Tabata Older Than Expected

post from Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog on 07 February 2010 03:05:17 PM. © Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog

At one time Jose Tabata was one of the highest touted Yankees prospects. Now, in the Pirtates system, question are coming out about his age. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (hat-tip to RAB), Pirates general manager Neal Huntington admitted in a recent interview "there are 'a lot of rumblings' that Tabata might actually be in his mid-20s" and not 21 like his birth certificate says he is. This would certainly cut down his value as a prospect, but at 24 or 25 and starting at Triple-A ball, he's still on the path most players take to the majors, he's just not the 21-year-old stud people thought he was.