Analyzing the Yankees-Pirates Xavier Nady Trade
The Yankees get outfielder Xavier Nady and lefty-relief pitcher Damaso Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-field prospect Jose Tabata, pitchers Ross Ohlendorf, George Kontos, and Phil Coke. [EDIT: The Pirates didn't like Coke and Kontos's physicals. Now it's Jeff Karstens and Daniel McCutchen.]
Xavier, 29, is having his best year (.330 BA/.383 OBA). He played most of his career with the San Diego Padres, so his stats don’t jump at you (career .281 BA and .337 OBA), but he has some pop in his bat- he should be good for around 20 HRs. Nady is not a guy whom you build your team around, but is major league player who can compliment your lineup. The Yanks didn’t think Brett Gardner or Justin Christian are major leaguers yet, and totally passed on Barry Bonds due to collusion. Nady’s never played more than 130 games in a season. He’s a Todd Hollandsworth or Shane Spencer 4th-outfielder type, who probably won’t be batting .330 at the end of the year. It technically is an upgrade. I remember when the Mets traded him for Oliver Perez, and there was a protest. Jason Bay would have been the better Pirate, though.
Damaso Marte is a lefty. The Yanks don’t have a lefty, but Joe Girardi doesn’t really care about matchups like that as long as a relief pitcher can get someone out. Marte’s splits show he actually gets righties out better than lefties this year go figure. With a career ERA of 3.21 the White Sox and Pirates (among others), he should be solid. The irony is that he was traded by the Yankees back in 2001 for utility man Enrique Wilson. Marte was part of the WORLD CHAMPION CHICAGO WHITE SOX IN 2005.
The Yankees gave up their #3 prospect outfielder Jose Tabata, 19. The Venezuelan has been hyped for a long time, but the Yanks no longer believe he would develop power. He’s had an off-year in AA Trenton, but that could be related to some surgery he’s had. I also read that he was high-maintence. In 2006, he was part of the Future’s Game. Outfielder Austin Jackson now becomes the most valuable commodity in the Yankees’ farm system.
I really liked Ross Ohlendorf and had faith in him. He has great stuff, is intelligent, has a great attitude, and talent. He worked a lot of mop-up games this year for the Yanks, and had an ugly ERA. He can start or relieve. I always saw him as an in-house insurance policy if a start went down. He needed more work in AAA, but could have been good in the majors.
Daniel McCutchen, 25, is an above average right-hander with solid, if a unspectacular fastball and slider. Got a late start in baseball, still in AA. He’s been working on a change and curveball. Low walks, good strikeouts. Actual looks solid to be in AAA this year, maybe MLB next year. Was suspended 50 games for greenies.
Jeff Karstens, 25, has done well in amateur and minor league ball, but doesn’t have a fastball. He got killed with the Yanks last year, and but had a great Spring before getting hurt. He’s Darrell Rasner without any luck.
EDIT: The Yankees now keep Kontos and Coke]
George Kontos is a right-handed C+ prospect, who is a big guy with a nice slider and fastball. He’s been in the lower levels for a few years. His kind of underrated, but at the same time doesn’t seem to be any better than Ohlendorf. Kontos got into some trouble at Green Iguana Bar & Grill in Tampa, Florida when he was 21 in 2006.
Phil Coke is a left-handed pitcher, seen as filler, although he has shown some improvements by working on breaking balls. His stats are fine, but he’s a long way off.
Final conclusion:
It’s very likely Brian Cashman would never use the 4 minor leaguers, so he went for a 4th outfielder upgrade and got a decent lefty-relief pitcher with a good track record. It was a roster tweak, nothing more. Getting Barry Bonds and Marte would have been better.
The Pirates, who are not in contention, get 4 young guys and are hoping at least one of them can help the club one day in the future.
In other words, it’s a fair trade.
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Tim and Joe practice: “What have you done for me yesterday?”
fair trade indeed, yes really
indeed! they did well in yesterdays game! already giraldi has nick named Xavier “x man”! i love it!
we almost always come back in the second half after the all star break.. and tim and buck (the two ass lickers for fox) were pro yankee yesterday! i was amazed at their turn around and to them “red sox who?’ and we have ortiz’s # now and he is not a big threat as he has been in the past.