Abreu to the Yankees?
...along with Corey Lidle for a trio of minor leaguers. Phillies in full salary dump mode.



http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2534459

And Abreu has been taken out of the lineup in Philly.

That may mean that he has been traded, but it does NOT mean that he has been traded to the Yankees.

I'm going to wait.

Fox is "independently" reporting the same.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5829932

Not only they are filling their holes in the outfield but in the rotation too.

I really hope that isn't true. Is C.J. Henry even that good of a prospect?

First round draft pick last year, wasn't he?

True, but it's not like the Yankees had a high draft pick in a supposed "down year".

I think he was the 16th pick, it was a comp pick from another team. He was rated one of the best all around athletes in the draft and would have played basketball for Kansas if he didn't sign with the Yanks. He struggled in the beginning of the year but seemed to be playing better as of late.

I think he was considered a reach to be taken that high.

How far in the ranks is he? He's not their top ranked prospect is he?



Just saw he their fourth best prospect at the beginning of the season according to Baseball America.

BA

Rmember that he just turned 20 also.

Id also like to say that Lidle has an ERA of 3.7 away from Philly. That translate to about 4.5 in the AL which is good enough for a fourth or fifth starter.

This trade only makes the Yankees marginally better. I'm not sold on it personally. It seems to be a more 'panic mode' kind of deal. Although with that shallow RF in Yankee Stadium. I could see Abreu taking advantage of that.

This sucks.

Abreu will be good there.
Lidle stinks.

I just wish there were some way to spin this against the Yankees.
The only possible way involves their payroll...
But that's obviously never going to matter.

Philly got absolutely hosed in this deal, if it actually is Henry and Smith for Abreu and Lidle.

It is official but there are 2 more minor leaguers in the deal, but nobody worth anything.

Another plus from the Yankees I found at NYYfans

"A source with knowledge of the deal told ESPN Insider Jerry Crasnick that the Phillies will pay Abreu $1.5 million in exchange for waiving the no-trade clause and accepting the condition that the Yankees will not pick up his option for 2008"

From ESPN.

To be honest as a Yankees fan I am sad to see Henry go. Even though he isnt hitting yet, mostp eople expected that as he is very raw. His upside is very high and I wish him the best. That being said there is no way in hell I can complain about this trade.

Is that on top of his $2M buyout or in lieu of it, I wonder?

I concur w/ 4B...if this goes down, the Yankees become much stronger.

1) No more SP starts by anyone named "Ponson"
2) No more RF starts by anyone named "Cabrera"

Yikes.

The one positive spin is that this could cause Sheffield to become quite the clubhouse distraction....I can't imagine that Cashman picks up Sheff's 2007 option now.

I don't know how it can be seen as "panic mode" since they gave up very little.

I was just thinking that. If there's an upside to this trade it probably means Sheff is going to be looking for work.

I wonder if the Yanks will keep Abreu or spin him + eating a good chunk of his contract elsewhere for SP? Just a thought.

Or perhaps I've had enough tequila today. Also, just a thought.

Well the Yankees did give up a "high ceiling hitting prospect", a decent middle reliever prospect, and 2 other guys. If the Red Sox still win the divison or the Yankees don't even make the play-offs this is going to really hurt them especially if Henry becomes what MLB hopes he can be. Sheffield (prime) or Wells>Abreu. There is also the adjustment to AL pitchers period and Lidle sucking.

If the Yankees make the playoffs...

1. Damon (CF)
2. Jeter (SS)
3. Abreu (RF)
4. ARod (3B)
5. Sheffield (DH)
6. Giambi (1B)
7. Matsui (LF)
8. Posada ©
9. Cano (2B)

Does that make anyone else more than a little nervous?

Not really, do you really think that Sheff and Matsui are just going to step back in the lineup completely healthy and hit their career norms? It will take them a while to get their timing back after being out so long and wrist injuries can be tricky...

Its a good deal for the Yankees IMO, money really isn't that important for them so the salary isn't a big deal. I'm really surprised that he was willing to waive his NTC without getting the option picked up though. I know he took the $1.5M to do so but the option year was worth a lot more than he will get on the open market when its not picked up and he was in a great position to bargain. I would have made them pick up the option is I was in that situation.

The ever-reliable Buster Olney figured the Yanks' lineup would look more like this, once Sheffield and Matsui return:


(like I said over in the In-Season Hot Stove thread)...when was the last time ARod batted 6th in a lineup? 1996, his first full year with the Mariners?

I can't imagine Buster Olney being more right than you on this, FourthBase, but I wonder if ARod's being set up to have another crisis of confidence getting booted down another notch in the batting order....or, it could take all that "pressure" off his overburdened shoulders...?

...heh...

No, it would have been a panic move had the Yanks caved when they demanded Hughes.

Maybe panic mode wasn't the best way to describe it. They gave up a prospect toted pretty highly. This seemed like a trade just to make a trade IMO. With what they've been playing with and through this season. They've still been right on the Red Sox's heels for the Division lead. They could make do without Abreu. I don't really see him as a big difference maker. They needed to get more pitching ( as does everyone right now ), Lidle's the answer?

Of course he's a difference maker.

A panic move would have been done weeks ago. This was a great move, especially since they DID NOT pick up the 2008 option or deal Wang, Cano, Melky, Hughes, Tabata, Duncan, Clippard or Cox.

The Yankees had gotten just about as much as they could from an OF of Damon, Bernie, Melky, Bubba and Guiel and the clock was about to strike midnight on that group.

I can't wait to hear the 180's when "Sheffroid" is playing RF in Boston next season.

There's really not much pitching out there to be had. Particularly for the price they were willing to pay. So no, Lidle is not the answer and I believe they know that. You sit down an Aaron Guiel or Bernie Williams and insert Abreu. I think thats quite an improvement. Lidle gives them a guy who could eat some innings and get hot on occasion and at the end post a 4.whatever ERA.

I doubt it, he has an ERA of almost 5 playing in the NL least, that should translate to around 7.0 in the AL east, example? see Randy Johnson. He will loose more games for the Yankees than Abreu wins, JMO.

Remember that Lidle replaces the multi-headed 5th starter monster - Chacon/Ponson/Kris Wilson/Aaron Small - that collectively has piled up some truly horrendous numbers

Say he pitches league-average and averages 6+ innings/start. Huge upgrade.

Abreu really solidifies right field, provides high OBP, steals bases - things the Guiel/Bernie combo doesn't do

Now you DH Bernie vs lefties and have Guiel off the bench instead of Bubba Crosby

CJ Henry? A high-ceiling guy who's probably 4 years away. You gotta give up something to get something.

Biggest thing - you keep your A prospects (Hughes and Tabata) - AND keep Duncan, Clippard, Cox, White, Gardner, Garcia, Marquez and Horne

Assuming they get both Shef and Matsui back by lets say the beginning of September and start playing at the level their accustomed to right of way, definitely. I'm not so sure its reasonable to expect that to happen however.

Call me crazy but, as is I think that team is capable of loosing 15 of the next 20 and all things considered cannot understand how they have been able to hang in this long. I'm hoping their returns will be too little too late.




Believe me your not the first person to think about this. But the only way I see it happening is a one year deal. No way I can see Theo and Co giving a multi year deal to a player his age with the money he is likely to be asking for.

Man, that would blow. I would want him to succeed, obviously, because the name on the front > the name on the back, but he would instantly become my most disliked Sock of all time...that would be tough. I could never grow to like the guy, that's for sure.

Signing Sheffield next year? Ugh... that will be a true test of my devotion to the Red Sox if we ever sign that asshole.

Is it just me, or does Abreu not resemble Jack Parkman in this picture. I mean a lot.


How bout' "The Materbater"

1. The Sox won't want Sheffield
2. Sheffield won't want to play for the Sox
3. Keep on trollin'.

Anyways, the Yankees obviously got a steal of a trade. However, they're retarded if Abreu doesn't bat 3rd, since he's basically a much better Trot, and that's killing potential production when in the 5-hole.

millar goes yard, I think your signature is killing the margins.

I didn't believe that we HAD to make a trade. We made it from May basically without Matsui and Sheffield (and since June 1 w/o Cano) fine. With Matsui back in about 3 weeks, we could have made it. I do think Abreu makes us better and I do view Lidle as better than Ponson as the 5. As for pitching, what we have is what we will have to make do. Pitching is not something that handily available as teams now are holding on to the players. With the price it ended up at, I like it. Henry may make it and that pitcher from the Gulf Coast some Yankee fans are high on, but Philly had to get something.

No matter what Abreu does in the couple of months, whether he sucks or swaggers, he'll be taking a lot of the media and fan attention off ARod. Personally, I think this is one of the goals of this trade.

Unless, of course, ARod still "struggles", and Abreu hits and plays defense like his hair is on fire...

You mean from the Yankees fans who currently think he didn't use steroids, is a really good guy and is a Hall of Famer?

Yes, I expect to see a 180, too.

Were in agreement then. I didn't mean to imply "had to make". I think it was done just to do. Maybe to just fire up the team so to speak. I think that what the Yankees have now is what they have. They didn't need Abreu. I was watching, waiting.......HOPING for their fall off this season. It hasn't happened. Even with Matsui and Sheff gone. I don't think Abreu was neccesary, but they did get better with him. By how much is still left to be seen.




Wow good point. I just thought about that. Maybe your right.

Thanks... I think

By the way, one wonders if the Yanks hadn't grabbed Abreu, if the Sox would have pulled the trigger had Trot been injured yesterday rather than today...

At any rate, it looks like it's Wily Mo time.

Another enigmatic, overpaid veteran who avoids contact on the basepaths and in the field, and, like a certain ex-shortstop turned third baseman, is prone to an acute tightening of the esophageal area under pressure. I like the deal for the Red Sox.

So basically, in a big spot, you'd rather pitch to Abreu then say ... Aaron Guiel ?

From 2003-2005 Abreu's OPS is like 10 points lower in close and late than his overall OPS...

its so f*ckin pathetic how you're trying to twist sh*t and act like this isnt a good deal for NY. you replace a RF platoon of bernie, guiel and bubba crosby with a 2 time allstar who is among the best OBP guys in the league, can steal 30 bases and hits to all fields and all you can do is make up something about him being a choker? the yankees not only fix their OF problem, but they fill a hole in the back end of their rotation with a decent arm who can give innings all for a decent AAA reliever and 3 A prospects, if you can call them that, and its somehow not a good deal.

if boston made a deal like this you'd be creaming your pants and talking about raising a World Series flag.

If anyone's really upset over losing Henry, this deal will probably result in the Yankees declining Sheffield's option, offering him arbitration, and getting a 1st rounder and supplemental pick for him. Not a bad deal anyway you look at it.