Past Prospects, past trades and the farm

by costa on Aug 5, 2006 11:01 PM EDT

As I age my memory fails.....
The recent ending to the non-waiver trading got me wondering about all those prospects the Yankees frittered away. Are there any prospects we are sorry we traded? Say, Eric Milton or Rickie Ledee? Seems to me we held on to the ones that mattered.
Also, since the beginning of the Yanks current string of playoff appearances what trades shouldn't have been made? Wells for Clemens?
Who did we give up for Cecil Fielder, David Cone, or David Justice?
And finally, is the farm system depleted bacause the Yankees traded away all their prospects or are they just not making the right picks?

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Prospects lost in trades

These are the trades I could remember and with a little research. These are in as best a chronological order as I can figure .

Not many of these deals would I take back. In fact, only re-acquiring Drew Henson and the Jose Contreras deal look suspect. And unless Unit turns it around, that deal also.

Yankees get Paul O'Neill and Joe DeBerry for Roberto Kelly.

Yankees get David Cone for Marty Janzen, Jason Jarvis and Mike Gordon.

Yankees get Tino Martinez, Jim Mecir and Jeff Nelson for Sterling Hitchcock and Russ Davis.

Yankees get Cecil Fielder for Ruben Sierra, Matt Drew and $1 million cash.

Yankees get David Weathers for Mark Hutton.

Yankees get Graeme Lloyd and Rickey Bones for Gerald Williams and Bob Wickman.

Yankees get Homer Bush, Gordon Amerson, Vernon Maxwell and Hideki Irabu for Rafael Medina, Ruben Rivera and $3 (yes, three dollars only).

Yankees get Chuck Knoblauch for Christian Guzman, Eric Milton, Danny Mota, Brian Buchanan and cash.

Yankees get Ed Yarnall, Mark Johnson and Todd Noel for Mike Lowell

Yankees get Jake Westbrook, Ted Lilly and Christian Parker for Hideki Irabu

Yankees get David Justice for Ricky Ledee, Jake Westbrook and Zach Day.

Yankees get Denny Neagle and Mike Frank for Ed Yarnall, Drew Henson, Brian Reith and Jackson Melian.

Yankees get Drew Henson and Michael Coleman for Wily Mo Pena.

Yankees get Robin Ventura for David Justice.

Yankees get Scott Proctor and Bubba Crosby for Robin Ventura.

Yankees get Mike Lamb from Jose Garcia.

Yankees get Jose Contreras for Esteban Loaiza.

Yankees get Mike Stanton for Felix Heredia.

Yankees get Kevin Brown for Jeff Weaver,Yhency Brazoban, a player to be named and $3 million.

Yankees get Javier Vazquez for Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera and Randy Choate.

Yankees get A-Rod for Alfonso Soriano and Joaquin Arias.

Yankees get Felix Rodriguez for Kenny Lofton.

Yankees get Randy Johnson for Javier Vazquez, Brad Halsey, Dioner Navarro and cash.

Yankees get Wilbert Nieves for Bret Prinz

Yankees get Matt Lawton for Justin Berg.

Yankees get Ron Villone for Ben Julianel.

Yankees get Kevin Howard and Benjamin Himes for Tony Womack and cash.

Yankees get Bobby Abreu and Croey Lidle for CJ Henry, Matt Smith, Jesus Sanchez and Carlos Monasterios.

by sanchez96 on Aug 6, 2006 3:01 AM EDT reply actions

Wow, that

was very thorough

by ReLaunch on Aug 6, 2006 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions

good job!

thanks! very interesting.

"90% of the game is half mental." - Yogi

by lee on Aug 6, 2006 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Trades I would take back

Thanks for the list.

Yankees get Ed Yarnall, Mark Johnson and Todd Noel for Mike Lowell.
Yankees get Kevin Brown for Jeff Weaver,Yhency Brazoban, a player to be named and $3 million.
Yankees get Javier Vazquez for Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera and Randy Choate.
Yankees get Randy Johnson for Javier Vazquez, Brad Halsey, Dioner Navarro and cash.

The Lowell trade is a no brainer in retrospect.
I would rather have Brazoban in the bullpen, and used the money spent on Brown to resign Pettitte.
Nick Johnson and Juan Rivera were two of my favorite Yanks because they were part of the championships, but were the "little guys". And now they're both everyday players.
I thought the Unit trade was brilliant at the time. But now I would trade him and his contract extention for Navarro.
But I agree with you sanchez, that's a very strong track record.

Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great DiMaggio.

by jscape2000 on Aug 6, 2006 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Johnson and Rivera

were not on any championship teams.

by ReLaunch on Aug 6, 2006 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions

You're right

'01 and '02 debuts respectively. I just remember always rooting for them to see some playing time. I'd still undo that trade.

Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great DiMaggio.

by jscape2000 on Aug 6, 2006 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions

I hear you.

Its easy to look back on retrospect. But Yanks lost Wells, Clemens, and Pettitte. They needed a young pitcher, and at that time Vazquez was one of the best pitchers in the majors available. Obviously it didn't work out, but I saw the reason behind it

by ReLaunch on Aug 6, 2006 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Great job

That's worth saving on this blog for future reference.

by Yankee Fanne on Aug 6, 2006 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks sanchez96.

Impressive work. Did we trade Wells for Clemens one for one?

by costa on Aug 6, 2006 5:03 PM EDT reply actions

One additional trade, can't believe I forgot

Yankees get Roger Clemens for Graeme LLoyd, Homer Bush and David Wells.

by sanchez96 on Aug 6, 2006 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Wow

Really not too many blemishes there.

by onehitwonder @ Pinstripe Alley on Aug 6, 2006 5:31 PM EDT reply actions

Part 2

Why the Yankees farm system in depleted I think is a combination of the following factors:

They are always winning, so have late round picks.
They sign an A type free agent pretty much every year and thus lose thier first round pick. They do sometimes get a first rounder from one of their FA getting signed though.
Recent draft strategy has seen the Yanks go for high schoolers in the first round (until this year). Basically trying to hit a home run with toolsy youngsters. Basically all of these have failed.
Poor drafting. Look at the drafts say post-2000 and most of the players that made it to the show are not exactly stellar. Brad Halsey-types.

Basically, if it weren't for international signings, the Yanks would be barren in the farm.

by onehitwonder @ Pinstripe Alley on Aug 6, 2006 9:54 PM EDT reply actions

well

I'll admit--most drafting has been not so great. But our first rounder in '04, Phil Hughes, is a future stud, and is a top pitching prospect. It is a little bit too early to give up on Eric Duncan becasue:

a. He is still very young, and was young for AA last year. He has been hitting better there this year.

b. He performed well in the Arizona Fall League (although that doesn't mean much).

Go Yankees.

by goyankees on Aug 6, 2006 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Poor drafts indeed

David Parrish anyone? Our drafts have been terrible over the past few years, but it seems to be turning around a little under Damon Oppenheimer, even though the last two first round picks have been terrible. CJ Henry is storming towards bust status (have fun with that Pat Gillick) and this year's pick was a college pitcher with injury troubles and rapidly declining velocity. Sounds like a future ace to me!

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Aug 7, 2006 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions

yeah

I can't believe we left Craig Hansen on the board for CJ Henry!

Go Yankees.

by goyankees on Aug 7, 2006 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions

Cashman just fired

the national and Eastern scouts. He's got an eye on the farm system and a plan. Good news, indeed.

Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great DiMaggio.

by jscape2000 on Aug 7, 2006 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions

That is good news

And I hope that the guy who drafted CJ Henry last year and Ian Kennedy in the first round this June rents his house and doesn't own it, because decisions like that get people fired.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Aug 7, 2006 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions

YES!

fired! Lets see some GOOD drafts now...the farm system will be repaired eventually.

Oh well, time for lunch!

Go Yankees.

by goyankees on Aug 7, 2006 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions

CJ Henry

may end up being bad, but no one knows. He is 20 and this was his first year. Way too early to say he is going to be a bust

by ReLaunch on Aug 7, 2006 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Can't hit or stay healthy

Those are two surefire ways to rise to bust status. The kid is ridiculously athletic, but so are a ton of other busts. A first round talent should outperform people his own age, not be outshined by them, which was the case with Henry.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Aug 7, 2006 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Really,

then why don't you pull up Jeter's first year in the minors. It was awful.

by ReLaunch on Aug 7, 2006 8:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Don't get me wrong,

I'm not saying he's going to be good. All I'm saying is that its kind of hard to judge someone during their first year in pro ball.

by ReLaunch on Aug 7, 2006 8:48 PM EDT up reply actions

ReLaunch

I did pull up Jeter's bio from '93 (which was his first full year in pro ball; he played some after being drafted in '92).
"Was voted the "Most Outstanding Major-League Prospect" by South Atlantic League managers after hitting .295 with 5 HR, 71 RBI and 18 stolen bases at Class-A Greensboro...was named to the All-Star Team after finishing second in the league in triples (11), third in hits (152) and 11th in batting average...ranked fifth in the organization in batting average...committed 56 errors in 126 games at shortstop...ranked second in the league in errors by a shortstop...was voted by Baseball America as the South Atlantic League's Best Defensive Shortstop, Most Exciting Player and Best Infield Arm."
Sure Jeter made errors, but everyone knew he could hit and recognized a star in the making.

Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great DiMaggio.

by jscape2000 on Aug 8, 2006 1:13 AM EDT up reply actions

Okay,

I lose. I thought I remembered though that he struggled pretty bad in one of his minor league seasons when I saw his Yankeeography. Guess not.

by ReLaunch on Aug 8, 2006 6:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Ian Kennedy is fine

I dont get you people you say we shouldnt draft high schoolers and then you rag on a draft where we got a projectable guy like Kennedy. Kennedy will never be a #1 starter but he has the potential to be a very good #3 or #4 starter. Oppenheimer is a USC guy so I would not doubt at all if he had inside info on why the velocity was down. Also Chamberlain (if we sign him) is a first round talent we got in the sandwich round. Then we can go to the 9th round where we got Melancon who was the best closer in the entire draft. Our drafting is fine now. Most draft choices end up as busts its just how it works out.

The reason we dont have depth is that for years Steinbrenner but strict spending limits on the draft and wanted to always take guys who could help the minor league team right away so that all his minor league teams would win. I bet you next offseason this system will be in the top half. Cox is a great reliever, Hughes may be the best pitcher in the minors, Duncan has rebounded well at AA, Clippard is having a great year. We have depth and I love this years draft. To be fair the red sox first pitcher who everyone here seems to love Bard profiles as a middle reliever. If he starts in the majors I will be shocked

Carl Pavano is a bum

by KAnst on Aug 14, 2006 12:22 PM EDT reply actions

Tyler Clippard

Who?
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5878326

Thank you Aaron Boone.

by costa on Aug 16, 2006 6:46 PM EDT reply actions

the farm...

it's back in decent shape now:

player, my grade as to how good of a future is in store, with A being the best

Phil Hughes A- (A talent, so some would call this conservative)
Jose Tabata B (We haven't seen him at higher levels yet)
Brett Gardner B (excelled in single-A ball, now holding his own AA...not too much power, but a lot of speed)
Tyler Clippard B (All signs point to breakout)
Austin Jacknson B- (not so great this year)
Eric Duncan B- (a ton of power, but the batting average is looking not so great, however, a good strikeout to walk ratio, which is a good sign for things to come...could be argued to a B)

Lez-bo Red Sox!

by goyankees on Aug 16, 2006 7:03 PM EDT reply actions