The Mariners deal Ichiro to the Yankees, because of course they do.
Braves pick up Ryan Dempster (pending his approval of the trade), who's having a terrific year. Reportedly prospect Randall Delgado, ranked near the top of Atlanta's organization, goes to Chicago, though that's unofficial at this point.
http://content.usatoday.com/communit...lanta-braves/1
Demented and sad, but social, right?
The Mariners deal Ichiro to the Yankees, because of course they do.
Alas, my prediction that Ichiro will have a monster home run year may yet come true! I've heard that Ichiro puts on a show in BP and really has some power, but chooses not to tap into it. Why not at Yankee Stadium?
So when the Yankees sign Mike Trout in a few years, can we officially call the AL West the Yankees 7th farm team? Giambi came from Oakland, A-Rod from Texas and now Ichiro from Seattle.
That's not meant to be a shot at the Yankees, just funny when you think about it...
Certainly a stealth move, and the Yanks gave up very little (with Seattle apparently paying a big chunk of his remaining salary), so why not. I wonder how much they plan to play him - they definitely want to limit Jones' and Ibanez' time in the field, but Ichiro's production has really declined considerably the last year and a half. It'd be nice if a change in scenery to a playoff contender lights a fire.
Demented and sad, but social, right?
Really hope the Dempster trade falls apart. This Atlanta team isn't good enough to be worth upgrading.
He's definitely an upgrade with the glove and he still runs better than just about any other Yankee. I like this move a lot and if he can give the Yankees something similar to what Damon gave them a few years ago with the bat along with the upgrade in defense, then they got deal.
As a Yankee fan, I like the deal, but let's not make too much of it.
Five years ago, Ichiro was one of the best players in baseball. Even two years ago, he was an above-average offensive outfielder.
But last year he hit .261 with a .645 OPS and a 86 OPS-plus. He was on almost exactly the same pace this year when the Yankees made the deal. He had the second-lowest OPS of any regular outfielder on the AL. Some of that may be Safeco (an extreme pitcher's park), but his outfield mates in Seattle were significantly ahead of him -- Michael Saunders 95 points better,. Casper Wells 132 points better. His new teammates -- including the likes of DeWayne Wise and Jayson Nix -- are all significant better than he is now at the plate.
I think Ichiro IS a defensive upgrade over anybody that the Yankees have to play one of the corner OF slots (since Gardner is out for the year). And moving to New York may give him a lift.
But this isn't the Yankees picking up Johnny Mizeor Jose Canseco for the stretch drive. It's maybe a cut above adding Rick Ankiel (the yankees did look at him), but it's not likely to have the impact that adding Shane Victorino would have had (apparently the cost was too high on at that one).
just to forestall any debates about that last comment, it's true that a banged-up Victorino is having almost as poor a year as Ichiro (his OPS is just .702, not a lot better and that difference may have something to do with the home ballparks). BUT Victorino is just 31 years old and is coming off an .847 OPS year. Ichiro is almost 39 and he appears to be in long-term decline.
I'm just hoping that his defense and his baserunning (16 steals in 18 tries this year) help the Yankees down the stretch. But when Gardner comes back in 2013, I don't see a place for him.
And now the Yanks are probably looking for a 3rd baseman since Arod just had his hand broken by a 88 mph changeup. God knows there's nothing remotely ready in the minors since Laird has regressed to a low to middle .200 hitter. There's no way the combination of Nix/Chavez can hold the fort for 8 weeks. I was thinking Eduardo Nunez could come back but he's just coming back from injury and if he played 3rd for 8 weeks, he could possible break the record for errors in a season during that span. They've got to make a deal.
Absolutely agree ...
So who is out there? Apparently the Marlins have been talking to the Red Sox about Hanley Rameriz (who can play short or third). Will the Yankees jump in that mess?
UPDATE: Allow me to edit my own post. I see that Buster Olney is projecting that the Yankees will make a run at San Diego's Chase Headley ... or maybe Ty Wigginton.
SCOPND U[PDATE: That's what I get for not checkin ESPN sooner ... I did't see that Ramriz just went to the Dodgers.
And what's going on with the Dempster deal? Reports are that he has vetoed the trade so far because he wants to go to the Dodgers instead.
As a Braves fan (my No. 2 team behind the Yanks), I actually hope he kills it. I don't want to give up Delgardo for a 35-year-old pitcher. That sounds a lot like giving up John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander ... which helped the Tigers win one division title -- then gave the Brabes nearly two decades of HOF pitching.
Last edited by Olympic Fan; 07-25-2012 at 11:35 AM.
Too late - Ramirez to the Dodgers.
Looks dead, which I guess means the Cubs will have to deal Dempster to the Dodgers for a much worse return. What else can they do?And what's going on with the Dempster deal? Reports are that he has vetoed the trade so far because he wants to go to the Dodgers instead.
I have decided that, as an homage to AA Milne, I'm going to start referring to one José Alberto Pujols Alcántara as "Jols de Pu."
PS -- The crawl on ESPN just indicated that Wren says Atlanta is out of the Dempster bidding.
A movie is not about what it's about; it's about how it's about it.
---Roger Ebert
Some questions cannot be answered
Who’s gonna bury who
We need a love like Johnny, Johnny and June
---Over the Rhine
The Yanks have Russell Branyan at AAA playing 1st base... He used to play 3rd... dunno if he played it well. He's hitting better than Laird at least (and Pena).
I think it's been awhile since Branyan played 3rd. I think I read where Pena was being recalled because he can play multiple positions and apparently Cano was seen shaking his wrist late in yesterdays game. From everything I'm hearing, Chase is the best out there but like Cashman said, it all comes down to price. Wiggington and Rolen were also mentioned and would be quite inexpensive compared to Headley. Maybe somehow they can convince the ChiSox to trade Youk to NY before this weekend's series. Wouldn't that be fun!
Pena is pretty non-exciting. He's basically the same guy as Nix... a nice utility player who can defend multiple spots but won't hit. One of those guys on the roster is great... 2 of them is of questionable value.
I think the Yanks will make a move. They have too much invested and too good a chance to win this year to potentially have Chavez (or worse, Nix) starting at 3rd in the playoffs.
Any team that was looking at Cole Hamels will have to look else where or go pout in a corner singing woe is me. He signed a deal worth $144 million over six years with the Phillies. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/81...ract-extension
Haha. I said that because a team couldn't lure him away from a last place team who has I think three pitchers making $20 million plus the awful Ryan Howard contract and Chase Utley's contract, which I believe I will win the lottery before before both these guys play a full season healthy again, just suprised me a little.