While the New York Yankees acquired two valuable veteran players on Sunday by trading with the Philadelphia Phillies for Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle, the deal – which sent four minor league prospects to the Phillies – left the Yankees’ long-depleted farm system almost completely barren.

“Years and years of parting with minor leaguers at the trade deadline in order to bring in high-priced veterans has finally caught up with us,” said general manager Brian Cashman. “We saw the effects before the season started when we had to fold all of our Single-A teams due to not having enough players in the system. And that has continued on to the point that we now have no one left in our system but Billy Deegens, a little 10-year-old second baseman.”

Deegens, an All-Star last season in New Brunswick (NJ) Little League, was brought into the Yankees organization late last season when the franchise was scuffling to fill the roster of its depleted Double-A team following the 2005 trade deadline. Now he is all that remains in a minor league system that was once one of baseball’s best and deepest.

But Deegens is happy to be the last remaining Yankee minor leaguer.

“I love the Yankees. They are my favorite team. I have a Derek Jeter poster in my bedroom,” said Deegens, lisping through a mouth that’s missing five or six teeth. “I miss playing with all of my friends from Little League, but it’s really neat to get to be almost like a real Yankees player. My mommy and daddy are really proud of me.”

While Cashman calls Deegens a “project” with a “huge upside,” the tiny, 78-pound 10-year-old has struggled mightily since beginning his professional career – batting .000 (0-for 184) with 238 errors in just 55 games. He has only reached base 15 times in those 55 games, 14 by way of bases on balls and once when he was hit by a pitch – a plunking that broke his left arm and put him on the shelf for six weeks.

“It hurt really bad, but I didn’t cry,” said Deegens. “The team gave me a pinstripe cast and had all the major league Yankees sign a card for me. Even Gary Sheffield signed it, although he wrote: ‘Don’t be a pussy – Gary Sheffield.’”

With the Yankees planning to forfeit the remainder of their minor league schedule due to lack of players, Cashman has decided to bring Deegens to New York to let him sit on the bench, take batting practice, and learn from the Yankees major league players.

“We need Billy to keep improving and for him to do it quickly,” said Cashman. “Unless something changes between now and next year, he’ll be our only chip to trade at the deadline. And, sure, he may have some rough edges now, but I think he’s easily the best 10-year-old in professional baseball and this time next year should net us a quality veteran player at the deadline.”