You have to be a Yankee fan to appreciate the arrival of Chase Headley.
No, I don't think he's going to turn the season around or anything, but for the past three years, Headley has been the favorite free agent/trade prospect of Yankee fans everywhere. To finally get him (for a backup middle infielder and a non-prospect) is heaven. And his Yankee debut is the stuff of magic -- he wakes up in Chicago Tuesday morning, learns that he's been traded from the Padres to the Yankees, flies to New York, arrives after the Yankees have started their game with the Rangers and delivers the game winning hit in the 14th inning (never mind that he first appeared in the eighth and was 0-3 before his game-winner).
Alas, this is not the Headley who was one of the best young players in the game two years ago -- looking like a contender with Evan Longoria and David Wright as the best young third baseman in the game. That year he led the NL in RBIs, hit 31 homers had an .875 OPS and won a gold glove. He was an MVP candidate.
Last year, bothered by back issues, he slumped to 13 homers and a .747 OPS. He was struggling this season in San Diego, hitting .214 with a .640 OPS.
There is some hope that the move will help him -- Headley was hurt by the worst hitters park in baseball -- he is a career .804 OPS on the road and just .703 at Petco. As a left-handed power hitter, he ought to benefit from playing in Yankee Stadium.
The Yanks have to take a long look at Headley over the next two-plus months. He's a free agent after this season. He made $10 million last year. Do the Yankees pay him long-term or just let him go in October? They got him for virtually nothing (reportedly the Padres are paying part of his remaining salary), so they can let him go without cost.
Still, Headley is a guy that Yankee fans have lusted after for years ... great to see him in pinstripes.
PS I was amazed at some the stupid commentary about the trade by idiots who are supposed to know baseball. Keith Olberman, who I usually like, kept trying to make the point that Solarte (traded for Headley) was hitting better than Headley. Even when his expert guest kept telling him that Headley is a major upgrade, Olberman kept coming back to the relative OPS of the two players. Allow me to suggest that's an extremely simplistic reading of the stats.
Solarte is a career minor leaguer who was forced into action and responded with a great spring -- he was a spark with an .865 OPS the first month of the seaspn, But it was a flash in the pan. His OPS in June was a woeful .495 and in July was even worse -- and incredible .328 (not batting average ... that was .118). Over the last 28 days, he's hit .105 with a .333 OPS. Headley, over the last 28 fays, has hit .305 with a .736 OPS. Still not up to his 2012 standards, but far, far better than Solarte.
Plus, Headley is a huge defensive upgrade on Solarte (and Kelly Johnson) who had been butchering third base.
The Yankees did upgrade their third base position. I still don't think they are a playoff team -- unless they miraculously heal their four injured starters or make some better pitching moves than adding Brendan McCarthy and Jeff Francis.