Yankees trade Farnsworth for Pudge

[Chris]

C'mon guys, let's be realistic! Yanks replace a good righty reliever, with a good lefty that they didn't have! Replaced Justin Christian/Brett Gardner with Xavier Nady, and Jose Molina/Chad Moeller with Pudge Rodriguez! Now only the most homer or homer RS fans can say those aren't major upgrades for the Yanks! If they get a quality starter also, Sox/Rays may be in for some trouble!

The Nady and Marte trade was great.  But I don't think Pudge is an upgrade over Molina.  He is a upgrade offensively, but not enough to offset the upgrade defensively.  I think Molina has had a lot to do with the success of the Yankees pitching staff this season, and Pudge has the chance to throw that off track. 

This isn't Boston homerism, this is just my feeling that Pudge is one of the most overrated players in the game.  When he was hitting .330 with 25 home runs, that was one thing, but now that he is just an average hitter, it doesn't make up for his defensive deficiencies.

[Brickowski]

When is that organization going to get it again and realize that pitching wins and they just gave up the most effective set-up guy in the league over the last 2 months or so.

And to do it for a guy that is so obviously worse defensively than Molina. This has Steinbrenner written all over it.

Worse defensively than Molina?  Aren't 13 gold gloves enough for you?  How many gold gloves does Molina have LOL?

[soap07]

I love people who use Gold Gloves as a barometer for defensive excellence, when Jeter has won 3 of them and Palmero won it once while DH'ing for most of the year.

This deal is excellent for the Yankees. You can't trot Molina, who's never been an everyday player, not in good physical condition and a liability offensively, out there every day when Posada and Matsui are injured.

Farnsworth was excellent this year, but he still couldn't be trusted in big spots. And the Yanks have Bruney to step in for Farnsworth.

[soap07]

Worse defensively than Molina?  Aren't 13 gold gloves enough for you?  How many gold gloves does Molina have LOL?

I believe Molina has thrown a larger percentage of runners out this year and has a better catchers' ERA, in fact, one of the best in the league.

[SShoreFan 2.0]

Brian Cashman is doing an amazing job this season.  While others are standing still he is making all the right moves.

Very impressive.


(I type reluctantly)

[Brickowski]

Worse defensively than Molina?  Aren't 13 gold gloves enough for you?  How many gold gloves does Molina have LOL?

I believe Molina has thrown a larger percentage of runners out this year and has a better catchers' ERA, in fact, one of the best in the league.

Well, Molina has never played more than 80 games in a season and is hitting below the Mendoza line.  If you were Joe Girardi, would you be happy going into a pennant race with him as your only catcher?

In his prime Pudge Rodriguez had the best arm of any catcher I've ever seen, and that includes Johnny Bench.  This was a huge steal for Cashman.

[soap07]

Well, Molina has never played more than 80 games in a season and is hitting below the Mendoza line.  If you were Joe Girardi, would you be happy going into a pennant race with him as your only catcher?

In his prime Pudge Rodriguez had the best arm of any catcher I've ever seen, and that includes Johnny Bench.  This was a huge steal for Cashman.

Okay...just two posts ago I wrote that this deal was excellent for the Yankees. That doesn't change the fact that Pudge is worse defensively than Molina.

[CelticsWhat35]

Worse defensively than Molina?  Aren't 13 gold gloves enough for you?  How many gold gloves does Molina have LOL?

I believe Molina has thrown a larger percentage of runners out this year and has a better catchers' ERA, in fact, one of the best in the league.

Well, Molina has never played more than 80 games in a season and is hitting below the Mendoza line.  If you were Joe Girardi, would you be happy going into a pennant race with him as your only catcher?

In his prime Pudge Rodriguez had the best arm of any catcher I've ever seen, and that includes Johnny Bench.  This was a huge steal for Cashman.

Oh crap, the Yankees just traded for Pudge Rodriguez in his prime, i.e. while he was still juicing?  In that case, they got a steal.  How could the Tigers give him up for so little? 

[Brickowski]

To make the deal even juicier for the Yankees, Pudge's deal is up at the end of the year and he will be a type A free agent (and a Scott Boras client who is unlikely to accept arbitration).  So if he leaves the Yankees get a first round pick plus a supplemental pick in the draft.