The New York Yankees are dipping back into the trade market as they continue to shape their roster for the 2015 season. This time they matched up with the Miami Marlins, acquiring starting pitcherNathan Eovaldi, first baseman/outfielderGarrett Jonesand right handed pitcherDomingo German. The Yankees will be sending the Swiss Army KnifeMartin Pradoand right handed pitcherDavid Phelpsto Miami to complete the deal.
For the Yankees, they acquire a starting pitcher that came up just short of 200 innings last season, and will be a stabilizing player at the back end of the rotation. In a rotation full of question marks, having a guy that will give you 200 innings is a plus. The only downside is the performance he will give in those 200 innings.
In his four seasons in the majors, Eovaldi has compiled an ugly 15-35 record, but a respectable 4.07 ERA. He is coming off a down year though, as he went 6-14 in 2014 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. That high WHIP can be attributed to him giving up a National League high 223 hits. He is also not a high strikeout pitcher, which could become troublesome as he is leaving a pitcher friendly home field with the Marlins to the hitter friendly Yankee Stadium.
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Eovaldi does bring something to the Yankees rotation that is lacking in youth. He is only 24 years old, and will turn 25 in August. He reaches the upper 90’s with his fastball and will be counted on to be a consistent contributor for the Yankees on the mound, much likeBrandon McCarthywas last season. That is essentially the role he will be filling afterMcCarthy left the Yankeesand signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason.
Jones gives the Yankees a much needed option at first base to backup the injury plaguedMark Teixeira, and another option to use in the outfield when matchups dictate doing so. He could also take away playing time fromAlex Rodriguez, who they Yankees were considering grooming to learn first base. Jones now will fill that role, and could take some at-bats away from Rodriguez as a designated hitter. Jones hits righties well, slashing .267/.333/.479 against them, but a paltry .197/.239/.335 against south paws, which could necessitate the Yankees to get him into the lineup as often as possible in a platoon at DH and backup roles at first base and right field.
While the Yankees filled some needs acquiring Eovaldi and Jones, they made new ones with the players they traded away. Prado can play multiple positions, and was a big producer for the Yankees once he was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. His ability to play multiple positions was a perfect fit for a roster like the Yankees have, as a lot of injuries have derailed the last two seasons.
When you have a player that can play as many positions like Prado, and play them well, losing him will hurt. The Yankeeswere able to re-signthird basemanChase Headley, but now if he goes down, the Yankees will have to turn to Rodriguez to man the hot corner unless there is other deals in the works and being made to get another backup.
Moving Prado also puts an onus on two unproven players, as the Yankees will more than likely hand the second base job toRob RefsnyderorJose Pirela. No one is questioning their bats, which the Yankees will enjoy inserting into a lineup that has struggled to score, but questions remain about their gloves. They aren’t the slickest fielders around, which has made some scouts nervous.
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While the loss of Prado will hurt, people could argue that the loss of Phelps could be the bigger one. Last season Phelps filled in admirably for the Yankees, as he gave them starts when they needed and came out of the bullpen. That is a quality that is overlooked by teams, as it is a talent not everyone is capable of doing. Athletes are creatures of habit, and when they do not have a set role, it could lead to ineffectiveness and poor performance, which ultimately ends in them losing their job.
This is the second relatively young pitcher that could have slotted into the end of their rotation or their bullpenthis offseason that they Yankees traded, as they movedShane Greeneearlier in the winter to acquireDidi Gregoriusfrom the Diamondbacks.
While people will be happy the Yankees have finally added a starting pitcher, it could be questioned if this was too steep of a price. While the Yankees have filled some holes this offseason in their lineup and pitching staff, it can be argued that they opened up as many, if not more, with the moves they have made.
Next: Has The Yankees 'Evil Empire' Days Come To An End?
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