Haren Traded to D-backs

by jscape2000 on Dec 15, 2007 3:34 AM EST in New York Yankees News

Why does this matter to a Yankee blog?

Because the price for Johan Santana just changed.
Check out these names. In parenthesis I've placed the highest level they've played in, their age, their position, and their Baseball America Top 10 ranking.

Brett Anderson (A+; 19; P (left); 3)

Chris Carter (AAA; 24; 1B; 8)

Aaron Cunningham (AA; 21; RF; 7)

Dana Eveland (AAA; 23; P (left); unranked)

Carlos Gonzalez (AA; 22; RF; 1)

Greg Smith (AAA; 23; P (left); (unranked)

Just to put that in perspective, that's roughly equivalent to trading Horne, Gardner, Miranda, Ohlendorf, Tabata, and Marquez.

While the Yankees have more upper-level players available than the D-backs did, we also have players we want to protect that other teams want for team development and PR purposes.

As posters have noted over at SBN sister-site Twinkie Town, a 6 prospect deal seems to be this season's standard; both Cabrera and Haren brought back a wave of prospects.

I suspect the Twins are going to get a package with a larger number of talented players than we've discussed before, but that talent will be farther from the bigs. I think I'd be ok with that.

Christmas is only ten days away, but don't buy that Hughes jersey yet.

Tweet Comment 13 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Haren

You beat me to it, Jscape. I was going to write a thread discussing Haren and why I believe this deal actually helps the Yanks, but I'll settle for the comments portion.

Yes, the price for Santana just went up and that's not good for any potential trade partner. That said (and I could be wrong about this), I really don't believe the Yanks were willing to give up Hughes and the other prospects the Twins were asking for in return anyways, so it's almost a moot point. If the Yanks were unwilling to meet the Twins' demands two weeks ago, it's less likely they would meet those demands now that the price has gone up.

This deal helps the Yanks is because it also drives up the price for the Red Sox. After watching Haren get shipped to Arizona for that much beef, does anyone think Bill Smith can now settle for Ellsbury and the rest of the marginal prospects they might have considered two weeks ago from Theo and Co.?

I don't think so. Bill Smith has to sell this trade to the fans in Minnesota and I don't believe they would be very happy with him if they settled for a deal centering around Ellbury after watching Billy Beane raid the D-Backs farm in exchange for a pitcher not in Santana's league.

Theo and Co. have been unwilling to part with both Ellsbury and Lester from the beginning and you'd have to believe that Smith will up the ante now that Santana's market value has risen a tad.

I could be way off, but I think the odds of Santana ending up in Beantown this offseason just got longer.

by anaconda on Dec 15, 2007 5:18 AM EST reply actions

Not affected by this trade

Bill Smith wasn't taking that quartet from Boston before Haren went anywhere so I don't see how this trade changes anything.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 15, 2007 9:53 AM EST up reply actions

I disagree

I think the price for Santana was already very high and will simply stay that way. His situation is completely different from Haren and Miggy because one of the main advantages to the D-back and Tigers were the multiple years of service at cost control that came with those players. You don't get that with Santana and there are still only three teams that can afford to extend him, only one of which has a competent GM. On the downside, there is no fallback option for the team that loses out on Santana. That is good for the Yanks in a sense because if Boston gets Johan and least Cashman can't panic and overpay for Haren.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 15, 2007 9:52 AM EST reply actions

That makes sense

I was happy too that Haren was traded because I had a feeling the Yanks would overpay for him if they could not get Santana. I think the Yanks will be fine without Haren or Santana. I am a little worried about how the steriod allegation might effect Andy Pettitte though.

by SirShadow on Dec 15, 2007 11:58 AM EST up reply actions

Mark Cuban

I hope the guy hurries up and buys the Cubs. Then Santana can go to the National League and we can enjoy the spectacle of seeing whether Bucholz and Lester compete better than Hughes and Kennedy.

I don't want to miss that show.

by Frank Malzone on Dec 15, 2007 11:49 AM EST reply actions

A sale to you or I

is as likely to be approved by MLB owners as a sale to Mark Cuban would be.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 15, 2007 12:05 PM EST up reply actions

And you seem to have

forgotten Joba?

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on Dec 15, 2007 5:55 PM EST up reply actions

Just a thought

I read on another board that the A's are in "full rebuild mode" now.

If Huston Street is available would you trade Alan Horne or Austin Jackson plus some lower level prospects for him?

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

by jscape2000 on Dec 15, 2007 12:32 PM EST reply actions

Eh

I don't really like converting a closer to a set-up man. He is going to cost the price of a closer, and probably perform less-well than he did as a closer. I hate to reference intangibles as a key to a position, but a lot about being a closer seems to involve getting "pumped-up" to go into the 9th inning. Now, maybe Street can get pumped-up enough, but it seems that closers have a hard time when they are not in the most pressure packed situations. Oftentimes their worst numbers are when they come into non-save situations and get shelled.

I'm not saying that Street isn't a great pitcher with good stuff/mechanics (although I am not a person to analyze that at all.) But I just don't really favor the principle of moving a closer to a set-up role, unless we are only going to pay him like a set-up guy.

To counter everything I just wrote, however, I would love to see Nathan come in here and set-up for Mo for a year or two and then have them swap roles (as inconceivable as this may be.)

"It's great to be young and a Yankee"

by stillmonster on Dec 15, 2007 1:17 PM EST up reply actions

Cabrera/Haren

I don't think it's completely valid to say that Haren and Cabrera both brought back six prospects. Dontrelle Willis with Miguel Cabrera brought back six prospects. Despite how far Willis' stock has fallen, he's still considered desirably in the eyes of many. In Haren's case, the two-for-six deal involved just one bona fide Major Leaguer.

River Ave. Blues

by Benjamin Kabak on Dec 15, 2007 2:49 PM EST reply actions

That's fair

Though I do think that Willis was packaged with Cabrera to move him out (without having to deal him in division).

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

by jscape2000 on Dec 16, 2007 1:56 AM EST up reply actions

Trade Package now?

Does anyone know who they are offering for Santana now? I read that they wanted to get rid of Matsui, so would he replace Cabrera as the outfield player in the package or would he be an addition?
I still stay that we should stick with the young guys as long as we can keep Santana from the sox... either way though---Yanks forever.
One other thing- Has anyone read the stuff on Betances? I read something about him having the best stuff in the organization,(including Chamberlain). I'd love to hear people's thoughts regarding his future as he seems qualified to be a future ace in the '10 '11 seasons. I mean hey anyone they compare to Peavy right?

Chamberlain, Kennedy, and Hughes- forever.

by 3aces on Dec 16, 2007 9:06 PM EST reply actions