I tend to think the poor post season ABs are due to(1) the All Star team line-up that had no effing clue how to manufacture runs because all the guys were used to being The Man and (2) the pressure to swing for the fences or shoot the gaps intensifies when there is only one competent reliever in the pen. Pudge is another big name and I don't see this lineup scoring runs except when hits are strung together, as opposed to the tactical hit-and-run or sac bunt. The pen just seemed like such a strength right now, I'm a little disappointed to lose that, when a HUGE reason the 1996-2001 Yankees were so good was because they always had the best pen in the game and the other team pretty much had to win in the first six innings.

The Yankees clearly extracted more value than the Tigers in this deal. They definitely won the trade. They definitely addressed a need. They definitely dealt from a position of strength. As TMS pointed out, Melancon is the future and just got promoted to Scranton. There's a lot to like here.

At the same time, this is another big name in the lineup. It just feels like another one of those deals that is symptomatic of the 2002-present Yankees, as opposed to the 1996-2001 Yankees.

i think a starphuch type move woulda been if we'd went all in to trade for Texeiria... moves like the one for Nady (though i am highly hesitant to claim it was a steal for us considering what we gave up in the deal) along w/this acquisition of Pudge are not really starphuching type moves in the classic sense... we still have our youthful core intact in the minors & none of these guys are really top money level players we're bringing in... they were brought in to fill specific areas of need & Cash was able to achieve this w/o selling the farm out to do it... i have to give him props regardless of how it turns out... he's still pretty much sticking to his original plan of building up the farm while trying to compete now.

Posted by TMS:

i think a starphuch type move woulda been if we'd went all in to trade for Texeiria... moves like the one for Nady (though i am highly hesitant to claim it was a steal for us considering what we gave up in the deal) along w/this acquisition of Pudge are not really starphuching type moves in the classic sense... we still have our youthful core intact in the minors & none of these guys are really top money level players we're bringing in... they were brought in to fill specific areas of need & Cash was able to achieve this w/o selling the farm out to do it... i have to give him props regardless of how it turns out... he's still pretty much sticking to his original plan of building up the farm while trying to compete now.

I'll agree with this 1000000000% and it's why I don't think it was a bad deal. Technically, it was great if you look at the deal on paper. Just tough for me to be enthusiastic about it for the reasons mentioned above, although I don't want to make it sound like I'm upset.

My favorite part of the deal is that when Pudge signs with another team (I'm assuming Posada comes back as the everyday C), the Yanks get better compensation (2 picks!!) than they would with Farnsworth.

Posted by SupremeCommander:

Posted by TMS:

i think a starphuch type move woulda been if we'd went all in to trade for Texeiria... moves like the one for Nady (though i am highly hesitant to claim it was a steal for us considering what we gave up in the deal) along w/this acquisition of Pudge are not really starphuching type moves in the classic sense... we still have our youthful core intact in the minors & none of these guys are really top money level players we're bringing in... they were brought in to fill specific areas of need & Cash was able to achieve this w/o selling the farm out to do it... i have to give him props regardless of how it turns out... he's still pretty much sticking to his original plan of building up the farm while trying to compete now.

I'll agree with this 1000000000% and it's why I don't think it was a bad deal. Technically, it was great if you look at the deal on paper. Just tough for me to be enthusiastic about it for the reasons mentioned above, although I don't want to make it sound like I'm upset.

My favorite part of the deal is that when Pudge signs with another team (I'm assuming Posada comes back as the everyday C), the Yanks get better compensation (2 picks!!) than they would with Farnsworth.

Posada's aging and coming off major surgery. I definitely wouldn't assume that he'll be an everyday catcher again. I'm not sure if he'll ever catch again as opposed to either moving to 1st base or DH.

Question, what's the disadvantage of using a young SP like Ian Kennedy as a middle reliever? He's groomed to be a SP, but what exactly does that mean? How are middle relievers approach different from SP approach?