Jon Heyman reports that the Tigers have acquired Gary Sheffield for Humberto Sanchez and two Class A pitchers, Kevin Whelan and Anthony Claggett.
It’s a superb deal for New York at first glance, as Sanchez has great stuff and profiles as at least a middle-rotation starter for years to come. Baseball Prospectus’s Kevin Goldstein ranked Sanchez as the 11th best right-handed starting prospect in the game, holding him back only because of elbow concerns. The Yankees should have young guys comprising 60% of their rotation by the end of ’07.
And Whelan, if things break right, could be setting up Mariano Rivera by 2008. The 23 year-old throws four different fastballs.
That’s a lot to give up for Sheff, but credit the Tigers for making a win-now move for the patient slugger they needed. According to Heyman, "the Tigers will extend Sheffield’s contract for two years beyond the one year and $13 million remaining."
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