Yankees Prospect Jake Sanford Cut for Allegedly Stealing From Teammates, Ripping Off Fans

New York made Sanford a third-round pick in 2019.

Major league comps for minor league prospects often age poorly, but it’s hard to ignore the striking similarities between Jake Sanford and Rubén Rivera’s time with the Yankees.

Rivera, of course, is famous for allegedly stealing Derek Jeter’s glove and bat and selling them to a memorabilia dealer in 2002. He was subsequently released. Now Sanford, a 2019 third-round pick who last played at High-A Hudson Valley, has also been cut for allegedly stealing from teammates.

Per NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty, the farmhand pestered teammates for equipment to sell online, in addition to swiping items from their lockers. Fans on social media also accused Sanford of taking their money when he failed to deliver memorabilia that they purchased.

The Yankees let Sanford go last Thursday after conducting an investigation that lasted several weeks. The 24-year-old from Dartmouth, Canada signed with the Frontier League’s Ottawa Titans on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. Sanford recently deleted his Twitter account following accusations.

The Yankees drafted Sanford, an outfielder, out of Western Kentucky in 2019. He played for Low-A Staten Island in 2019 and split the 2021 season between Single-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley. He did not play in 2020, as the minor league season was canceled.

Sanford’s career with the Yankees lasted a mere 161 games. He tallied a .267/.332/.446 slash line with 23 home runs and 88 RBI.

He stole seven bases, but was caught five times.

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