In a bizarre move, the Yankees traded for Javier Vazquez yesterday. It became even stranger when I realized that they had to part with Melky Cabrera to get him. Huh? Some people have been reporting this trade as the Yankees counter to the Red Sox getting John Lackey. Really? I hope the Yankees counter every Red Sox move like that.
I watched my 2004 Red Sox DVD, Faith Rewarded, again last night. Just about every Red Sox highlight shown against the Yankees had one of two people on the mound. Mariano Rivera, or Javier Vazquez. Weren’t the Yankees sick of this guy? Wasn’t he soft? Didn’t he pitch poorly? Weren’t the Yankees thrilled to dump him off to the D-Backs when they got Randy Johnson? Hasn’t he been shipped from team to team to team since then? This is the guy they had to have back?
What about the young kids? From why I’ve been hearing, Hughes and Chamberlain will be battling each other for Cy Youngs for years to come. Was that just a smokescreen? Is Joba really nothing more than a middle reliever? From the press I’ve been reading, either one of them would have to be better than Vazquez.
And, what about Cabrera? Is he not an up and coming star? I’m confused.
Naturally, since it was the Yankees, this will be reported as a huge move. Just like when they traded for Granderson, it will be played up to be bigger than it is. From my end, this marks the second trade by the Yankees that I am thrilled with. They’ve picked up another guy who does nothing for me whatsoever.
This move screams of desperation. It’s great when the Yankees look desperate. The Red Sox made a move to bolster their rotation, and the Yankees got scared. They felt they had to do something, and somehow settled on Vazquez. They sent their most tradable player off for a mediocre starting pitcher. If I were a Yankee fan (shudder) I would be screaming at Cashman at the top of my lungs. What was he thinking?
I love it when the Yankees panic.
I need to set you straight on a few things.
ReplyDeleteFirst: Melky was not considered a rising star. Good Centerfielder is a better description. With Granderson he became expendable.
Second: Vazquez has been one of the most consistent innings eaters/strikeout pitchers of the last 10 years, coming off of his best season. He is not an ace, although at times he can carry a staff. He is being brought in to be the 3-4 guy in the rotation, and he is short money with draft pick upside.
Summary: The Yankee staff is much better, and much deeper than it was a week ago. Getting Vazquez and Granderson, along with Johnson, and most likely Nady/DeRosa/other Free Agent, make this team better than last year. They also get younger and have financial flexabilty going forward.
Bottom Line: The World Champs made the moves they did because they wanted to improve their team and address their weaknesses. It had absolutely nothing to do with any other team. They are the best team in baseball, and they are doing what they need to do to stay there. The Yanks had to play catch up for a few years, now it is the Sox turn. Both teams have gotten better this offseason (on paper of course). Looks like the Sox may still be a step behind.