Of all Major League teams to take advantage of player development, who would think New York Yankees?

Baseball's most storied franchise, known for spending money for immediate help through free agency, continues to take advantage of Hawaii Winter Baseball to build for the future.

This year's big project is literally that in 6-foot-10, 240-pound right-handed pitcher Andrew Brackman. Despite knowledge of an elbow injury that eventually led to Tommy John surgery, which usually takes a year to rehabilitate, the Yankees still made him their first-round pick, the 30th overall selection, in the 2007 draft out of North Carolina State. He threw three innings of instructional league competition several weeks ago against the Phillies.

He finally made his pro debut Saturday night for the Waikiki BeachBoys. Didn't go so great, as he allowed seven runs (six earned) in 2 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. But it's a start to his comeback from the injury.

"It's been a year since I've been able to go out there, show my stuff against other people's stuff," Brackman said several days before his start. "It was really hard. I had to be patient. I feel like I did everything that I had to do and everything I could do to get my elbow back."

Brackman, who turns 23 in December, is hoping HWB can do for him what it did for his future teammates: Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy. Both are 2006 alumni. Like Brackman, Chamberlain made his pro debut here after signing late with the Yankees. Both made their Yankees' debut the next season. Similarly, Chamberlain had injury concerns when he was drafted.

"I know they both played out here and had success and they're having success now and I hope to follow in their foot steps," Brackman said. "He (Joba) said he enjoyed his time out here and that it helped him well, helped him knock some of the rust off and everything. That's what I hope to do, to use this experience to work on some things and hopefully get back to where I left off."

Where he left off was throwing in the high 90-mph range his junior season at NC State, where he also played basketball two seasons.

"I miss it a lot," Brackman said of hoops, "but I think baseball is the right career move."

Although armed with a lethal fastball and athletic, the elbow concerns made Brackman slip down in the draft. Banking on his high upside, the deep-pocketed Yankees not only gave him a $3.35 million bonus, but signed him to a major league contract guaranteeing him at least $4.55 million. There also are incentive bonuses that could make the deal worth up to $13 million, according to Baseball America.

What being signed to a big-league contract means is Brackman is already on the Yankees' 40-man roster. When he is out of options after 2009, he will have to be put on the 25-man roster in 2010. But that's the plan the Yankees have. And to get to the new Yankee Stadium that opens next year, the comeback process begins at Les Murakami Stadium and Hans L'Orange Park.

Brackman is grateful to the Yankees.

"They took a chance (on me)," he said. "They could've taken a number of good players, but they took a chance on me, knowing that I was injured. I felt I had to work hard to repay them for what they gave me, so everyday that I went into the complex, I said, 'Just do my best and give everything that I have.' "

Notes: League play continues today through Thursday with all games at Hans L'Orange Park. The Sharks and Honu play at 3 p.m. followed by the CaneFires and BeachBoys at 7 p.m. each day. The split sites return Friday with the CaneFires and Sharks playing at Murakami Stadium and the BeachBoys and Honu at Hans L'Orange.

Players are scheduled to make appearances 11 a.m. to noon Saturday at Don Quijote stores in Pearl City and Waipahu. Specific players have not been named yet.