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Hit Like a Pineda?
By: Mike Lindsley |
Unless that player is Jesus Montero.
The Yankees made a deal with Seattle, trading away Montero and lanky pitcher Hector Noesi (who they were high on too) for Mariners fireballer Michael Pineda and right-hander Jose Campos.
Now, many are already saying that this is the best move of Brian Cashman’s entire career. Many are saying the GM robbed the Mariners blind. Well, this will be the case ONLY if Pineda dominates in New York.
After all, those who are praising Cashman must also understand that Montero is the Yanks’ #1 prospect and their best hitting prospect by about five #4 Subway trains. Sure his defense is suspect at best, but the Yanks weren’t planning on catching him any more than 30 games per year. With Jorge Posada gone from the picture, it was even more of a sure bet that he would be the primary DH in the Yankee batting order. Finally, Montero got better as 2011 went along and seemed to welcome the New York spotlight.
Pineda, on the other hand, if healthy and consistent, could be a stud. He could be a #2 in the Yankee rotation. He could be an annual All-Star. The key word here is COULD. He is not proven yet. He has not pitched in October, the only month Yankee fans remember. He has not pitched in a baseball bubble of media and demands. Time will tell.
At the end of the day, if you trade away your top prospect or top prospects, usually someone comes to your side with a track record. They are either a big time player, a four-tool player, an ace of a staff or a game-changer. So if Brian Cashman really wanted to trade Jesus Montero, why didn’t he do a few things first? Like not sign Nick Swisher, throw in another pitching prospect like Dellin Betances and an infielder like Eduardo Nunez and get either Felix Hernandez or Ichiro Suzuki? One is a Top 10 pitcher in baseball and the other one is going to the Hall of Fame. Seattle wouldn’t budge on King Felix, but that is because the package wasn’t sweet enough. Think about CC Sabathia-Felix Hernandez or Ichiro Suzuki hitting 25 home runs over the short porch in right field, his right arm holding runners, chasing 3,000 hits and increasing marketing dollars.
On paper, this move bolsters the Yankee pitching staff. What will it look like on the field? Time will tell.
But after you dissect everything, it will no doubt boil down to Michael Pineda not getting hit like a piñata. And then the Bronx will forget that Jesus Montero even existed.