It looks like Brian Cashman is looking to make a deal along the lines of last season's steal of Nick Swisher. I am sure everyone remembers how Cashman fleeced the White Sox when he swapped Wilson Betemit for Swisher.
This offseason it looks like Cashman pulled down Curtis Granderson in a big three-team trade. Included in the deal is Ian Kennedy and Austin Jackson, two of the biggest prospects in the Yankee system.
I have to say I am not entirely thrilled with the deal. While the loss of Kennedy is one the Yankees can absorb without a second thought, the loss of Jackson may be tougher to handle. Jackson is far from a sure thing. He has a hard time making consistent contact and he is not overwhelming in any area, but he is a solid overall player.
The third part of the deal was Phil Coke. Not many Yankee fans will miss Coke and with Damaso Marte rediscovering himself during the postseason I doubt the Yankees will miss him too much either.
Granderson has been on a steady decline these past two seasons, but his left-handed power will obviously play well in Yankee Stadium and considering he had a career low in BABIP his average will most likely rebound next season. The biggest concern would be his splits against left-handed pitching. They are ugly and there is no way to know if that is simply a lull if he will turn into a full blown platoon player in the next few seasons.
To me the biggest problem with the deal is the Diamondbacks shipping Max Scherzer off to Detroit and getting only Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson. I hope Arizona knows something about Scherzer we don't because Kennedy doesn't have his upside and Jackson is nothing special beyond the first half of the season.
It isn't a lock to go down yet but only physicals are standing in the way right now.
3 comments:
I don't understand. You said you don't like the deal, but then everything you said makes me feel like you like the deal. Kennedy no big loss, Dunn slides in for Coke, no big loss. So unless you think the Ajax is definitely going to be better than Granderson then this is a good deal.
The Yankees aren't going to be fleecing teams every time they make a deal.
Its not that I don't like the deal because of what the Yankees lost, it is more that I don't have as much faith in a Granderson bounce back as I was in Swisher bounce back.
Plus I doubt Dunn will slide in smoothly for Coke. Dunn has too many control problems to be an immediate impact guy in the bullpen.
Granderson is just monumentally terrible against lefties. And there is no cover for that. Swisher is so-so against lefties. Gardner has so-so numbers against lefties, but he bats left-handed, so that is not a platoon situation. Cabrera is not good against lefties either.
I feel like this is the first of a couple moves in the outfield. The Yankees aren't going to sacrifice 3 spots in the lineup every time they face a good lefty.
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