Boston, MA (WFAN) -- Click here for the details on the big trade with Pittsburgh. The Yankees have given up on Jose Tabata. He’s still only 19 years old, so it’s hard to say what he can become. But he had some issues off the field this year. Trading Tabata may end up like trading Fred McGriff…he’s a talented hitter and so, so young. But if the Yankees can use Nady and Marte to get to the World Series, then you’ll say it’s worth it.
Ohlendorf could be a pretty good pitcher down the road if the Pirates can give him a role and stick with it. The Yankees moved him from starter to set up to long man to starter again, all inside of 12 months. If the Pirates keep him as a starter, both he and Karstens could fill out the back of their rotation. Decent arms for a team like Pittsburgh in that division. McCutchen is interesting depending on how he develops. He's had some eye-popping outings this year, including a complete-game 5-hitter with 10 strikeouts earlier this month.
Brian Cashman may not be measured on this deal for a while, but he addressed two needs: a good righty bat and a lefty reliever who he’s coveted for years. Let’s see if it works and stay tuned a few years down the road to see if it was worth the price. For now, I think he did a pretty good job on this one.
Friday night will go down as the turning point in the transition and maturation of Joba Chamberlain as a starter. He dominated the Red Sox on a night when he had to. He outpitched Josh Beckett on a night when he had to. He kept the Yankees rolling on a night when he had to. Joba Chamberlain is a starter for all the reasons you saw Friday night. He went into Fenway Park and allowed just 3 hits over 7 scoreless innings. The Yankees are now 7-3 in games Joba starts. He’s only 2-1 because they have scored a total of 20 runs while he is in the game (8 of them in one game). That’s 12 runs in the other 9 games while Joba has been on the mound (I don’t count the runs they score after he leaves).
An American League executive told me two weeks ago he still thinks the Red Sox are the best team in the league, better than Anaheim too. Right now the Yanks are nipping at Boston’s heels, just two games behind. This is as crucial a July series as there can be, and Joba Chamberlain came up aces.
This is a big series for the Yankee bullpen too. They’ve been great so far. Kyle Farnsworth flunked the first test this weekend.
But luckily there’s Mariano. He now has 41 saves of at least 1 2/3 innings over his career. He’s 26 for 26 this season and as much as I admire Mike Mussina’s season, Rivera is this team’s MVP. You could even make the case for Cy Young and AL MVP depending on where the Yankees finish this year.
Ian Kennedy almost threw a no-hitter for Scranton Thursday night. He’s now 2-2, 2.16 ERA at AAA. Why isn’t he in the big leagues instead of Rasner or Ponson? Here’s Brian Cashman’s take: “Last year he showed he can pitch up here in the big leagues and be successful. But how did he get here last year? He rode an avalanche of success. He mowed through everybody in A-ball, he mowed through everybody in Double-A, he mowed through everybody in Triple-A, and then he mowed through people up here at the big league level, did a great job.
This year he (struggled)…and went the wrong direction, and he got hurt. Let’s just run him out there every five days, give him a chance to get some consistency, get all his pitches working like they were last year. It’s not happening yet, (but) he’s getting closer.
We know what he can do because we ve seen it. It’s not there yet. But I think it’s getting closer to where it was than maybe earlier. And thankfully right now I don’t have to do something.”
Cashman said he still holds Kennedy in the same regard as he did a year ago, but reminded everyone that he is still in just his second full year of professional ball.
Scouts I’ve spoken to say Kennedy is a back end starter, not a front of the rotation guy. Let’s see if he continues to progress.
Cashman on Phil Hughes lost season of 2008:
“It pushes him back, there’s no doubt about it. He had an innings limit this year, now he’ll have an innings limit next year because of this. It’s delayed things, but that’s life."
Cashman on Hughes’s injury-prone nature affecti ng his status as a prospect:
“It hasn’t affected the teams asking for him, I can promise you that. It seems like every time if it’s a decent name, the demand is Phil Hughes. And that’s despite everything that’s going on, so I know one thing…the evaluation from outside the organization seems to be the same as it was before the stress fracture.”
Hughes begins a minor league rehab assignment Monday. Carl Pavano begins one on Tuesday. Yes, I said Carl Pavano is going to pitch. But a lot can happen between now and Tuesday.
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