Items out of the American League East..
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes that Freddy Garcia could wind up as trade bait for the Yankees but there are a number of complications, including his $4MM salary.
- The Marlins are a possible fit for the Yankees if they look to trade Garcia, as Miami has the payroll flexibility to take him on and the pitcher has a good relationship with manager Ozzie Guillen, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. However, Olney notes (via Twitter) that all five Marlins starters are looking good at the moment.
- The Red Sox have no plans to deal back-up catcher Kelly Shoppach, a source told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. As a free agent signing, Boston would have to get approval from Shoppach in any trade made prior to June 15th.
- In an interview on WEEI, Red Sox GM Ben Cherington said that the club has been working diligently to find ways to make the new Collective Bargaining Agreement work for them, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
- In addition to Garcia, Phil Hughes could quickly emerge as a trade candidate for the Yankees as well, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Garcia to Detroit.
why would phil hughes be a possible trade candidate? is he not doing alright in spring training too?
He’s actually been really good, and his fastball velocity is back.
than no real point in the Yankees trading him than. i take it that freddy garcia isn’t going to break camp anytime soon huh?
Hughes has more trade value than Garcia. If you trade Hughes, the return would be much higher than Garcia. I think Hughes is expendable at this point with the pitching depth the Yankees have. They only really need Hughes/Garcia for the year until Betances/Banuelos is deemed ML ready…
I have to laugh at that, because it was only 6 years ago that people were saying the same with Hughes in the latter part of that statement. Something like: “They only need Jaret Wright for the year until Phil Hughes is deemed ML ready…”
Um? Of course he is. He’s looked quite good.
I agree, no way Hughes is a trade candidate, he has been pitching well. The Yanks look to start the season with CC, Kuroda, Pineda, Hughes, and Nova as their starters. They will keep Garcia until Pettite comes up sometime in May if needed, at that point the Yanks trade Garcia, and the other starter moves to the pen.
Agreed, ive wanted hughes in the rotation all winter, if someone goes down i would have pettitte come up if he is in shape. He is 39 years old and hasnt pitched in 500 days, who knows if he will even be any good, but he is worth the shot.
Over the course of the year there is a large shot that someone gets injured, which is why you need the depth.
Depends on if they can get good value for Hughes. He’s as expendable in the team’s long term plans as Garcia as there’s almost no way he’s with us after 2013. If he’s good, he’ll be worth far more than Freddy and that could be the deciding factor if we want a return that can contribute to the future of the team.
Honestly would keep Garcia just to see if Pettite even pans out. I mean, I’m sure he’ll be back to the first half of 2010 and at least playoff mode but of the off chance that he isn’t the Yankess still have Garcia as back-up. If Pettite does turn out to be good then I would trade Garcia before the trade deadline for whatever the Yankees need at that moment. Hughes shouldn’t even be considered for trading.
Wouldn;t mind trading Hughes for a 3rd base prospect.
If the Yankees can get a true impact bat that can inject some consistency into its either DOA or explosive line up then it makes more sense to trade Hughes. His value is much higher than Garcia and with Nova, CC, Betances, Banuelos, and Pineda solidifying a very comfortable future rotation for the Yankees it only makes sense to improve what I believe is their true are of weakness, scoring consistently. I know that great pitching will stop great hitting but when your team either scores 10 runs or 0 runs it doesn’t matter if you have a whole staff of 3.50 to sub 3.00 ERA pitchers. I would rather put 4 to 6 runs on the board consistently than score 10 runs in one game once a week. With that said they can even look to trade Nova. I actually prefer to keep Nova over Hughes at this point.
News Flash, Nova is terrible.
How is he terrible?
Have you seen his command? He constantly misses his target within the strikezone. He throws strikes, but in the wrong places. Next time you watch him, look where Martin or whoever is catching sets up and how far off the mark he is. I’m not talking about one or two inches here, I’m talking 4 or 5 here.
Let’s please temper the whole I’ll trade this person for that person talk. Our depth looks good for now but keep in mind that Kuroda is signed to a 1 year deal. Pettite is an unknown and Garcia is still Freddy Garcia. No way in the world should we even think about trading Nova for a position player.
A team never, ever has enough SP.. Unless they are the Rays that just keep on producing and have plenty to spare at the MLB level and more on the way.
Have a feeling Cash will be loathe to move Hughes, even if he could get a decent return after the Ian Kennedy debacle.
Ian Kennedy debacle?
They acquired Curtis Granderson in that trade, thats a trade you have to make.
They also gave up Jackson, along with kennedy. i agree.. At the time it looked sweet getting granderson for these 4 seasons with kennedy struggling while a NYY.
Nothing is as harder to develop and more expensive to acquire than a top of the rotation SP, even a CF as good as Granderson. Just look at the numbers kennedy put up last year alone.
You can’t look back and undo a trade of course, but with kennedy, a bona fide #1 now and jackson, a league average all around CF, plus top notch defender. how could that have been a win for NY?
I know how hard it is develope young pitching, and I also know what the Yankees have in the way of young pitching in their farm system, Kennedy is exactly what I expected him to be but players like Granderson do not come cheap.
Granderson did have 41 homeruns last season and 136 runs with 119 RBIs and 25 stolen bases a .916 OPS. Not too shabby.
With the current depth the Yankees have, Banuelos and Betances will spend the year at AAA. They have Mitchell, Phelps and Warren at AAA Scranton Wilkes Barre ready for the Bronx.
They have CC, Kuroda, Nova, Hughes, Pineda, Garcia and now Pettitte.
Granderson was in the running for MVP last season besides playing outstanding defense.
You think maybe Detroit would like this to do over?
I know the Yankees have no regrets.
And whether Kennedy could pitch well in NY and have the same numbers in the ALE that he had last season in a weaker (hitting) division is something we don’t know the answer to.
I am pretty sure the answer would be No.
Kennedy did that playing against the weakest offensive division in baseball. Even then, he never had to pitch against the best offense in the division. I like Kennedy, but he wasn’t going to do a ton in the AL East (or possibly the AL at all). He’s the ace of that staff, but he’s no true ace. Not yet anyway.
As for Jackson….Detroit can have him. He’s good, but Granderson was and is far more useful to us. Even if he can bring his K% down from the stratosphere, we already have Gardner. I’d like some consistent power production in the outfield.
One out of every three batters that Kennedy faced last year was either a Padre, Giant, or Dodger.
I wouldn’t say it was a win for the Yankees but I certainly feel that if Grandy produces another season similar to 2012 that it wasn’t a loss. I LOVED IPK and thought NY fans and media were too harsh on him but I also don’t think he would have been AS good in NY as he was with the Dbacks. I think he would be more like a #3 type which is still tremendously good, especially if he’s homegrown and cost controlled.
Ian Kennedy needed a change of scenery. If he was to have success, it wasn’t going to be in NY… especially after the comments he made and relationship he had with leadership.
That was why posted he was struggling, or at least so far.. I NY. maybe he was another case of being an NL pitcher? Anyway.. Now, or to me at least, it looks like they gave up an awful lot to get Grandy.
Jackson is a league average CF, who is still very young and kennedy is out of this world, or was at least last year in the NL.
Sometimes people do need a change of scenery, even a change of leagues. I thought the same thing with Okie-J when he signed with NY, then he failed his physical so it didn’t matter. Same way Javiar Lopez went to the NL and had success after his delivery got “old” in the AL.
That was why posted he was struggling, or at least so far.. I NY. maybe he was another case of being an NL pitcher? Anyway.. Now, or to me at least, it looks like they gave up an awful lot to get Grandy.
Jackson is a league average CF, who is still very young and kennedy is out of this world, or was at least last year in the NL.
Sometimes people do need a change of scenery, even a change of leagues. I thought the same thing with Okie-J when he signed with NY, then he failed his physical so it didn’t matter. Same way Javiar Lopez went to the NL and had success after his delivery got “old” in the AL.
Marlins PLEEEEAAASSSEEEEE get Freddy Garcia. – Signed, Phillies fan.
Careful with what you ask for; the Phillies don’t have the strongest offensive unit and Garcia is a very crafty pitcher who found success in the AL East.
He was TERRIBLE when was with the Phillies and will get lit up again if he goes to the NL East again.
not going to happen. he’s not an upgrade over any of miami’s starters.
Clearly, Garcia has found away to survive in a offensive minded league in a offense friendly park. I think that was the point.
I was interested in what Garcia’s numbers was against Philly. He has not pitched in a single game against the Phillies. The only team in baseball he’s never faced.
If the Yankees can sure up the DH spot I would go ahead and trade Hughes. The Yankees have plenty of arms coming up through the system and they could fill their DH spot while keeping a strong rotation.
Trading Hughes for a DH makes no sense. If Hughes is healthy and can return to his 2010 1st half form then the Yanks would be smart to keep him. They could have him for 2013 and probably extend him if they wanted.
Sabathia/Pineda/Hughes/Nova + whoever graduates from AAA is a pretty young staff with plenty of candidates for the #5 spot.
No way the Sox are trading Shoppach with Salty suffering from hip bursitis.
Trading Hughes is a mistake at this point. He’s still under control for 2 more seasons. Kuroda and Garcia will both be gone next year and Pettitte will probably be a one-and-done situation. That leaves two rotation spots to fill next season and you don’t know if anyone from AAA will be ready. Hughes may also end up being a candidate to replace Mo.
Trading Hughes is a mistake at this point. He’s still under control for 2 more seasons. Kuroda and Garcia will both be gone next year and Pettitte will probably be a one-and-done situation. That leaves two rotation spots to fill next season and you don’t know if anyone from AAA will be ready. Hughes may also end up being a candidate to replace Mo.
I hate the Stankees with a passion, but to say that trading Hughes isn’t in their best interest would be silly. He is a good pitcher, but certainly not the “ace” that they expected him to be. He could get better but it appears his ceiling isn’t where they would have hoped. I think the “name value” they could get for him in return is far more valuable than what he is going to give them on the field. It’s worth exploring for sure, and if no one offers enough then you still have an inexpensive back of the rotation starter for a few more years.