Monday, July 15, 2019

Last year, the Yankees traded two injured players at the deadline; might they do the same soon?

Maybe I'm delusional, but in the golden days of yore, was there not an unwritten rule in baseball about trading injured players? You just didn't. Not only that, but while some poor fellow sat for three weeks icing his gonads, the unrecorded rule said he could not rightfully lose his starting job. It wasn't cricket.  

But last July, in his relentless quest to make Sonny Gray a Yankee, Brian "Cooperstown" Cashman broke free from all earthly chains and traded two injured prospects to the A's: OF Dustin Fowler, who was out with a bum knee, and former first-round pick James Kaprielian, who was coming off of elbow surgery. (For the record, now 24, Dustin is hitting .274 with 16 HRs in the Pacific Coast League. Kaprielian, 25, has thrown 32 innings at Single A.) 

So, apparently, the unwritten rules no longer apply: Injured players can be trade chips.

Hmm. That opens a rather interesting can of beans. I'm not suggesting these poor souls be dealt, but merely noting that their absence would not hurt the current Yankee roster. And if this sounds like blaspheme, keep in mind that one pitcher the Yankees might seriously chase, Mr. Max Scherzer, is currently on the IL with a bad back himself. He's supposed to return next week, but if he suffers a setback - something Yank fans understand quite well - we could be trading for him blind, with no guarantees. 

So, let's look at some injured Yankees who just might bring us a usable pitcher:

Luis Severino. He's been cleared to resume throwing. If he's going to throw a pitch in 2019, it's now or never. Still, he's still coming off a second half of 2018 so wretched that the Yankee brain trust later suggested he was tipping pitches. He's signed to a team-friendly contract. Might Washington view him as better long term shot than Scherzer? (I would.)

Greg Bird. Let's face it: One way or another, this walking injury list is gone. I thought he'd win 1B in spring training and quell all doubts. Now, he's not even an afterthought. He's a joke. The only question is whether the Yankees can get more for him next March, when he's again hitting .350 in Tampa. I feel bad about this: I've always liked Bird and will never forget his playoffs HR off of the unhittable Andrew Miller. But it's just not going to happen with the Yankees. In a trade for a pitcher, a throw-in? Maybe.

Giancarlo Stanton. What if - talking crazy here - we tossed in a suitcase full of Bitcoins and dealt his sorry ass to San Francisco? Aw, why bother? It won't happen. Just to make this guy disappear would cost Food Stamps Hal more than the Yankees would have spent on Dallas Keuchel (who pitched seven innings, gave up one run on Friday, for Atlanta.) We're stuck with him throughout an Ellsburyian eternity.

Miguel Andujar. An interesting, but unpopular possibility. Interesting because we now have Gio Urshella and DJ LeMahieu at 3B, and Andujar still has yet to prove he can play there. Would a team looking to build long term take Severino and Andujar - two explosive young players - for a quality starter? (I would.)

Dellin Betances. Won't happen. Betances is a free agent next winter, and nobody is going to pay much for a two-month rental. We're better off keeping him.  

Jordan Montgomery. He's throwing batting practice in Tampa. Could be back in September. I doubt we'd get much. Same deal. Let's keep him. 

Ben Heller. Rehabbing at Scranton, he's now thrown 6.2 shutout innings. He'll be with us soon. Trade value: Maybe as a throw-in.

Hammerin' Cameron Maybin. Love this guy. He proved something this year, but nobody will cough up much in a trade. Truth be told, he might get DFA'ed upon his return. Sad. 

Jonathan Loaisiga. He's throwing, could return next month. But his injury history is tough. A throw-in, maybe. 

Jacoby Ellsbury. In our dreams.

Troy Tulowitski. Sad case. I love that he wanted to play for the Yankees. Maybe he can return in September, when the rosters expand, and show what might have been? It would be pointless to trade him, unless to a town where he seeks to be.  

Okay, have I missed anybody? Who got hurt yesterday?

31 comments:

Carl J. Weitz said...

Interesting conjecture, Duque.

I'd probably keep Andujar to play left if we could get SF to take Stanton. He's a better hitter than Frazier with a much stronger arm. If he can fix his footwork he might even be as good or better in the field, too.

I'd also keep Heller because by the time he's ready to pitch in the near future someone in our pen will have an arm dangling by a thread.

Ditto for Montgomery. He might be the best pitching option we could add to the starters either by trade or from the current Yankee roster especially if you measure by cost-effectiveness.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Thanks, Duque.

Yeah, I could see where the Jays were willing to gamble on last year's deal. McKinney had been a first round pick who seemed to be back, raking in Triple-A. Drury, we were constantly assured, was going to be a star once he got his inner-ear thing—or was it migraines?–taken care of.

Getting those guys for an aged pitcher about to hit free agency? Seemed worth the risk. Sometimes, even good ideas don't work out.

Anonymous said...

Instead of making trades we should send all of them to the Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine and see if they can't make 2-3 usable ballplayers out of parts from the other ones.

Doug K.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Trading Andujar would be crazy, though.

It's very possible still that Gio will revert to his mean. And if he doesn't, the Yanks really, really should try Andujar in left.

Let's face it: there is no way in hell that the Man of Glass if ever going to last even a half-season in the outfield everyday. Even if they don't deal The Red Menace and the Wizard gives him some composure, you can't possibly know what you're getting with hi,.

The two Aarons? Love 'em to death. But both of them also have a staying on the field problem.

Keep El Matador. Give him an outfielder's glove. And keep Hammerin' Cameron, too. What the hell does a guy have to do to be a fourth outfielder these days??

Alphonso said...

In Giancarlo's case, it is: Hit 50 Hrs; strike out 233 times; stay on the IL most of the year.

13bit said...

Did any of you see that piece about El Chapo possibly opting out after this season?

HoraceClarke66 said...

Hmm, bad knee, diminishing fastball, and a history of shooting at a woman. I would be very careful, if I were him. He seems like just the sort of guy it was would really easy for the owners to freeze out.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Alphonso, I might take that...if we could get the 50 homers.

But I'll tell you this: I will be rooting like hell for Giancarlo next season. I hope he plays all 162 games (many of them in the field), breaks all kinds of hitting records, and leads us to a World Series sweep.

You see, at the end of next year, he can option out.

Of course, if he did that, Coops would probably bid everything for him...

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Yes is so much better with Ken Singleton.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

The offense needs to pick up Maple there. At least one run.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Let me try this again:

You can't hope to stop d'Arnaud. You can only try to betray him to Cardinal Richelieu, and hope that he's sent to the Bastille before the other Musketeers get there.

Get it??? Because, you know, his name sounds sort of like d'Artagnan's? In "The Three Musketeers"?

Eh, boy. Hey, I know you're out there! I can hear you breathing!

So, did you know that the Three Musketeers bar was originally three different kinds of candy, all in one bar? How 'bout that, huh?

Boy, I was guaranteed this material would kill! I didn't know they meant me!

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Is this mike on?

ranger_lp said...

You know who else is injured...Edwin Encarnación. Ever since he's put on the Yankee uniform, he's powerless. It's like the jersey is kryptonite.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

I heard he has a nice restaurant in New Orleans. Not sure how he can keep up with the restaurant while he's playing ball, but I hear it's good. I do know to stay away from Antoine's. Overrated.



Rufus T. Firefly said...

d'Arnaud, not Encarnacion with the restaurant...

13bit said...

I have been worried about our pitching more than anything this year, but let’s remember that the defining characteristic of the last 10 years of Yankee failure has not been bad pitching. It is been the dead bat syndrome.

Leinstery said...

Andujar is a goner.


And does Judge ever come through in those situations? Might as well punch hit the Sockman there.

ranger_lp said...

Edwin...finally....

JM said...

Fucking Chapman. I can't stand him.

HoraceClarke66 said...

I never understand the Yankees' refusal to avoid the hot hand. How many home runs have they let d'Arnaud hit off him this past week?

You have a pretty powerless lineup out there. You have the guy with both home runs up. Why don't you NOT feed him anything good?

Nope. That would be strategy!

JM said...

Fucking Chapman sucks.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

I see a called third strike in our future.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

I hope he shoots up his garage tonight.

JM said...

Asshole.

Leinstery said...

I feel a 2015 type collapse is coming

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Well, that sucked.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Boo.

And The Greatest Bullpen What Ever Was blows another one.

That aside, though, even playing with Super Happy Fun Ball, the Greatest Lineup What Ever Was has now scored 17 runs in the last 6 games, and reverted to home-run-or-nothing ball.

Great.

ranger_lp said...

Another ex-Met beating the Yankees...smh

Anonymous said...

It there anything more certain than watching Luke Voit getting a called strike three?

Doug K.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Chapman has never struck me as a very bright pitcher. I'm not saying he's not a bright human being—I have no idea. But he reminds me of Goose Gossage, who was just going to throw that fastball by George Brett no matter how many times Brett hit it out.

Again, this is your average relief pitcher. Not saying Chapman will stand in the way of us winning anything. But you don't count on him reacting to a situation.

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