http://tinyurl.com/88jp8fh
Maybe there were no household names involved, but Michael Pineda-for-Jesus
Montero is a huge trade, one that, at first inspection, appears to have been
won by the Yankees.
The Mariners picked up Montero after originally passing on him in a Cliff Lee
deal in the summer of 2010. They chose the Rangers’ package headed by Justin
Smoak instead of a Montero-centered trade with the Yankees then, a mistake
that they may well have compounded tonight. While Montero is likely to be a
terrific hitter for the next 10 or 15 years, that’s probably all he’s going
to be. His catching hasn’t progressed to the point at which he can serve as
a major league regular, and if he’s simply a DH, then his upside doesn’t
match Pineda’s.
Pineda, who turns 22 next week, didn’t overwhelm with a 3.74 ERA as a
rookie, but it came with a 173/55 K/BB ratio in 171 innings. He was that good
despite having just 25 starts in the upper minors under his belt. With his
mid-90s fastball, he has a great chance of serving as a top-of-the-rotation
starter for a good long time. Of course, he’s a young pitcher and there’s
always the possibility that he’ll run into elbow or shoulder problems.
Still, with no sign of them so far, the Yankees were smart to jump. Arms like
Pineda’s are so rarely available. Given his ceiling and the fact that he has
five years left before free agency, he was worth significantly more than the
other talented pitchers traded this winter, Mat Latos and Gio Gonzalez
included.
The deal, which also includes right-handers Hector Noesi going to Seattle and
Jose Campos to New York, brings to mind the Josh Hamilton-for-Edinson Volquez
swap the Reds and Rangers pulled off four years ago. Both teams were happy
with their returns after one year, but Volquez blew out his arm in 2009 and
struggled to make it back. The Yankees will hope it’s the pitcher who
prevails this time. With Pineda behind CC Sabathia in the rotation and a free
agent designated hitter (Johnny Damon? Vladimir Guerrero?) replacing Montero,
they certainly seem to be in a better position to make a postseason run this
year than they did a day ago.