Mariners trade Pineda to Yanks for Montero

[BiggaAdams]

I ask this of Seattle.

Why?

We need hitting a lot more than we need pitching at the moment. Ill reserve judgement on this deal until mid season.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

We need hitting a lot more than we need pitching at the moment. Ill reserve judgement on this deal until mid season.

OK, but why throw in the 19-year old with the big upside, and only get a RP in return?

 

[NAHSTE]

*ahem*

WOOHOO!

I feel bad for a guy I know who has a *huge* Montero card collection. Though Montero will likely be up this year for the Mariners... it's the Mariners.

For the Yankees, he'd be a career DH. Cervelli and Romine are both good defensively. Martin's still under team control for 2012. Also, as their players age, they'll be playing them more at DH.

Campos coming makes up for the guy that they gave the Braves in the Vazquez deal. I can see Noesi as a back of the rotation starter - he likely would've been #5 this year for the Yankees. Also, this will definitely affect the FA period next year after Burnett's contract runs out.

LOL, spoken like a true Yankees fan. Unless he's in our system, no need to know his name.

 

[Chrispy]

Yankees and Mariners fill critical needs

The trade between the Yankees and Mariners looks to me like a way for each team to fill a critical need for the long term rather than the short, with the Mariners trading from a real surplus while the Yankees trade a potential star whose only real path to playing time was one the Yankees didn't seem to want to use. Both teams will benefit in the long run, but I'd give a slight edge here to Seattle because of the greater probability of the bat they acquired.

The Mariners get Jesus Montero, an impact bat without a position; the Yankees have been trying to convince everyone that he'd stay at catcher, but he's too big and slow to stay at the position and, despite some arm strength, takes a year and a half to get rid of the ball. Fortunately for Montero and the M's, his bat will play anywhere, including at DH, which is probably his ultimate destination (or first base). One of the top 10 prospects in the game right now, Montero will hit for average, get on base, and hit for power, with unusual strength that allows him to crush the ball even when hitting off his front foot a la Frank Thomas. He came down with a little bigleagueitis early in 2011 as he waited in the minors, and his approach deteriorated, but it bounced back in the second half of the minor league season and he hit for more contact and more power. He has great bat speed, can turn on a fastball on the inner half or even in on his hands, and yet is strong enough to drive the ball out the other way. He's an offensive monster even without any defensive home.

The Mariners also add right-hander Hector Noesi, a four-pitch starter with plus control (just 60 unintentional walks in 377 career minor league innings) who'll sit in the low 90s as a starter but lacks a true out pitch, succeeding in the minors with location and his ability to change speeds. Noesi's slider is probably his best pitch, but he needs to improve his changeup to avoid getting crushed by lefty-heavy lineups. There's No. 4-starter potential here with some improvement to his secondary stuff.

The Yankees get Michael Pineda, a young starter with front-of-the-rotation potential and five years of team control remaining, although he's not quite the finished product his superficial stats in 2011 might indicate. Pineda has a plus-plus fastball and plus slider, both capable of missing bats right now. His slider is very hard both in velocity and in break, mostly vertical, and he is pretty consistent with his ability to throw it down and away to right-handers. The fastball is fairly straight, which has made Pineda somewhat fly ball-prone -- good in Safeco Field, less good in the Bronx -- and his changeup remains fringy, so he's still somewhat susceptible to better left-handed bats. He's a physical monster, listed at 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds, built like he can handle 220 innings a year, and if he can keep the ball in the park should slot in as an excellent second starter behind CC Sabathia, eventually taking over the No. 1 spot as Sabathia nears the end of his contract. There's a caution, however: Don't be surprised if Pineda's 2012 looks a lot worse than his 2011 with the change in ballparks, loss of Seattle's great defense behind him, and shift to a tougher division.

Jose Campos is the lottery ticket in the deal, and could very well turn this deal into a steal for the Yankees four or five years down the road. He's an extreme strike-thrower with an above-average fastball that will touch 95, and a slider that shows above-average but isn't consistent yet. Campos needs to work on his changeup and has yet to pitch in a full-season league, so he's several years away from the majors. He's also young enough that the injury risk is still significant, and I'd like to see him get over his front side better as he finishes his delivery. But he won't turn 20 until July, and if he were in the draft this year he'd be a first-rounder, so for the Yanks it's almost like getting an extra draft pick in the deal. For some context on what Seattle gave up, he would have been No. 5 in my 2012 organizational ranks for the Mariners.

The move fits Brian Cashman's preference to develop arms and buy bats, and when Campos fills out his 6-foot-4 frame, the Yanks could end up with two guys in their top three rotation spots from the trade.

-Keith Law

 

[Len B]

Can't believe the Yankees got Pineda. Amazing move on their part.

 

[Chrispy]

 

[EmpireWF]

Any Yankee fan who ever shits on Cashman again needs a ball bat to the kneecaps.

 

[BiggaAdams]

OK, but why throw in the 19-year old with the big upside, and only get a RP in return?

A straight 1 for 1 swap would have been better but he's still unknown I guess.

 

[Villain]

 

[ThomasTomasz]

I am very surprised that the Mariners took Montero for Pineda. They have Pineda under control for five seasons, why trade him for a bat (which is needed) who hasn't proved anything yet. This is similar to the trade for Erik Bedard, where they let go of Adam Jones, George Sherrill and Chris Tillman for one guy.

Bottom line- Mariners should have gotten a proven bat for Pineda.

As for the Yankees, their rotation, which was a huge question mark heading into the season, now looks pretty good with some depth as well. It remains to be seen how Kuroda will look in the AL, but on paper, it is a good move for the Yankees.

 

[Villain]

They should've kept Pineda and signed Fielder. But then, I have no clue how their payroll works so that is probably just a fantasy scenario.

 

[NAHSTE]

Trade just feels rushed to me. Not sure if they were throwing his name out at the winter meetings or not, or if a team was willing to part with a more proven young hitter(or a better package) than Montero. Their GM put together a team with stellar defense, and they play in a pitchers park, so you'd think they would keep Felix and Pineda and fill the rotation around them over the next few years. I don't see them contending this year, so they had time to see how some of their guys pan out and re-evaulaute next offseason.

I agree the timing of it is weird, but I wouldn't be shocked if this was pushed harder by the Yankees than the M's, until they finally wore them down enough to say fuck it.

Guessing it played out like this ...

Cash won't stop asking about Felix ...
Jack Z says fuck off we aren't trading Felix ...
Cash then says well what about Pineda?

And after the Yankees planted the seed, the M's weighed the pros and cons and figured that Montero is their best chance at landing a huge bat.

I think you guys are underselling the value Montero has. Sure he's purely a DH but he is a damn good one. There was no way Seattle was acquiring a .300/30 hitter via any means other than parting with Felix or Pineda. This was the only move they could do to upgrade their historically bad offense without causing an outright mutiny in the fan base by trading Felix. Montero will be cost controlled for an additional year beyond Pineda, which will presumably be when Ackley, Smoak, Hultzen, etc. will be in their primes, and maybe with that you have enough reason to extend Felix.

Should be a good group. Very similar to the A's, they are punting the next few years so they can better align their young talent.

 

[NAHSTE]

Love this trade. Pineda is going to be so fucking good on my fantasy team.

:tellmemore:

I think you guys are underselling the value Montero has. Sure he's purely a DH but he is a damn good one.

:lol:

Good god what a nothing trade a year and a half later. Pineda hasn't pitched yet for the Yankees and Montero has been worth -0.7 WAR for the Mariners. He's currently slashing .204/.257/.333 with a .260 wOBA and 65 wRC+. So shitty.

Pineda has been throwing in extended spring training and could return by late June, but we'll see how effective he is if and when he returns. For now, a nothing trade.

 

[Golden Taters]

Up-and-coming hitters go to die in Seattle.

Ackley, Smoak and Montero :smh:

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Four players involved in this deal. None have a positive WAR almost one and a half seasons later.

 

[Chrispy]

One is on their way back, the other is on their way down

:tiptoe:

 

[DJ Rhude]

I remember being annoyed when the Yanks traded Montero.....trade isn't looking so good for either team so far

 

[MVPete]

He's done catching, so the hope is that he goes down and learns how to hit again while getting better at 1B so they can finally get rid of Smoak next year.

 

[DJ Rhude]

Yeah when he was still in NY the jury was out on his catching...when we called him up he hit pretty well tho......I'm more surprised he's been struggling at the plate since his bat has been what was always highly touted and not his catching skills

 

[Golden Taters]

Jesus Montero just got sent down to AAA.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9306478/jesus-montero-sent-minors-seattle-mariners

SEATTLE, Wash. -- The Seattle Mariners have sent slumping catcher Jesus Montero to the minor leagues.

The Mariners optioned Montero to Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday. He has 72 hours to join the club.

The 23-year-old Montero is hitting .208 with three home runs and nine RBIs. He hit .260 with 15 homers and 62 RBIs last year in his first full season in the majors.

Seattle will make a corresponding roster move Friday.


Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press