On the Yankees beat

I like it, I like it a lot.

yeah, good job by Yanks ... too bad Pudge can't hit anymore and say goodbye to good guy Chad ... oh well

whoa

This came completely out of left field for me.

I think I'm still stunned.

It's a great trade. Yankees upgrade offensively behind the plate without losing anything defensively from what Molina provided. I love Jose, but he's a back up and a back up for a reason.

Probably also means the end for Chad Moeller, which is a shame.

As for the pen, Marte/Veras will work the late innings. the Yankees can elevate Scott Strickland, the veteran is having a really good year in AAA or possibly Mark Melancon.

Farnsworth was having a great year but he's always an implosion away.

I'm just impressed that this was a 1 for 1 with no prospect going back to Detroit.

and Victor Martinez fron Indians

One of the best things about this deal is that Pudge is also a Type-A free agent - which means the Yanks will get two draft picks for him if he walks at the end of the year.

Those draft picks are like gold these days.

OUTSTANDING TRADE.......

Great trade - he's hitting .295, .359 last 10 games - knows the Ameriican League, hitting lefties and righties equally well 16 doubles 3 triples! 5 HR's 6 stolen bases! One of the best defensive catchers ever, slipping now but still!

Viper - true. Though the Yankees may determine that Jorge's days behind the dish are done and bring Pudge back next season.

Either way, there's no downside to this trade. True the pen was clicking away and Kyle was a big part of that, but I can't look at him as not being replaceable.

And he'll get a game off a set with Molina catching Mussina. Plus he comes at just the right time, with the Angels coming in he might help shut down their running game.

My buddy took his wheelchair bound daughter to a yankee earlier this month and met about a dozen players. He said they were all great, especially Giambi, but "Fransworth was an asshole".
He sucked on the field and off, we are not missing much.

The really interesting thing in all of this is, if you listen to Girardi and Cashman, it seemed like the hardest part about this deal was the fact that they really liked Kyle. A stark contrast from how he was viewed under the Torre years.

Good to see the Yankees are rebuilding this year.

I saw a lot of tears in that Yankee clubhouse talking about this trade.

Perhaps those were tears of joy rather than tears of sadness.

Totally agree, Chip.

There is no downside to this trade. I do think Molina is slightly better defensively than Pudge (only because of his age now) - but Farnsworth will never be trusted by Yankee fans no matter how many good outings he had.

Bruney is just about ready to come back up and take the place of Farnsworth.

Plenty of other options as well at the AAA level...

Strickland, Patterson, Britton, Aceves, all have under 4 ERA's......

Pudge may not have the big bat he once had, but he is a veteran that can run a game and get on base.

Way to go Cash.

And when you consider that some of the other trades we heard bandied about for a new catcher included prospects going for Gerald Laird or Miguel Olivo - well this is certainly a better move than either of those two would have been.

So to recap - two weeks ago the Yankees had the following holes:
Right handed bat
Left handed reliever
Catcher
Back of the rotation starter

Today the Yankees have given up 2 legitimate prospects and 1 major leaguer and filled three of those holes. As I said when they moved Ohlendorf - if there's one area of strength for the Yankees right now it is RH Relief pitchers. So yes, as Cashman said, they robbed Peter to pay Paul, but Peter has a ton of money so he's okay with it.

Peter Gammons is reporting that the Red Sox are close to sending Manny to the Marlins (along with enough cash to pay off the rest of his salary) for Hermida and maybe another young player. The Sox would then spin Hermida and another player to the Buccos for Jason Bay.

Truthfully, I don't have any more confidence in Bruney than I did in Farnsworth.

We're much more likely to see the Bruney circa 2007 than the good Bruney we saw early in the season.

He's still a walk machine.

It's worth noting that Melancon does have 75 IP logged on the season, so I'm not sure how many innings he has left in that arm.

His pitch counts were always low so his innings are certainly skewed.

But just how much are they willing to push a kid still recovering from TJ?

Truthfully, I don't have any more confidence in Bruney than I did in Farnsworth.

We're much more likely to see the Bruney circa 2007 than the good Bruney we saw early in the season.

He's still a walk machine.

It's worth noting that Melancon does have 75 IP logged on the season, so I'm not sure how many innings he has left in that arm.

His pitch counts were always low so his innings are certainly skewed.

But just how much are they willing to push a kid still recovering from TJ?

Where are all the people on this board that ripped Cash? His work the last two weeks has been unreal. With what we has done with how little he gave up, Cash deserves a pat on the back for what I'm sure is often a thankless job.

Nice work Brian!

Chip,

I actually hope that rumor is true.

While Bay is a very good player, he'll never approach the Yankee-killer status of Manny Ramirez.

In my opinion, that trade makes the Red Sox just a little bit weaker coming down the stretch run.

Bay is very good. But Manny is a Hall of Famer who scares the daylights out of every AL pitcher.

Michaelz:

Couldn't agree more. If he can pull one more rabbit out of his hat and get a starter to replace Rasner or Ponson without having to give up any of his big chips it will have been a fantastic trade deadline...I mean it already has been but even more so.

Funny my nephew and I were having a war last night arguing about the Yanks aquiring pudge. I thought the Yanks had to give up lots for this to happen, if it did at all, but only Farnsworthless??? BOy...guess I owe lil o nephew a trip to the steakhouse or some cash considerations...Great job Cash!!!

Great trade, although I really hate to see Farnsworth go....NOT. Yes, he was having a good year but he was a sh*thead and everyone knows it.

This also breaks up that vaunted "AO" (Automatic Out) part of the batting order. Now they will have a legit hitter down there to at least make an opposing manager think a little instead of giggling when he asks "who's coming up for the Yanks this inning" and his bench coach snickers and says "Betemit, Moeller, Cano and Cabrera".

Well done Cash!

Viper,
Those were my thoughts exactly as soon as I read that rumor. I'd prefer to go to battle against Bay than Manny any day!

Bottom third of the lineup 5 days ago:
Melky
Molina
Gardner

Bottom third of the lineup tomorrow:
Nady
Pudge
Melky

'nuff said.

As for the Manny/Bay rumor - I would be all for it. Look, Bay is a very good player - probably a better defender, but he's no Manny. Say what you will about him but Ramirez is probably the best pure hitter in the game today. And we also have no idea what being in a post season race will actually do to Bay - he's been a very good player playing in meaningless games his entire career.

Manny is not going anywhere. Yanks will still miss the playoffs.

Chip,
Buster Olney has a post saying that the Sox would want 3 youngsters from the Marlins including Hermida and Willingham and I saw Willingham playing LF last night against the Mets and he was pretty awful so I'd love to see him play for Boston, but to be perfectly honest, I don't know if Boston can part with Manny right now, he is just too important to them.
I don't know that he can be replaced by any player in baseball, especially in the playoffs when the pressure doesn't seem to bother him at all.

Does Theo have the guts to trade him? I can't say I would.

Jim A.,

Agreed.

I said it earlier today - I'd be downright shocked if Manny gets traded in the middle of a pennant race.

The offseason is a different story.

I'll be honest with you kids. If the Marlins are willing to step up and do this I will openly root for them (as my NL team) from here on out.

I don't think it's the Marlins who have the problem stepping up, it's boy genius Theo who has the really tough decision to make.

Why would the Marlins sacrifice Willingham, Hermida and a blue chipper for a guy they have no chance in resigning?

Are they actually in a position to undertake such a huge playoff rental? Are they seriously considering themselves contenders? Surprises me for sure if that deal gets done.

Come on! See you in Taiwan was traded, very sad, but I believe that you will return to the Yankees

Refueling