From Jen Langosch (MLB Pro Blog):
There may not be any biggest discussion/dilemma in the Pirates’ front office right now than about what to do with Ian Snell. One month ago, the right-hander asked for a demotion to Triple-A, certainly not something you hear a player asking about every day. He also has expressed little interest in coming back to Pittsburgh. Since going to Triple-A Indianapolis, Snell has been unbelievable. He has allowed just two earned runs in 32 1/3 innings (five starts). He has 43 strikeouts and 12 walks.
So it’s no surprise that a number of clubs have already contacted the Pirates to see what it would take to land Snell.
The Yankees are the latest and have a scout at Indianapolis’ Victory Field on Sunday to watch Snell’s start. Though their level of interest in Snell isn’t known, it’s no secret that New York is in the market for a starting pitcher to replace Chien-Ming Wang in the rotation. Obviously, Snell is being looked at as a potential option.
Snell is a solid buy-low option to add to the Yankees’ pitching depth and has been rumored to be within Brian Cashman’s crosshairs for a few weeks now. He has the stuff to excel in the Majors and has shown that in previous seasons, it’s just a matter of putting it together and commanding his pitches. GM Neal Huntington is planning to play hardball, though, now that Snell has sparkled since his demotion. He claims that the Pirates will sell high when trading Snell, however, this is the same guy who, just a few weeks ago, said that Snell’s contract extension was a “mistake” and that the Pirates would look to “salvage” the deal. If Huntington wanted to sell high with Snell, maybe he shouldn’t have exposed himself like that. The Pirates have been the Yankees’ best friend since last year, so I wouldn’t be too surprised to see them come together and give Snell a new home.
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17 Responses to Yanks scouting Snell
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TIQ IQ
Snell is not an answer if they want someone more than a 5 starter. He has had one good year, and been pretty bad otherwise.
Yea, I figure for depth purposes it can’t hurt, though. Especially if Kei Igawa is the next option to get starts once Joba gets shut down. I’d rather see Snell than Igawa.
I have a hard time believing that anyone who couldn’t pitch well with the Pirates and asked to be sent down to triple A and then asked to stay there to keep dominating triple A hitters could survive or even make it a whole year in the Bronx. If we are going for a Pirate starter just go after Zach Duke, he is 26 and would cost more (prospect wise) than Snell and Washburn but much less than Lee and could be around a lot longer.
OK, I have no idea why people are taking about Duke—I’ve seen this over at RAB. Where did this idea come from, lol? He would be horrible in the AL East. He has made some modest improvements this year in his K/9 and BB/9, but he just doesn’t miss any bats and has a terrible heater (he maxes out around 90). He has never been good for the Pirates and has a lifetime BABIP of .321, yet this season, he has been tremendously lucky, posting a BABIP of .280. ZiPS projects him to have a 5.29 ERA for the rest of the season. He’s also helped by a great defensive team. He’s just not the answer and would cost a TON in terms of prospects.
He’s be as good in the AL east as Snell would be… truthfully I don’t want one of the starting pitchers available for trade right now and that includes Lee and Halladay unfortunately we are at a point where we need an arm and it’s either trade for someone or go Igawa and no one wants that. You don’t have to throw hard to be a good pitcher in the American League it helps but that is not a good reason to say he would be hit hard, true he doesn’t miss a lot of bats but he is young and is just coming into his own at this point. With Snell you have a guy who has very little to no control and goes deep into counts, historically lefties blow him up and this year righties are hitting him harder than lefties so I would be terrified to put him in pen stripes and have him face the Red Sox not to mention that he loves to give up the deep ball even giving up 30 HRs 06 a number that would only go up in New York. Both are terrible options but Snell is not mentally strong enough to pitch in NY.
That is one thing I’d be worried about with Snell. His temperament IS questionable. I think Snell could succeed in the AL East if he can control his stuff and I don’t think he’s like his time with the Pirates. I’d take my chances with him over Duke, simply because he would likely cost less due to his extension (assuming we eat the money) and he has better stuff.
What a GM can demand for a minor leaguer or fringe player such as Snell depends on the market, plain and simple. As more teams express interest, the price will rise. Of course, many of those GMs are just window shopping, so on July 30th or 31st Huntington may find himself without serious bidders for Snell.
Which matters how when the guy can’t pitch? The only way I take Snell is if the deal involves getting Igawa out of town and no one is dumb enough to take that on not even the Pirates.
I’m not crazy about Washburn but after him the rest of the crop of pitching talent is not even worth looking at!
Yea, Washburn is eh, but he’s been very good this year, thanks to a revamped 2-seamer, luck and his defense (haha, so encouraging). I’d try him if he’s cheap, but the Mariners reportedly asked for Gardner and Melky in exchange for J-Wash. If Gardner wasn’t injured, I’d consider Melky and someone else, but not Gardner and Melky.
I don’t know why they would want two CFers when they have a crowded outfield like they do didn’t they ask for the same thing last year and we wouldn’t do it? I don’t know why they think we would do it now… I just don’t know who to turn to with Chamberlain’s innings count coming up and Wang not Wang and gone for the rest of the year and pretty much every team being in the playoff race there just are no good starters available not named Halladay.
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Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Mitre, Igawa is not going to get us to the playoffs even if we have a 10 game lead.
How has Jon Garland been pitching? He was never great but for a short time he wasn’t bad and he has AL experience and would only be asked to be a 5th starter and the diamondbacks are way out of it and at least he’d be better than Snell or Duke.
How much better can Ian Snell be then Mitre? Not much imo…
I like Mitre’s ability to keep the ball on the ground even when he is giving up hits so at least he isn’t allowing big bombs like Snell would and HRs can be mood killers when you have a pitcher just allowing balls to get jacked out the park.
Ian Snell can’t pitch in the NL, nevermind the AL east
Neither can Mitre.
Oh, so you prefer the Chinese water torture Mitre delivers.
As oppose to just giving up HR after giant HR? Yes, and it’s not even close! When a guy has the ability to keep the ball down he can keep you in games by not having huge innings, he can get the double play ball and he keep the ball out of the seats at Yankees stadium someone like Igawa or Snell would have given up 6 or 7 HRs in the 10 2/3 innings Mitre has thrown in which we have won both games and he gave up 3 ER in his first start and 4 in his second that’s not terrible.