When I signed off before my move down south I said just keep winning.
And the Yankees have rewarded my faith.
They haven't even just won, but been winning big by outpitching the league. I suspect we're getting a glimpse at the Yankee future Brian Cashman is constructing. Great starters, good interchangeable relievers, decent bats.
Which is why I like the trade for Marte and Nady. We're headed into an odd offseason where there aren't any decent right fielders available as free agents, so making a trade makes a ton of sense. Nady was a tick above league average the last 3 years before his big 2008 (104, 102, 107, 142 OPS+).
While I don't think the Yanks need a lefty, it is conventional baseball wisdom. Joe G. has shown himself to be a conventional baseball kind of guy. So at least we got the best lefty available rather than another round of Billy Traber.
I figure Marte takes Traber's spot on the roster and Nady takes Christian's. Which means we still have to find a way to get rid of LaTroy Hawkins.
I think we sold low on Tabata, but better to sell him now before word really gets around that he was hitting .248/.320./310 in AA and been benched twice for clubhouse/ off the field infractions. And you have to give talent to get talent. Ohlendorf might have figured it out, but he wasn't going to be Mo and relievers are so volatile that they're always trade bait. Kontos and Coke were scrubs unworthy of the Bronx.
And unworthy of the Bronx makes a great transition to discussing Ponson and Rasner. Phil Hughes will begin rehabbing next week, IPK has shown flashes of brilliance, and Wang should start rehabbing soon. McCutchen has a 1.19 WHIP and 58 K against 11 BB.
I don't think Brian Cashman is done dealing yet. He wants a starter (or, if he doesn't he should).
As much as I love seeing Joba come up and in on Youkillis* (Bob Watson hates the Yankees, so don't be surprised to eventually hear suspension rumblings), I love seven innings of shutout ball even more. Cash looks like a genius for putting Joba in the rotation, and the MLB transition seems to have gone pretty well.
* Is it overstating things to think that the up and in pitch hitting the bat and being a strike is a sign of provenance?