Yankees Make Small Deadline Moves, Add Drew and Prado
July 31, 2014 · Gary Phillips · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Thursday’s action-packed, non-waiver trade deadline saw the New York Yankees add Stephen Drew and Martin Prado.
Surprisingly, the archrival Boston Red Sox dealt Drew to the Yankees, as first reported by ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes.
The Yankees then got Martin Prado from the Arizona Diamondbacks for prospect Peter O’Brien, a story that was broken by the YES Network’s Jack Curry.
While neither of these deals fall under the blockbuster department, they do potentially upgrade the roster.
Drew, a shortstop, will be the everyday second baseman from here on out. His .176 average is far from impressive, but he has a .477 slugging percentage and .806 OPS in his last 20 games.
Brian Roberts was designated for assignment in a corresponding move, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
Prado, on the other hand, brings contact to the lineup and versatility to the field. He is having a down year, batting .270, but is a .290 career hitter and can play first, second, third, shortstop, left field and right field. He has primarily been a left fielder and third baseman, though it looks as if the Yanks will pencil him in at right.
While the players themselves can certainly help the Yankees, it is also important to look at what they gave up. Drew cost them Kelly Johnson, who is currently on the disabled list and was batting just .219 before he got hurt. One could argue they paid a hefty price for Prado, giving up power-hitting prospect O’Brien. While O’Brien does have 33 home runs this year, he has yet to find a position on the diamond, rarely walks and strikes out often. He is a flawed player with a lot of problems that need to be solved.
And so, the Yankees once again added talent without sacrificing much of their own. Brandon McCarthy was obtained for Vidal Nuno from the D-backs. Now, McCarthy is 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA since coming to New York.
Chase Headley, formerly of the San Diego Padres, cost Yangervis Solarte and a low-end pitching prospect, two players not worth losing sleep over. Headley has already contributed some key at-bats in his nine games with the Yankees, including an extra-inning, walk-off single in his first game with the team.
Even Chris Capuano made an impact in his first game with the Yankees, allowing two earned runs in six innings. He was acquired from the Colorado Rockies for cash considerations.
While general manager Brian Cashman and the Yankees did not pull the triggers on any megadeals this trade season, they have added players who could become important down the stretch, and they did it without giving up much talent.
With important games coming, the baseball world will have to wait and see if these moves were enough for a playoff push.
All stats were obtained via Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.
Question or comments? Feel free to follow me on Twitter @GPhillips2727 to talk New York Yankees and Major League Baseball.
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