Yankee trades from last season...how are they looking now?

[AFJF]

Randy Johnson to Arizona for Luis Vizcaino, Ross Ohlendorf, Steven Jackson and Alberto Gonzalez

Vizcaino was a big reason for the Yanks run last season to make the playoffs when he became the only reliable reliever in the 'pen besides Mo in the 2nd half. He's since departed as a FA.

Ohlendorf is with the big club and aside from three terrible outings, he's been solid but nothing spectacular.

Gonzalez has done an admirable job filling in as a utility guy but again, nothing great and will never be much of a threat offensively.

Jackson is currently getting clobbered in AA posting a 7.32 ERA in 19.2 IP.

Randy Johnson? Looks pretty good this year but missed almost all of last season that would have been his last with the Yankees and would have cost them $17 million dollars to ride the pine. Good move by cash to dump his salary coming off another back surgery.

Gary Sheffield to Detroit for Humberto Sanchez, Kevin Whelan, and Anthony Claggett

Sheff had to go. He's currently on the DL and hitting .213 with three home runs after 25 HR 75 RBI .265 last season. Good numbers but not worth what he was getting paid IMO.

Sanchez was the cornerstone of the deal for the Yankees. Rated as the 6th best pitching prospect in the Tigers organization Sanchez is recovering from Tommy John surgery and could see his first game action in the next couple of weeks in the minoirs. He has a mid 90's fastball with a low 90s slider. He's averaged more than a K per inning in the minors thus far in his career. Could he emerge as a set up guy later in the season if Farnsworth fails in that role? Could be interesting.

Whelan is in A ball with a 2.57 ERA over 14 IP with 7 BBs and 17 Ks out of the 'pen.

Claggett is also pitching out of the 'pen in AA at the moment. He's got a 1.10 ERA in 16.1 IP with 10 BB and 15 Ks.

Jaret Wright for Chris Brittion

Why the Yankees continue to bury Britton is beyond me. He's looked better than some of the guys who have had more of a chance than he's been given at the big league level but he continues to bouce from AAA to the bigs and is rarely used in a big spot.

All things considered I think Cash did a good job. Dumped a hugely overpaid pitcher and did well to get anything at all in exchange for him in RJ. Humberto Sanchez will be the key to determining how good of a deal the Sheff trade was, and if at some point the Yankees decide to use Britton, I think that deal ends up being a steal. JMO.

[nj meadowlands]

Good write up.

[DaBrick Wall]

I think Sanchez can have the same type of impact Joba had last year when he came up. The Yankees bullpen is going to look very different in the second half of the year. Robertson, Melancon, and Cox should all be up by mid-July and Sanchez could join the team around the same time Joba did last year.

Thanks for the analysis. Good job.

[AFJF]

Update on Humberto Sanchez...

Pitching in the GCL to get back in the swing of things he's had five outings. In his first outing (first time in the mound in over a year) he gave up 1 run on 1 hit and a walk in .2 IP.

Since then he has given up 0 runs in 4 IP allowing 2 hits 1 walk and 5 ks.

Very small sample size but nice to see a top prospect coming back from a major surgery and looking alright early on.

[KudosForND]

good trades

[Jetlag]

I think Sanchez can have the same type of impact Joba had last year when he came up. The Yankees bullpen is going to look very different in the second half of the year. Robertson, Melancon, and Cox should all be up by mid-July and Sanchez could join the team around the same time Joba did last year.

Thanks for the analysis. Good job.

No way Sanchez makes it up this season nor should he. Let him have the rest of this season in the minors to get back in to condition. At earliest maybe June/July 09.

As for Melancon and Cox, I know both are pitching well in the minors but honestly the state of our bullpen isn't bad right now. If Veras and I can't believe I'm about to say this but Kyle Farnsworth continue to pitch well, then we're in good shape. The one problem with our bullpen is the lack of a lefty presence and Traber doesn't cut it. But Melancon and Cox won't solve that problem.

Pitching wise, we need another starter more than bullpen. Who in our minors translates into a starter right now? Horne? But even he hasn't been great from what I've read.

[AFJF]

Just a little update on these moves that were big at the time but somewhat forgotten because they were a while back.

Randy Johnson to Arizona for Luis Vizcaino, Ross Ohlendorf, Steven Jackson and Alberto Gonzalez

Neither a terrible deal or great deal for the Yanks in the end. RJ has rejuvinated himself by returning to the mighty NL west but there's no way he'd be in pinstripes now if he hadn't been traded. He missed 3/4 of the season in which he would have made 17 million from the Yanks and they undoubtedly would have let him walk after the way he'd struggled in the AL East. Ohlendorf is a solid back of the rotation starter in Pittsburgh and was a chip in the deal to acquire Marte and Nady. Alberto Gonzalez is just about what most expected him to turn in to at some point. An off the bench defensive replacement currenly playing for the Nats.

Steven Jackson? Currently in the minors playing with the Indianapolis Indians and not doing much worth talking about.

I said it when the trade was made and I still feel the same way. Great job by Cahsman finding somebody to pay a 40+ y/o injury risk 17 mil for a season. A season that he ended up being physically incapable of contributing. Good move.

Gary Sheffield to Detroit for Humberto Sanchez, Kevin Whelan, and Anthony Claggett

Another deal that had to be made. Sheff was still a good hitter but ran his mouth too much. Humberto Sanchez was the highly touted prospect in the deal but apparently his laziness lead to the Yanks letting him go.

Claggett and Whelan are in AAA and AA respectively.

With SWB, Claggett has appeared in 23 games this season out of the 'pen and has posted a 2.68 ERA with 3 saves. Righties are hitting .209 against him and lefties .316.

Whelan is in Trenton working out of the bullpen there. In 24 games he has a 3.46 ERA. Most impressive is his 46 Ks in 41 IP. He's holding RHB to a .188 BA but lefties are hitting .288.

The lack of work ethic on the part of Sanchez was a big hit on this trade. The organization had high hopes for him and you can't fault a FO for not knowing a guy would decide to stop working one day.

Again, not a great or terrible trade for either team as the yankees dumped a highly paid malcontent for a guy that was supposed to be a blue chipper but ended up being a bust.

Jaret Wright for Chris Britton

Britton looked decent early on with the Yanks but struggled once he was given a regular role for a short time. He was released earlier this season and is currently a FA.

This is a "who cares" deal. Injury plagued major leaguer for a minor leaguer who never made it. Another decent move by Cash at the time as he was able to dump another overpaid waste of roster space.

[ashiqman]

In all likelihood, the Yankees will miss the playoffs this season. People are going to want answers, accountability, and most importantly, an exciting team to watch. If the Yankees maintain the status quo, none of these prerequisites will not be met. However, there is a very simple solution: Trade Bobby Abreu.

Abreu is in theory a very good player. When he has his head together, he can hit for power and extra bases. He is an on base machine and steals plenty of bags. The past five or so years, he has been a top twenty fantasy baseball player, which in theory doesn't mean much other than the fact that he can complement his team in every stat catagory (as opposed to a one-dimensional guy like Ortiz).

However, the smartest plan would be to deal him to an NL club that needs veteran outfield help. Namely, the Los Angeles Dodgers. I say the Dodgers because they match up to the Yankees perfectly as a trading partner. They're an organization that has more prospects than they know what to do with. They're a team that's one or two pieces away from a championship and they know it. And most importantly, they have the financial resources to add a guy like Abreu.

Unlike last season, Abreu will be a free agent after the season. As such, he will not be a financial burden to whatever team receives him. He will likely come cheap due to his lackluster first half of the season.

The best move the Yankees could do is find a way to trade Abreu (and cash/prospect) for James Loney. In Loney, they would be receiving one of the hottest young players in baseball. The 23 year old Loney would instantly spark some much needed heat into the Yankee lineup. On the terrible offense that LA puts forth, Loney has managed a 1.045 OPS in 88 AB's (compared to Abreu's .760 OPS). Furthermore, Loney plays both 1b and RF, meaning he could provide the Yankees with a number of viable options if they want to pursue a big name free agent 1b or RF in the offseason.

Most importantly, trading for Loney would send a powerful message to the Yankee fanbase. Yes, they would be rebuilding. But they would be rebuilding in such a way as to make the team younger without writing off the entire season. It's a trade that would benefit both teams. It's a trade that needs to be done.

[Otter]

In all likelihood, the Yankees will miss the playoffs this season. People are going to want answers, accountability, and most importantly, an exciting team to watch. If the Yankees maintain the status quo, none of these prerequisites will not be met. However, there is a very simple solution: Trade Bobby Abreu.

Abreu is in theory a very good player. When he has his head together, he can hit for power and extra bases. He is an on base machine and steals plenty of bags. The past five or so years, he has been a top twenty fantasy baseball player, which in theory doesn't mean much other than the fact that he can complement his team in every stat catagory (as opposed to a one-dimensional guy like Ortiz).

However, the smartest plan would be to deal him to an NL club that needs veteran outfield help. Namely, the Los Angeles Dodgers. I say the Dodgers because they match up to the Yankees perfectly as a trading partner. They're an organization that has more prospects than they know what to do with. They're a team that's one or two pieces away from a championship and they know it. And most importantly, they have the financial resources to add a guy like Abreu.

Unlike last season, Abreu will be a free agent after the season. As such, he will not be a financial burden to whatever team receives him. He will likely come cheap due to his lackluster first half of the season.

The best move the Yankees could do is find a way to trade Abreu (and cash/prospect) for James Loney. In Loney, they would be receiving one of the hottest young players in baseball. The 23 year old Loney would instantly spark some much needed heat into the Yankee lineup. On the terrible offense that LA puts forth, Loney has managed a 1.045 OPS in 88 AB's (compared to Abreu's .760 OPS). Furthermore, Loney plays both 1b and RF, meaning he could provide the Yankees with a number of viable options if they want to pursue a big name free agent 1b or RF in the offseason.

Most importantly, trading for Loney would send a powerful message to the Yankee fanbase. Yes, they would be rebuilding. But they would be rebuilding in such a way as to make the team younger without writing off the entire season. It's a trade that would benefit both teams. It's a trade that needs to be done.

Did I somehow break the time-space continuum and wander into 2008?

[AFJF]

In all likelihood, the Yankees will miss the playoffs this season. People are going to want answers, accountability, and most importantly, an exciting team to watch. If the Yankees maintain the status quo, none of these prerequisites will not be met. However, there is a very simple solution: Trade Bobby Abreu.

Abreu is in theory a very good player. When he has his head together, he can hit for power and extra bases. He is an on base machine and steals plenty of bags. The past five or so years, he has been a top twenty fantasy baseball player, which in theory doesn't mean much other than the fact that he can complement his team in every stat catagory (as opposed to a one-dimensional guy like Ortiz).

However, the smartest plan would be to deal him to an NL club that needs veteran outfield help. Namely, the Los Angeles Dodgers. I say the Dodgers because they match up to the Yankees perfectly as a trading partner. They're an organization that has more prospects than they know what to do with. They're a team that's one or two pieces away from a championship and they know it. And most importantly, they have the financial resources to add a guy like Abreu.

Unlike last season, Abreu will be a free agent after the season. As such, he will not be a financial burden to whatever team receives him. He will likely come cheap due to his lackluster first half of the season.

The best move the Yankees could do is find a way to trade Abreu (and cash/prospect) for James Loney. In Loney, they would be receiving one of the hottest young players in baseball. The 23 year old Loney would instantly spark some much needed heat into the Yankee lineup. On the terrible offense that LA puts forth, Loney has managed a 1.045 OPS in 88 AB's (compared to Abreu's .760 OPS). Furthermore, Loney plays both 1b and RF, meaning he could provide the Yankees with a number of viable options if they want to pursue a big name free agent 1b or RF in the offseason.

Most importantly, trading for Loney would send a powerful message to the Yankee fanbase. Yes, they would be rebuilding. But they would be rebuilding in such a way as to make the team younger without writing off the entire season. It's a trade that would benefit both teams. It's a trade that needs to be done.

[Bergen Jet]

In all likelihood, the Yankees will miss the playoffs this season. People are going to want answers, accountability, and most importantly, an exciting team to watch. If the Yankees maintain the status quo, none of these prerequisites will not be met. However, there is a very simple solution: Trade Bobby Abreu.

Abreu is in theory a very good player. When he has his head together, he can hit for power and extra bases. He is an on base machine and steals plenty of bags. The past five or so years, he has been a top twenty fantasy baseball player, which in theory doesn't mean much other than the fact that he can complement his team in every stat catagory (as opposed to a one-dimensional guy like Ortiz).

However, the smartest plan would be to deal him to an NL club that needs veteran outfield help. Namely, the Los Angeles Dodgers. I say the Dodgers because they match up to the Yankees perfectly as a trading partner. They're an organization that has more prospects than they know what to do with. They're a team that's one or two pieces away from a championship and they know it. And most importantly, they have the financial resources to add a guy like Abreu.

Unlike last season, Abreu will be a free agent after the season. As such, he will not be a financial burden to whatever team receives him. He will likely come cheap due to his lackluster first half of the season.

The best move the Yankees could do is find a way to trade Abreu (and cash/prospect) for James Loney. In Loney, they would be receiving one of the hottest young players in baseball. The 23 year old Loney would instantly spark some much needed heat into the Yankee lineup. On the terrible offense that LA puts forth, Loney has managed a 1.045 OPS in 88 AB's (compared to Abreu's .760 OPS). Furthermore, Loney plays both 1b and RF, meaning he could provide the Yankees with a number of viable options if they want to pursue a big name free agent 1b or RF in the offseason.

Most importantly, trading for Loney would send a powerful message to the Yankee fanbase. Yes, they would be rebuilding. But they would be rebuilding in such a way as to make the team younger without writing off the entire season. It's a trade that would benefit both teams. It's a trade that needs to be done.