Jan 12 2009
TRADE RUMORS
Happy Monday ladies and gents…or if you’re a Giants fan like me, it’s not so happy. But anyway, that’s a discussion for another time, so let’s talk Yankee baseball. The latest rumor flying around is that we’re looking to deal either Nady or Swisher, potentially for more pitching help. Let me just say that I do not think that is the direction the team needs to be going - both of these guys are 30 years-old or younger, and they were excellent moves to help balance our line-up. Swisher is versatile and he’s just the personality we need to get this team to play like they’re having fun again. Nady is a guy that is also never in trouble, and he goes out there and does his job like he’s supposed to. We’ve also seen him get a number of clutch hits since he’s been here, not to mention the fact that he’s a right-handed bat (there must be somewhat of an even distribution of righties and lefties).
Since we’re trying to unclog the overabundance of outfielders currently on the roster, the more ideal player to move would be Hideki Matsui. He’s begun to show his age the past few years, and really has become a one-dimensional player. Matsui can still hit, but he would need to stick to the DH role - he’s also got the ability to hit left-handed pitching, so a team like Seattle or Los Angeles of Anaheim could throw him in there everyday with no problem. Seattle would be a perfect fit, I mean they love Japanese players over there (you’d have the trio of Ichiro-Johjima-Matsui), so they could market that and fill up those Safeco seats. Since Matsui’s coming off an injury, combined with the aging factor, he currently doesn’t have much value so teams are a bit hesitant of what they are willing to give up.
I think what will happen is that they’re going to try to deal either Nady or Swisher now (since they have decent value) to try to get more pitching help, and then hold on to Matsui. However, once the season gets crackin’ in gear, and Godzilla shows that he can stay healthy while producing at the plate, they will ship him out of here to a team that needs offense. I would think that the organization’s goal of trying to get younger and more athletic would remain a priority this season, that’s why I’m a little confused about shopping Swisher/Nady. I understand that Teixeira takes a lot of the pressure off of our lack of offense, but depth is something that should never be overlooked.
The latest rumor that I just heard today on the radio, is that the Yanks would consider swapping Swisher for Cameron - Cash, if you’re listening, please do not make a ridiculous move like that. You would be dealing away a younger, more versatile player that you just acquired for an aging centerfielder that strikes out on a consistent basis. I’d rather hold on to the guys we have and take a chance in centerfield with Gardner - again, Tex provides us with enough offense that we could sacrifice a bit in centerfield. Just gotta make sure that there’s someone out there who could play solid defense, because the fact of the matter is that Austin Jackson is waiting to emerge as the next big star in the system, and it appears that he will be the centerfielder of the future (starting early as 2010). Who knows, maybe he could explode in the minors this year and get called up, like a Joba-esque situation? The bottom line is that the Bombers are not finished with the team’s dramatic 09′ make-over, but I just hope that we’re smart about any additional adjustments and/or tweaks…
