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Yankees released pitcher Jonathan Albaladejo today. The righty is off to Japan where he'll pitch for the Yomiuri Giants according to Mark Feinsand of the Daily News.

Albaladejo finished his season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre posting a 4-2 record and a 1.42 ERA. He appeared in 10 games with the Yankees during the second half of the regular season and had a 3.97 ERA with no decisions. Albaladejo had little success during his major-league tenure with the Yankees and so the team decided to release him as they prepare to set their 40-man roster.


Yankees RHP prospects Dellin Betances, Ryan Pope and infield prospect Brandon Laird, were added to the 40-man roster in a move to protect them from being acquired in next month's Rule 5 draft. 

Betances, a Brooklyn native, was drafted in the 8th round pick of the 2006 draft with a $1 million signing bonus. He struggled early on in his minor-league career, being shutdown early in 2007 with the Staten Island Yankees due to forearm tightness. He bounced back in 2008 with Low-A Charleston going 9-4 with a 3.67 ERA in 22 starts, but faltered again in '09 with High-A Tampa; in only 11 starts, he went 2-5 with a 5.48 ERA. He was shutdown early again, this time to have surgery to reinforce a ligament in his elbow.

Pope was a 3rd round draft pick in 2007. He began his minor-league career that year with the Staten Island Yankees going 3-0 with a 2.49 ERA in 10 games. In AA Trenton this year he went 4-6 with a 4.20 ERA in 46 games. He appeared in 3 games with the Yankees during 2010 and went 0-0 allowing one hit and recording one save.

In stints with both AA Trenton and AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, Laird hit. 281 with 25 homers and 103 RBIs. He was acquired as a 27th round pick by the Yankees in 2007 and played in their Gulf Coast League that year.  

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