A look at the latest out of Queens and the Bronx..
- A source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that Padres third baseman Chase Headley is not out of question for the Yankees. Headley could play at third until Alex Rodriguez and could replace Nick Swisher if he leaves via free agency next year, Rosenthal tweets.
- The Yankees and Padres haven't exchanged names in Headley talks, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Although Mets GM Sandy Alderson is fielding calls for Tim Byrdak and Scott Hairston, he is more likely to retain the pair, a person familiar with the club's thinking told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
- Martino adds that the Mets have inquired on Mariners righthander Brandon League, according to a baseball source, but their interest in him and other high-profile relievers has fizzled. That source expects a quiet few days from the Mets as the deadline approaches.
- Before the Mariners traded Ichiro to the Yankees, they were deep in talks with the Giants and White Sox, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The outfielder liked the idea of playing for the Giants, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle adds (via Twitter).
LazerTown
You don’t pay for a significantly above average 3B for 2 months and then move then to the outfield, it doesn’t make sense. You pay the price for his defense and then throw it all down the drain. Ken rosenthal just suggests what people said days ago.
sdsuphilip
I read it more as this is what the yankees are thinking.
TheReturnOfMrBlanks
Now that Grienke is traded Headleys name is in every other post on here, which to me means all of these writers think he’s going to be traded. Yankees have weird Ideas of how to use him, pirates don’t have a spot for him, A’s Choice got injured and was probably what the Padres wanted, O’s won’t trade Machado or Bundy and don’t have much to offer after that. Should be interesting to see what happens.
rfffr
Sure put a gold glove caliber 3rd baseman in the outfield when you have a defensive liability at third. Nevermind that Headley can’t play outfield.
WonderboyRooney10
If A-Rod is a defensive liability at 3rd then what do you call Jeter?
rfffr
Old
Cankersly
A defensive liability at SS.
Thomas Carrano
A-rod will dh next year and if they get Headly then hell play 3rd base but as a padre fan who can they give up?
Lefty
Nick Swisher kills the Orioles, how in the world would Chase Headley fill in for Swisherlicious if he decided to test free agency waters? They are not the same player!
If I am a betting man, I say Headley stays with the Padres and I betcha Byrnes is at Del Mar and letting ride on #3 in the 8th =P
Please don’t trade Headley to the Yankees, Mr Byrnes! The thing in my favor is, I just don’t see a former Red Sox type doing business with the Yankees.
Andy Stang
The real scoop here is that Cake is playing at Del Mar today. I hope for your sake that you aren’t a betting man because Cake isn’t scheduled to play there until August 4th.
Lefty
That’s why I got rid of it LOL. TVG was talking about it and I originally thought they were. When I googled it, I was much chagrined to read that it was August 4th. The race info stays, because it is a grade two race.
YanksFanSince78
I don’t see Headley being traded for simply because the prospect cost is going to be prohibitive. I would much rather see them simply recall Brandon Laird at AAA who always starts off slow but has been hot of late (.319/,.365/.649 w/ 8 hrs in his last 23 games. He’s a righty that crushes lefties to the tune of a .917 OPS and could be a good platoon @ 3rd with Chavez who bats left and crushes righties (.850 OPS and 8/10 hrs).
If they did trade for Headley then I would not be shocked if they packaged him with a younger player like Phelps or Adam Warren (assuming that they go with Sabathia/Kuroda/Nova/Hughes/Pineda/Pettite) in 2013 for more prospects. I don’t think they are ready to commit to Arod being a full-time DH next year.
SalvadorM
what’s your offer for Headley, Machado +?
Blink
Obviously what Ken meant was that Headley would play third until ARod returns, then ARod would shift to SS, Jeter would move to 2b, Cano would move to catcher, and Russell Martin would be the everyday DH. Makes perfect sense. At least until Brett Gardner is ready.
Thomas Dobbins
This IS the Yankees we are talking about….they should petition the Commish for the right to use 2 DH’s…
walnutfalcons
The Yankees being the Yankees, I’m sure they have no idea that Headley has played a good amount of LF in the majors, and that “horrible” is too nice a word for what transpired.
YanksFanSince78
Yeah I’m sure that’s lost on Cashman…all he looks at his batting average, gold gloves and all-star appearances….geesh.
throwitback85
That first bullet needs fixing.
ARod's Ring
Why doesn’t A-Rod moves to RF? he has good speed and a he has a Cannon of an arm.
YanksFanSince78
Old dog and new tricks aren’t a good mix. If he’s a “liability” (which I think is argumentative) at 3b then I wouldn’t expect him to be any better in the OF.
ARod's Ring
Speed doesn’t play a role in 3rd base. and his arm would be waste playing DH.
YanksFanSince78
Agility plays a role in playing the OF and it’s a position that at age 37 I wouldn’t expect him to quickly acclimate himself to nor to stay healthy. As for DH, I never suggested he be moved there, at least not this year or even in 2013.
NYPOTENCE
If the Yankees have enough quality prospects to trade for Headley with out using Williams, Austin, Banuelos, Campos, or Sanchez then I am all in for acquiring him. I also believe the yankees can find someone better than Jones to Hit vs lefties.
Harris
Anyone else jumping up with excitement knowing that the Mets are willing to trade Scott Hairston and Tim Byrdak?!?
Hector Cortes
Ugh don’t remind me about it…. the fact the Mets can’t even get a solid reliever via trade only makes things more sadder….
RawlingsHeart
Getting Ichiro in a Giants uni would have been a dream come true. San Francisco doesn’t take advantage of their strong Asian community enough.
websoulsurfer
Maybe Betances or Banuelos, Williams and Austin could get it done. The Padres are asking for a huge package.
YanksFanSince78
So 3 top 100 prospects? Really? For Headley? Headley is a good player but if you’re trading 3 top 100 guys then you need to be getting a superstar back in return. Cashman should be fired for making that trade and Byrnes should be fired if he didn’t take it.
websoulsurfer
Headley is a top 3 third baseman in MLB this season and the short porch in RF in Yankee Stadium would make him a power threat every ab. A proven .300+/.850+ player is worth 2 top 100 prospects and another good prospect.
YanksFanSince78
Headley is ranked as a top 3 3b in WAR largely because of his glove. Overall, do you really think he’s an overall better 3b than Beltre, Moustakas or Zimmerman?
Also, not sure what you mean by proven .300+ guy? He’s never hit over .300 and while his career .346 OBP is decent it’s not elite. Also, he’s never had a OPS over .800 soooooooo…..Mi no comprendo papi?
Just because we have a short porch doesn’t mean that Headley will pull it. Chase only has 9 hrs on the road so that doesn’t scream elite power and his 33 hrs as a lefty in 1,500 career AB doesn’t make me think he’s going to turn into a 25 hr guy just because he’ll spend half of his games in YS.
Not saying he’s not a good player but no way is he worth Williams, Austin and Banuelos. Go back in history and see how many players were traded for 3 top 100 ranked players and then compare that player to Headley and tell me if you really think he’s worthy. Padres can demand the moon but that’s different than what’s realistic.
Amish_willy
If you’re going to disect how a switch-hitting player like Headley would fare in the power department, it’s best to look even deeper, particularly when no park hurts left-handed bats as much as Petco. The contrast in park factors (HR’s) between NY & SD for lefties is huge, 145 vs. 68.
Understandably, Headley has much better #’s as a lefty away then at home:
Away – .308/.385/.463 – 22 HR, 54 2b in 815 AB
Home – .231/.326/.335 – 11 HR, 38 2b in 720 AB
It’d be much easier for these two teams to match up if the Yankees weren’t having the same injury problems with their advanced pitching prospects that the Padres are.
Uncontested
What the hell were the white sox going to do with Ichiro? Who is he starting over? Rios? Hes batting 310+ with 16 HR… De Aza? Hes doing far better than Ichiro is this year. Tank? too much power to sit him for a guy who can barely slap the ball for a hit anymore and is losing his legs.