One day, he will do this with grey hair
Old Timer’s Day seems like an apt time for one of these, so lets jump right to it. Melky Cabrera has cooled off of late, seeing his league-leading average fall from .369 at its peak on June 19 to .350 today on a 8 for 38 (.210) streak. ESPN’s Ben Lindbergh looked at his hot start a little over a week ago and came away with the conclusion he has an improved approach at the plate, mostly in that he’s swinging more strikes. Since our last update Mark Melancon has been recalled by the Red Sox, after dominating AAA. Austin Jackson has continued to rake, while old friend Hideki Matsui’s MLB career looks all but over, as does Johnny Damon’s. With Michael Pineda’s injury the Yanks have certainly had zero return in their biggest offseason trade, but the Mariner’s haven’t done much better. Hector Noesi has lost 4 straight decisions in June, after losing 5 of 6 in May. Some of that is due to the M’s anemic offense, some isn’t. He pitched to a 3.43 ERA in May, while posting a 6.96 ERA in June. RotoWorld recently had an interesting tidbit on The Zeus for all of us amateur GMs who had him plugged in as the 2012 Yankee DH:
“Montero was at his best while Miguel Olivo was hurt and he got to do more catching. He’s hitting just .203 with two homers in 143 at-bats as a DH this year, compared to .322 with six homers in 118 at-bats as a catcher. The deeper we get into the season with splits that large, the more it suggests it’s not a fluke and that Montero really is a better hitter when he’s playing the field“
This game aint easy to predict, as someone has said once or twice. On a related note, another highly touted Yankee farmhand with an “elite bat” Jose Tabata has shown this year that he did have a ‘Manny Ramirez type bat’ if you meant 2010/11 AL version. On to the stats:
| GP | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Regular Season | 70 | 265 | 24 | 67 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 28 | 14 | 65 | 0 | 2 | .253 | .290 | .389 | .678 |
| GP | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | P/GS | WHIP | BAA | ERA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Regular Season | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 91.2 | 87 | 59 | 58 | 19 | 34 | 56 | 2 | 10 | 90.6 | 1.32 | .255 | 5.69 |
| GP | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | SV | HLD | BLSV | WHIP | ERA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Regular Season | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40.0 | 33 | 19 | 19 | 3 | 13 | 40 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 1.15 | 4.28 |
| GP | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | SV | HLD | BLSV | WHIP | ERA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Regular Season | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.2 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2.07 | 11.17 |
| GP | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Regular Season | 76 | 311 | 53 | 109 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 38 | 23 | 42 | 10 | 5 | .350 | .393 | .514 | .907 |
| GP | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Regular Season | 24 | 76 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 0 | .158 | .220 | .250 | .470 |
| GP | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Regular Season | 45 | 145 | 19 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 2 | 0 | .207 | .286 | .338 | .6 |
| GP | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | P/GS | WHIP | BAA | ERA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Regular Season | 16 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 100.2 | 111 | 50 | 47 | 12 | 22 | 90 | 6 | 7 | 102.3 | 1.32 | .277 | 4.20 |
| GP | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Regular Season | 56 | 218 | 45 | 71 | 16 | 3 | 8 | 34 | 30 | 56 | 7 | 2 | .326 | .408 | .537 | .945 |
| GP | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | SV | HLD | BLSV | WHIP | ERA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Regular Season | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16.0 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1.63 | 6.19 |
| GP | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Regular Season | 71 | 247 | 32 | 57 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 17 | 43 | 8 | 8 | .231 | .296 | .344 | .640 |
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11 Responses to Keeping up with the ex-Yanks-Future Old Timers
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TIQ IQ
Somehow, I don’t miss Mike Dunn or Jose Tabata as much as I used to. Montero is still very young, but so far he’s done nothing.
I know small sample sizes and whatnot but what he has done is proven that he can be a catcher which if I remember correctly is the reason the Yankees traded him. He called a no hitter this season, and the numbers show that he is still raking while playing the position. Cashman has already admitted the trade was a mistake and hindsight being what it is, yeah id say so. Campos has been down with arm trouble, and you cant say Pineda will ever be the same. Meanwhile after this year the Yankees will be looking for a starting catcher. Romine has been hurt, JR Murphy hasnt hit nearly as well as expected, and Gary Sanchez still has a lot of work to do behind the plate.
Montero in no way has proven he can catch a whole year in the big leagues. He’s a part time catcher, they can help pick and chose which pitchers he catches and at what time. May him start and finish 120 games and we’ll see if we can call him a starting catcher. As far as saying “he’s proven he can rake while playing the field”, name me one player who has better numbers while playing DH? Outside of Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz almost every ball player in the league has better numbers when playing the field, they’ve done whole studies on the numbers.
I’m not one to worry over an elbow. Campos is down but worstt case is probably he has TJ surgery, which has almost become a right of passage for pitchers in the big leagues now. You’re right you can’t say Pineda will ever be the same again, you also can’t say he won’t. He didn’t tear the rotator cuff so it’s much better than it could have been, and not near as bad as Prior. Schilling had the exact same surgery early in his career and came back throwing harder because of the rehab. If he takes the rehab serious, uses the time he’s off to get in good shape and stay that way, and is serious about coming back better than ever he should be fine.
This trade should illustrate one thing…the Yankees should never ever trade young superstar talents. Ever. Because of their success the Yankees so very rarely get a chance to draft a high talent. Also with the rule changes it will be a lot harder for the Yankees to get a Montero, Sanchez, Banuelos, Mason Williams due to the rules against overslot and international free agent signing bonuses. Im not going to act like I knew he was going to be really good, but I wanted the Yankees to sign Yu Darvish and keep Montero for this reason. Just makes more sense for a team like the Yankees
You’re argument really doesn’t add up.
1)A-Jax was drafted in the 8th round.
2)Mason Williams was drafted under the current rules, with the Yanks finishing 1st the year they drafted him. He was domestic, not intl.
3)They Yanks got back Granderson, who has helped them win while A-Jax struggled through growing pains. Did you want to suffer through the past two years with A-Jax? The Yanks wouldn’t have won as many games if they did.
Mason Williams was given over slot money thats why the Yankees got him if I remember correctly. And neither Williams nor Jackson were the prospect that Montero was.
And even if im not most of the Yankees high end talent came from international free agents and they will soon not be able to flex their financial might overseas.
And would I rather have IPK, Jackson, and Coke over Granderson? Seeing as how well IPK has turned out and especially Jackson I dont think you can say you wouldn’t be happy having not made that trade. Its at best a toss up
Coke is a non-factor in that trade. IPK’s numbers wouldn’t be as good in the AL East as they were in the NL West last year, plus he’s off to a very mediocre start this year. And Jackson has been up and down with struggles and consistency. I’m not saying they’ve been bad players, but have you seen what Granderson has done for the Yankees the past couple of years? Where would the Yankees be without him? No way that’s a toss up. It’s an MVP candidate for 2 above average players and a non-factor. That deal was clearly a huge success.
I see. IPK doesnt exactly pitch his home games in a pitchers park. If you going to use that argument Im going to respond with if Granderson never comes to the AL East he would continue to devolve into a platoon player who could never hit lefties.
Im happy with Granderson, hes a superstar. Would I be happier with 2 young cheap stars? Theyre both better than above average. And especially the cost. Having those two as opposed to Granderson means your definitely keeping Cano long term and have lots of money freed up to improve other areas of the team.
Don’t know how we got on that trade specifically, I hadnt initially mentioned it in my original post. My point is, why would the Yankees ever trade away young superstar talent like Montero when there are free agents available who could fill the role? Especially given the fact that under the new rules it will be much harder for the Yankees to use their money to acquire young high end talent? If you notice most of the Yankees top prospects have been through over slot payments in the draft and especially international free agency.
Because they got back a superstar talent ranked more highly than Montero by most, and got a possible superstar talent on the back end by Campos? Pretty easy to see why they traded him, both then and now. Trying to act like the Yankees should never trade top talent is silly, it’s been done many times before, all of baseball does it.
I bet if we had traded for Felix people would be mad we traded Montero, Banuelos, Nova, plus whatever for a pitcher with decreasing velocity.
I love how everyone wants to talk about how much of a failure this trade was for the Yankees, mostly because of how Campos and Pineda’s years have gone. Yet no one mentions that Montero has a negative WAR, a .669 OPS, and is walking only 4% of the time. While at the same time Noesi also ha a negative WAR and a god awful 5.69 ERA, 5.71 FIP, 5.15 xFIP.
So if we are going to judge a trade all on one year, as we seem to be OK with doing on the Yankee side, how have the Mariners won?