittable if he's getting it over the plate consistently. He learned a cut fastball from Chipola JC pitching coach Jeff Johnson (a long-time family friend), and can now throw it for strikes on a consistent basis.

Weaknesses: Horne's health hasn't been perfect; in addition to Tommy John surgery, he also missed all but 1 start of Florida's CWS run with a hamstring injury. His changeup is rudimentary and needs improvement if it's going to become reliable. He's improving his ability to throw strikes, but he still has plenty of room for improvement with his control (4.37 BBper9 at Florida). Horne also needs to continue to smooth out his mechanics and work on his ability to hold runners.

Comparison: Despite all his travels, Horne has yet to make his pro debut. He attended the Yankees fall minicamp after signing and was impressive. With no pro stats to look at, I thought I'd compare Horne's perfomance in his final college year to that of another Yankees' prospect who'll be knocking on the door to the Bronx within the year:

ERA Hper9 HRper9 BBper9 Kper9 WHIP
Jeff Karstens 4.29 10.00 1.57 2.00 5.57 1.33
Horne 4.05 9.69 .56 4.37 8.58 1.56

Horne is the classic example of a guy who's stuff is better than his numbers show (read Bonderman, Jeremy circa 2003 or Burnett, AJ circa 1999-present). His numbers are solid, but nothing jumps out at you, except the relatively high amount of walks.

Outlook: Horne figures to make his pro debut at either Low-A Charleston or High-A Tampa; his spring performance will dictate his destination to start 2006. If he gets his control together and gets his changeup to where it's a consistent offspeed pitch, Horne's upside would be tremendous (he is a former first round pick remember). The Yankees will keep him as a starter, which is for the best in the long term, but the feeling here is that Horne would absolutely blow through the system if he was used out of the bullpen. He'll be expected to climb the ladder quickly, and could see regular big league time as soon as Opening Day 2008.

From Wednesday's ESPN.com chat with Jim Callis of Baseball America:

Mike A. (Chico, CA): Hey Jim, thanks for taking our questions. Was Alan Horne an 11th round steal for the Yanks, even though they gave him 3rd round money? Has his stuff declined since he was a first rounder in 2001? Thanks as always
Jim Callis: What's money to the Yankees? Horne might be a steal. His stuff hasn't really declined, but he hasn't gotten much better since he went in the first round. Some scouts think that could turn out well for the Yankees, while others question how competitive Horne truly is.

[redsrbetter]

"Someone big."

That part didn't stick out at me at first until I read it again. Does someone big mean bigger than Hatteberg? Perhaps Weathers is "big?"

[browntown653]

Honestly, I have no clue who this guy is.

[Newman4]

Horne for Hatte or Weather = Yes

Horne alone for Dunn = No

[TheBigLebowski]

I know Alan Horne's dad. I'll ask him if he's heard anything.

I'd love to get him - good looking prospect and a Florida Gator to boot!