Over the last few days, I discussed the possible trade targets that may be made available by their times prior to the July 31st trade deadline, and profiled the starters and relievers that could be had for the right price. Although Brian Cashman said the following,
“We try to look from within first to see if we don’t have the answer right in front of us before we aggressively go outside. We’re always keeping our eyes and ears open. And we’re engaged with the other clubs.
“But I can’t say that we have an obvious need right now.”
I expect a deal to be made. The Yankees need another arm in the rotation, as depending on Sergio Mitre and Chien-Ming Wang is not something a playoff team should be doing. I am torn as to what I would do, and therefore present two options.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery the movie Option # 1 Braveheart hd : Inquire about Roy Halladay. if you can steal him without giving up one of the 3 “untouchables” (Joba, Hughes, Montero), make that deal. I would be willing to take Alex Rios in order to facilitate such a deal, but would not touch Vernon Wells. Being that this is unlikely, target Cliff Lee by offering Austin Jackson, Zach McCallister, and Mark Melancon. Under this plan, the Yankees acquire a top of the rotation starter without subtracting players from the major league roster or giving up Montero. If the deal for Lee is rejected, pursue a lesser deal for Jarrod Washburn or Erik Bedard. Any starter worse than these names is likely to be a waste of resources. The Yankees do not neccessarily need an ace, but they do not need another #4 either. When playoff time rolls around, Joba Chamberlain can be moved to the bullpen, giving the Yankees a dominant late inning combination of Coke, Hughes, Chamberlain, and Rivera, and a very good troika of starters that could dominate a short series.
Option # 2: Move Hughes to the rotation. It is not unreasonable to assume that one of Hughes, Joba, Pettitte, and Wang will be solid enough to be the third starter in a playoff rotation. Target a reliever good enough to replace Hughes in the bullpen, as the Yankees cannot assume that Brian Bruney or Damaso Marte will return to form. Heath Bell, Jose Valverde, and Rafael Soriano are the names that most fit that profile, with Bell likely to cost McCallister plus. The Yankees need to strongly consider that kind of deal.
What do you think? What would you do?
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22 Responses to What Cashman Should Do
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TIQ IQ
Trade for a back of the rotation starter to fill Wang’s spot. Then sit tight.
I like the Lee idea but I am out of the mainstream on the Halladay thing. To me its this simple, Halladay equals a good chance at winning the world series one of the next two years. Is that worth the untouchable prospects. Absolutely in my view. For one WS win, I would trade Joba, Phil or Jesus.
Mussina should have equaled the same. Halladay is the next shiny thing. Its time we stopped this quick fixes and stuck to some player development.
How about when Boston traded Hanley for Beckett? Whould you do that one over again if you were the GM?
I think these moves can work for both teams. That said I would not trade either Joba or Phil.
Dave,
I can’t quantify this but I disagree with the Mussina/Halladay comp on an intuitive level. I never dreaded the Yankees facing Mussina to the same degree that I dread them facing Halladay. Plus, I just felt that Mussina was a finese guy. If you faced/pitched him twice in one series, he would pitch great once and get knocked around the next game. Couldn’t count on him to dominate both games the way that Beckett does or Halladay can. I just did not think that Mussina was a winner and I had that painful feeling that we would never win with him and Giambi. Same feeling that I sometimes have about Arod. Its that intangible “can I count on you to win the big one?” I feel it about Halladay. Never felt it for Moose. He looked scared to me.
Mussina was not a finesse pitcher his first few years. He became one in later days because he lost his velocity. He was an extremely good pitcher.
Beckett was acquired in his mid-20s. Halladay is entering the decline years. Trading for King Felix if he were available would be the comparison. Not Beckett.
Sell Cody Rasmus for a bag of balls. Smack Joba with a big fish. Make Wang “disappear” for 2 months.
With the deadline approaching, I think Lee makes the most sense. That said, I wouldn’t offer any of the ‘untouchables’ for him.
If Marte looks like he can contribute, moving Hughes to the rotation makes sense at this point. I’ve never been a believer in the ‘this year trumps all other considerations’ idea. Putting his career as a full-time starter completely on hold seems like mismanagement of resources. If Girardi was allowing him to throw a second and occasionally a third inning from the pen it would be different. Nine pitch outings are absurd-especially when Bruney had just returned from a minor league rehab assignment, and has had limited success in MLB to date.
I’m still hoping Wang returns to form before the season ends. With Pettitte’s career possibly (likely?) winding down, we may need more than one additional SP by September.
I like option 1 — as long as we don’t have to give up one of the big three for Halladay or Lee. I’m not sure that Washburn or Bedard are good options. Bedard would never make it under the lights in NY. Last year we could have had Washburn when we needed him more and turned him down. What makes the difference this year? I know he has had a decent first half, but my guess he returns to form for the second half
I would be hesitant to move Hughes from the pen right now. I know that ultimately he is a starter. But he seems to be thriving where he is. To move him at this point is taking chance of reverting to mediocrity when we really need him to be playing a part in the drive to September.
Agree.
Too late in the year to move Hughes back to the rotation. He would need to have his pitch count stretched out and would be innefective while that happened for at least 3 weeks maybe even a month.
I say go for Halladay. I think it could be done for Joba, Austin Romine (in place of Montero) and two more pitchers from the Melancon, McCallister, Betances, Mitre, Kennedy group.
I think a must to keep Hughes, Montero and Jackson.
Is it because Hughes has been in the system longer that every Yankee fan is in love with him and hates Joba? To me Chamberlain has a lot more risk but a lot more reward in the long run… If you fix the velocity problem with Joba and get him throwing 94-96 again he is 10 times better as a starter than Hughes, I will take his slider, curve and change over Phil’s knuckle curve and Cutter.
I think the only way we could get Halladay without giving up Joba, Phil, or Jesus is if we took on the contract of Wells.
I know you made a post about this topic the other day where you ripped the author for his assertions but minus the ridiculous claims (i.e. Wells is 5th best) the underlying idea was fine. Take one of baseball’s worst contracts and create value by subtracting it as an obligation.
This year the contract is worth nearly nothing so little to pay now, next it goes to 12.5 and after that 23, 21, 21, 21. Just puked a little… but Riccardi would obviously see the value of being able to allocate that money elsewhere. He could sign some outstanding FA’s with the resources. Plus if they replaced the loss of Wells with A-Jax, add Z-mac and some other pieces I think he walks away a lot better off.
On our end taking in a guy like Wells would hurt. He would obviously be shifted out of center. He obviously would expand payroll by a large sum come 2011, but could a WS pay for this trade? By 2011 I also think corporate spending will come back and those seats everyone moans about will make some of those big contracts easier to take.
Further I think it is a huge need to win this year. If you want people to pay for the Yankee brand you have to make sure we are the best. I don’t feel that way as a fan, who would love this team if they were in last place. But for the corp world and the rich mo fo’s that buy luxury boxes I imagine they want what’s hot. Wouldn’t hurt to give it to them (Halladay/WS) as long as they pay for Wells which I think would happen.
I am really loathe to add Wells. He is poor offensively and defensively, and his numbers will play even worse in LF. If they make the deal to get Halladay and want to keep their big three and therefore take him, I would not be livid. But I would not do it if I were the GM.
Believe me no one wants Wells but..
His trend is to have a down year and a good year… in 2008 (short season) he had a 121 OPS+ and in 2006 he had a 129 OPS+. There is a chance he is league average – I know that is not what 20mil pays for but you keep Joba, Phil, Jesus, and we have cheap players that offset that a bit. Plus you get Roy Halladay, with his buddy AJ, CC, and hopefully the youngters pitch well next year – bamo – I think that could work out.
I hate how people assume the Yankees win the WS if they get Halladay. That’s just simply not a guarantee.
If Roy Halladay were 25 and had years of cost-controlled prime years ahead of him, it would be one thing. Wait, Hughes and Joba are 23 and have years of cost-controlled prime years ahead of them? Seriously, Hughes and Joba will be around at minimum until 2014 at which time you can take another look at them. This is the thing, you’re buying crazy high on a guy like Halladay and I don’t like giving up established big league pitchers for a guy that you’re getting for a year and a half.
If you can get Halladay for A-Jax, Melancon, McAllister, Sosa and whoever they want, I would say yes before they even got the offer out of their mouth. Hell, I’d give up Cano if they didn’t already have a pretty solid second baseman.
I wouldn’t offer Austin Jackson for a soon to be 31 year old Cliff Lee who is at best a number 3 pitcher in a playoff rotation… If you want Lee just sit tight with the prospects we have and lets win in the future with those prospects, Cliff Lee isn’t the difference in a WS title and sitting at home. I say if it’s Lee Cashman is looking at make the call for Bedard or Washburn being that Bedard is better and probably only costs two prospects and Washburn would only cost one good prospect or two OK ones.
When it comes to relievers I say no to the trio of Heath Bell, Jose Valverde, and Rafael Soriano… Heath Bell is 31 and a career NL reliever who struggled to pitch in NY with the Mets early in his career, to expect him to go from his home park in San Diego to Yankee stadium and the AL East and be solid is a wish at best. Valverde is also 30 and would cost to much for someone who would only be a set up man and have absolutley no chance to take over for Mo once he is gone, not to mention he has injury problems and missed quite a few games this year on a leg injury. Soriano unlike the other two has played in the AL and put up pretty decent numbers but I really don’t see how he improves the team to the point that it validates trading Mcallister or Melancon in a deal for an again 30 year old reliever who at best is a 2 or 3 year set up man and has no chance to be a closer of the future. even though the Yankees have needs I don’t see the right players available to make a deal for anyone… If everyone is in agreement that Street is untouchable then the reliever who makes the most sense is out and the starters available either cost to much or are still on contenders.
I would love to have Doc but, the cost is to much. Consider; if we get Doc, we have three top guys going down hill at about the same time…key word, “about”. Keeping the big three; we have 3 players coming along and could conceivably be the future stars of this team…why should we hurt our future for one guy? I don’t see Cash giving up these guys for anyone.
He should trade for Paul Maholm. He has good stuff, can eat innings, is only 27, is a lefty, and can learn from CC, Andy, and AJ. He was a first round draft pick and watching him, he is a good pitcher. Oh, he will also be somewhat cheap, like no top prospects. Go get him Cashman.
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