The Yankees announced that they have officially acquired Chase Headley from the Padres. The Yankees will send Yangervis Solarte and minor league right-hander Rafael De Paula to the Padres in return for Headley and $1MM.
Headley, a lifetime member of the Padres, is hitting just .229/.296/.355 with seven homers this season, though he’s playing outstanding defense at third base, per both UZR/150 (+19.7) and Defensive Runs Saved (+7). Headley is earning $10.535MM in 2014, of which $3.97MM remains. He is eligible for free agency following the season.
The Yankees are just four games out of the division lead in the AL East and two and a half games back of a Wild Card berth, meaning every additional win the team picks up could be crucial. Yankees third basemen are hitting .245/.323/.391 on the season with 14 home runs (which translates to a nearly league-average 98 wRC+). However, much of that is due to what looks to have been an unsustainable hot streak for Solarte early in the season. The 27-year-old Solarte had a scorching hot month of April (fueled by a .349 BABIP), but he’s batted just .233/.307/.347 in 200 plate appearances since that time. If nothing else, Headley’s glove may provide an extra win over the rest of the season, but the hope is undoubtedly that a move from the pitcher-friendly Petco Park to the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium will rejuvenate his bat as well.
It’s not long ago that Headley looked to be a breakout star. He batted a whopping .286/.376/.498 with 31 homers to go along with elite defense and solid baserunning in 2012, but since that time he’s been slowed by a fractured thumb, a calf strain and a herniated disc in his back (for which he received an epidural injection earlier this month). He’s hitting .323 with a homer, a triple and four doubles this month, so perhaps the injection helped to ease some of the pain he was experiencing. However, he’s yet to walk in July and has struck out 16 times, so his approach at the plate certainly doesn’t appear to be what it was in 2012 when he posted a career-best 12.3 percent walk rate.
From a big picture standpoint, the move signifies that the Yankees, in typical fashion, will maintain a dogged pursuit of the postseason. Despite losing CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and potentially Masahiro Tanaka for the season (with Michael Pineda missing the majority of the year as well), the Yankees feel they have a shot to contend in an abnormally weak AL East. The team has already acquired Brandon McCarthy (in exchange for lefty Vidal Nuno), and it seems likely that GM Brian Cashman will continue to be aggressive as he looks to upgrade his roster.
For the Padres, it’s tough to describe the outcome as anything but disappointing. Headley looked to be on the verge of stardom following the 2012 season, and they could likely have netted a king’s ransom had they moved him then. Even this offseason, Headley’s value coming off a .250/.347/.400 season with excellent defense would have been fairly strong. Now, they’ll receive a player whom the Yankees signed to a minor league deal this offseason (Solarte) and a pitcher that ranked 15th in a weak Yankees farm system coming into the year (per Baseball America). At this point, however, it has to be considered a silver lining for the Friars that they weren’t able to extend Headley — either with the reported franchise-record deal they were weighing last spring or the three-year, $33-39MM deal they offered over the winter.
Solarte is hitting .254/.337/.381 with the Yankees this season, though much of that production came in the aforementioned April hot streak. The Padres can control him for six years, as he made his big league debut this year, and he’s appeared at second base, third base and shortstop this season. Ideally, he could settle into a utility role for San Diego for the next several seasons.
De Paula, 23, has a 4.15 ERA with 10.5 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 89 innings (17 starts, three relief appearances) at Class-A Advanced Tampa this season. Baseball America noted in its scouting report that De Paula’s mid- to upper-90s fastball was enough to dominate hitters in Low Class A, but he struggled with last year’s debut in High-A Tampa due to an inability to throw his breaking pitches for strikes. He’s made some strides in his command this year, averaging fewer walks. BA noted that if he could learn to command either his slider or changeup, that would be enough to pair with his plus fastball to project as a big league reliever, but if he could learn to command both, he could start in the bigs.
De Paula doesn’t come without personal baggage, as BA’s Ben Badler notes (on Twitter). Badler says De Paula “will be a big leaguer,” but points out that he’s used multiple falsified identities and dates of birth in his road to professional baseball.
Jack Curry of the YES Network first tweeted that the two sides were close to a deal. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports first reported the trade was done and added the terms shortly thereafter (Twitter links).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
That was a cheap improvement for NYY. Headley isn’t an impact bat but hes a improvement over their current options.
Have they improved that much? Genuinely asking. I mean, if Headley plays anything like he did a few years ago, it’s a definite improvement. But this year, Headley and Solarte aren’t that far apart in WAR and Solarte is still a rookie (albeit an older one).
Except Solarte’s WAR was based on his hot start in April and May. Had he been allowed to continue playing through his June/July slump (.164/.282/.213) his WAR would have quickly dropped. Headley on the other hand has been hitting much better since slumping badly to begin the season.
Solarte’s value died out at the end of may, at least Headley has the chance of being less bad more consistently. He’s also better with the glove.
Pointless.
Already he’s gotten them one win. Unless he plays to a negative war the rest of the season the trade has already paid dividends.
The glove’s a big part of it. The Yankees infield defense has been atrocious this season and now they have two ground ball pitchers in their current rotation, with Brandon McCarthy and Shane Greene. For that reason alone, Headley should help. And if he doesn’t hit, well, then he’ll fit right in with Kelly Johnson.
Fair price I suppose.
Can he pitch?
-Brian Cashman
Looking forward to see what Headley can do with a change of scenery.
Only 3 years late too!
Imagine how lopsided the trade potentially would’ve turned out had Headley been traded for a trio of solid prospects in 2012. Of course, Headley might’ve played better elsewhere and the prospects might’ve failed miserably…who knows.
umm. typo here. The Yankees have acquired Chase Headley from the Yankees. Whaaaa?
3 team deal?
The third team is also the Yankees
next big deal: Yankees have acquired the San Diego Padres organization for a player to be named later
Y-you’re c-crazy, the Yankees never go in-house for a solution!!
The Yankees should learn to never deal with the Yankees, they overhype themselves.
I really hope the Yankees get to keep Derek Jeter in that deal.
Nope, sorry, from what I hearing, Jeter’s going to the Yankees in the deal.
Are Solarte and DePaula any good? Curious to find out.
Solarte had a decent ML streak for a little while and then went cold.
Cold is an understatement.
Is Headley any good?
I actually like Headley as a buy low. I wouldn’t have minded the Dodgers signing him this offseason if they don’t extend Hanley. Headley really crushed the ball at Dodger Stadium with the Padres.
Yeah I was just at game he took Kershaw deep to break up the streak. Kershaw is a MAN among boys! As a Yankee fan this is an upgrade. He came cheap and is batting well over 300 in July. So who knows? In a lineup that has protection all over the place he might find his groove. At worst he’s better than what they had offensively and definitely defensively. I like it-Now get Cliff Lee and try to catch lighting in a bottle so at the least Jeter can go out in the Playoffs….
I went and checked his splits. He walks more on the road, hits .050 points lower and has less slugging. Maybe Yankees Stadium will be good for him. Maybe not.
I’m sure it will be marginally better.. but he played in Petco not Yosemite… this idea that a move will resurrect his career is a little extreme.
The point I was getting at was he hit better at Petco. He will be going to a better team, that may help. Still, Headley likely won’t be that good. I’m glad for the Yankees. Maybe Headley does well, the Yankees extend him and then he tanks again. I hope they sign him to 6 years.
Solarte started the season showing a lot of promise and petered off a bit. But if that can be recovered he’s under contract through the 2019 season, whereas Headley walks at the end of this year. Not a bad swap for San Diego.
Solarte is a backup infielder when all is said and done, and DePaula actually has some upside as a pitcher, though he’s still in high A.
DePaula will likely end up as a late inning reliever with some control issues. Albeit he’s still being tried in the rotation. Good stuff. Not so good command.
No.
Visa issues for like 2 years wrecked De Paula’s development.
DePaula’s got some decent stuff but he’s 23 and only at High-A ball. He missed some time because it can be hard to get a visa to get into the country when you’re using a false identity (I’m serious–you can’t make this stuff up. He ACTUALLY missed development time due to that). He maybe projects long term as a reliever.
He started out very hot, but then he’s sunk into the lost look you expect from rookies. Basically pitchers are throwing him junk and he’s chasing. He hasn’t adjusted yet. Maybe he won’t? Who knows.
Yankees in on John Danks
Didn’t know the Yankees could trade with themselves.
You know the baseball world has changed when the Padres are sending the Yankees money.
It’s more indicative of how little Headley is actually worth.
The Padres AND the Diamondbacks (for Brandon McCarthy), I believe.
Seems like a pretty poor return for the Padres. Headley isn’t having a good year but still, a career minor leaguer (solarte) and a guy pitching poorly in high a? Bad move for the Friars.
Headley is broken and awful.
Which is why I said from the start that this trade is bad for the Yankees and I’ll stand by that unless Headley has a great turnaround. For now, “Cashman Failed”. (It’s a quote that is said on Yankee blogs)
I agree. I wonder what the Padres wanted from the Jays.
They said free Headley and the jays said take Sergio santos! The padres said nope now here we are.
I’ll stand by my opinion unless I have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight! That’s bold.
Cashman failed at failing.
Cashman being Costanza
I think Solarte is more than a career minor leaguer. He could easily be a bench player or a platoon guy in 1-2 years.
Solarte had one good month. He is a 27 year old “prospect” with no upside at all.
yeah in two years? I was gonna say, he’s 27 already.
Headley can’t handle the pressure of playing in San Diego. This change of scenery to New York should give him a chance to relax and find himself.
Actually, if they weren’t going to sign him then “a career minor leaguer (solarte) and a guy pitching poorly in high a” are better then a poor hitting 3B leaving for nothing. Get what you can while something is on offer. If nothing else it’s a new opportunity for Headley.
“Headley can’t handle the pressure of playing in San Diego.”
Oh yes, because we all know New York is a much lower pressured environment than San Diego.
I believe your sarcasm detector is broken. Get it fixed ASAP, or you won’t survive the internet.
It doesn’t seem like CrisE was using sarcasm. You have to realize, sarcasm is not always easy to detect on the internet, as tone of voice usually helps distinguish whether or not sarcasm was intended. Not everyone on the internet thinks the same way, and many people say stuff that should be sarcastic when they are really serious.
Also, my “sarcasm detector” is not broken. I think I can survive being on the internet…
Yes, I understand how sarcasm works. However, you’re still the only one that didn’t think CrisE was not using sarcasm haha. And now you’re addressing my comment seriously.
You, sir, have already lost to the internet.
In San Diego he was one of the poster kids. In NY he’s just one of the bunch. That’s less pressure.
We all know that the minute they leave San Diego, whether it be the chargers or padres, they go on to have much better success, even eventually winning a championship like a few others have done.
Disagree. It is half a year, and Headley has been pretty awful this year. The fact that they got an interesting prospect isn’t that bad for them.
This would’ve been huge news about three years ago.
And the best thing about this, the yankees pretty well get a guaranteed extension with the deal. Good going Alex, top of your game sir. Another player off the market. But oh wait, maybe the Jays can get Denorfia, because a bench player will really turn the tides.
Why would you want to extend Headley?
Agreed. He is a rental for the rest of the season to fill in the infield. His bat is mediocre at best, but he can play 3rd decently.
I doubt New York would extend Headley since they have A-rod back for next season. As much as Yankees fans want to forget about him, he’s still in the picture for their future. He’s not going anywhere.
Do you think A-Rod will actually be able to serve as a full-time 3B? Will the Yankees want him at that point (not just necessarily for performance reasons)? Will he stay healthy? There are a million questions with A-Rod, and while Headley definitely isn’t the answer, he could help in a pinch.
The real question is, are the Yankees willing to pay ARod 20 million dollars to go away.
Edit: sorry 21 million in 2015
Even if the Yankees find some magical way of getting rid of A-rod, don’t you think Cashman would go after Hanley Ramirez to play third? Headley has been pretty mediocre the last couple seasons.
I’d love to see Ramirez come over. He is an excellent player who I think could do great in Yankee Stadium. The point I’m trying to make is that pretty much the entirety of the infield (perhaps with the exception of Tex at 1B) is a big question mark next season. Its hard to imagine everything falling neatly into place and having a perfectly good 3B hanging around hoping for an extension can’t hurt.
Who is this perfectly good 3B hanging around the Yankees?
I’m referring to Headley. He isn’t anything special, but he is better than a platoon composed of Kelly Johnson and whatever minor leaguer happens to be having a good month.
With Solarte only having one good month, his season has still been better than Healey as a whole. Headley is a below average player.
If we are going to make arguments based on small sample sizes and short-term trends, Solarte’s numbers are basically boosted by one good month. Headley’s stuff has steadily improved since March.
They’d put him at SS for a year just to have a big name transition away from Jeter.
Agree. If the Yanks cut A-Rod and extend Headley, then I think its a downgrade. A-Rod is old and broken, but I still think he’s a decent bet to hit .280 and hit 20 HRs if he can stay even reasonably healthy (ie. 120 games).
Not sure that Headley can produce that.
This is going to sound crazy, but I’d rather have ARod than Headley.
They’re both not that good now, so why waste more money on Headley? Spend it on the rotation.
How are the Yankees pretty well get a guaranteed extension with the deal? The Yankees have A-rod coming back next year and for better or worse he will play 3B.
A-Rod isn’t coming back. Even if he does, the Yanks are signing Headley.
“The Yankees have acquired Chase Headley from the Yankees” Hope they really stuck it to themselves, make em pay!
DePaula has a live arm but hasn’t be able to put to together consistently… might make a good bullpen guy down the road, but at this point, those guys seem to be a dime a dozen coming out of the farm system.
Solarte was a nice story but headley should be an improvement, hopefully gets a boost playing for a contender and playing in the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium
Yankee fans no longer have to hear John Sterling’s annoying “SO-LAAAR-TAAAAY” homer celebration. What will the celebration for Headley be? Will he actually homer?
I heard someone on the YES network once say “Never nervous Yangervis” and a part of me died that day
Sterling said that about 10 times per game, now he says “Never jealous Zelous.” Even the old woman next to him was dumbfounded.
I’m still waiting for Sterling to get the note that when a player misses a ball in the field, it is called an error, not an era.
Headley has hit about .333 in Yankee Stadium. That short LF porch will mean lots of HR for Headley.
over 45 games or so? Lets say he hits one every 4 games, that is still only 11.. and that seems unrealistic…
4-12 in 3 games isn’t enough of a sample size to say one way or another. It’s also different playing for the Yankees. Over the years several good players have gone to the Yankees and succumbed to the pressures of playing in New York.
What an absolutely terrible trade for the Yankees.
Solarte – .254/.337.381, wRC+ of 100, cost controlled for 6 years
Headley – .229/.296/.355, wRC+ of 88, free agent in 3+ months
Not to mention a pretty decent minor league pitcher too.
Padres hosed the Yankees and they don’t even have a GM yet
EDIT – A pitcher who has done pretty decent in the minors. Fixed.
If De Paula is considered a “pretty decent minor league pitcher” then My God, the Yankees have low standards.
I should have said a guy who has done pretty decent in the minors.
My point still stands, this is an awful trade for NY
decent might not even get you to the majors
Pretty good stuff, decent, whatever you would like me to say. Right now I”m just ticked off. Cashman got hosed by a team that doesn’t even have a GM.
You’re the definition of a fan overvaluing his teams prospects. Solarte was a great story but nothing more. And De Paula will ultimately end up as a middle reliever. If headley can bounce back just a little, the Yankees got a steal.
This. Guys like Solarte are available every single off-season for just money. DePaula is a future bullpen guy in New York, at best. It’s a trade you make.
Exactly. And I’m a Yankees fan. Haha. De Paula was ranked 15th of the top 20 prospects at the beginning of the season (not even that good) and I can’t say he’d even be in my top 20 at this point.
And this is just when compared to guys already in the system — it says nothing about the free agents that are going to be brought in.
“DePaula is a future bullpen guy in New York”
As if that’s a bad thing? Do I need to remind of you Betances? (not comparing the 2, just mentioning 1 starter who couldn’t last as one and then eventually turned into an AS. Not saying that will happen with De Paula, don’t get me wrong).
Yeah, Betances. And Robertson. And Warren. And Whitley.
Producing pitchers for the bullpen hasn’t been an issue for New York.
Betances had sustained success up to AA Trenton and couldn’t keep his stuff strong a third time thru the order on a consistent basis. De Paula is already struggling at High A and never had the stuff Betances had from the get go. Far different scenarios
The only ones overvaluing are you and others. You are overvaluing Headley.
I never said Solarte was good. I said he is average (for this year). Headley is not average, he is below average (offensively) this season. I don’t care what happened in 2012. Do I need to point out how many players careers have stunk 1 or 2 years after an AS/MVP caliber season?
Ok. So you’ve got two players. Player A and Player B. Player A had a hot start but has never sustained success in the MLB and has cooled considerably (enough to get demoted). Player B had a cold start but has looked competent at the plate recently and has also had a fair amount of success in the MLB in recent years. Who do you take?
How about some additional info for you.
Player A is a rookie who has played average baseball for his career and Player B is a FA in 2+ months who has had a terrible season with the bat
Again, you are Overvaluing Headley. That’s my point.
Player A is a 27 year old rookie who has spent 8 seasons in the minor leagues. Was never highly touted from the get go and you had never heard of him before spring training 2014. I hope you’re not actually a Yankees fan, you’re making us look bad…
You look WAY too much on past performances to predict present/future outcomes. You cannot argue that Headley has been the worse player in 2014, and the Yankees are fighting to keep their 2014 season alive with the player who has been the weaker hitter. (Though I won’t argue a bit better in recent weeks).
You are consistently overlooking the dramatic difference in defensive play.
I’m not saying Headley is going to come to Yankee stadium and hit 20 bombs while hitting .300. I’m saying of the two, I’d take Headleys chances of playing well over Solartes chances of playing well 95% of the time. And as everyone’s said, the defense is a vast improvement. And infield d has obviously been a bit of concern…
No, he isn’t. If you’re so hard up for a 27 year old with 6 years of team control, don’t worry, Zelous Wheeler is still on the roster.
Hey now. Wheeler knows what he’s doing with the glove at least. Haha. Damn near three web gems last night alone. (Made two of the plays, ate the last one rather than potentially throwing it away)
Lol I went to that game, when Greene threw that pitch 20 feet in the air, every jaw in that stadium dropped.
Solarte was good for 6 weeks…he’s been horrible since. So calling him “average” is a bit of a stretch.
It’s not an awful trade, though. A league average hitter who doesn’t play credible infield defense and a future bullpen guy for one of the better defensive third baseman in the sport? Even with Headley’s subpar offensive showing this year and the back issues, you make this trade every time.
Well he was a ranked prospect in their farm system..
So were Eric Duncan and Brandon Weeden.
That was kind of my point.. for example, number five in the yankees farm system equates to what in a decent farm system?
Awesome. I’m glad every comment I attempt to reply to this with is deemed unacceptable. Figures.
He’d be number five. In all but the worst of teams/ best of farms. I’ll leave it at that because everything else I say is being rejected.
So Slade Heathcott (according to fangraphs in feb) ranked #5 then. And you are telling me, he would be number 5 in the Cubs or cardinals farm system? Or even a team like the Orioles? Where does the yankees farm system rank? BP had them at 23/30 recently..
Don’t believe everything you read. I wouldn’t even put Heathcott in the top 10. Let alone the top 5. I would consider the Cubs to be in the always losing so they have a good farm category. As for the cardinals, I’d probably slot him in at 7 behind Tavares, Piscotty, Kaminsky, Gonzales, Reyes and Ramsey if you see those to be their top 6.
I can give you a full list of where he’d slot on other teams if you’d like so we don’t have to keep playing this game.
Chase is traditionally a better second half hitter and battled injuries earlier this season. He has already been hitting the ball a lot better in July than earlier this season. Also, it’s not like the Yankees are trading away an All-Star is Solarte.
You’re right, Solate is far from an all star but at least he has done well hitting this year at the ML level, something Headley has not
You can bring up his great defense if you want, I won’t argue that, but the Yankees should improve Offense over defense.
Solarte was literally worthless after his hot start. Played poor defensively, and didn’t hit.
Okay but my point still stands about Headley on offense. He’s done worse than Solarte this year. Explain to me how that is incorrect.
He’s done worse collectively over the season but Solarte hit .164 in June and .118 (in limited time since he was demoted in June). He fell off hard after a great start.
Headley is hitting .323 in July. He’s improving after a rough start. Headley is also a proven commodity moving from a pitchers park to a hitters park. Solarte is a 27 year old minor league veteran who was never a prospect.
Fair enough, still a bad trade IMO from New York.
I guess the only way we will know for sure is if Headley produces and if DePaula ever becomes something useful
The gap between Headley’s offense this year and Solarte’s isn’t all that significant. Headley can probably close it with a halfway decent August. On the defensive side, they aren’t comparable players. Solarte, if we’re being honest, is a borderline unplayable third baseman.
Ouch, you make Solarte sound like Eduardo Nunez haha.
Solarte has played what, 6 games in the past month? He is hitting .105 over that time period. On the Yankees broadcast yesterday they said he had hit .160 in June.
Headley had an injection directly into his spine to stop the pain of a herniated disc in mid June and since then has hit over .300. Headley played in the toughest park and division in baseball to get a hit in. Solarte in one of the easiest. Headley is an offensive improvement.
Solarte is a career minor leaguer that will be a filler until the Padres make another trade or bring up Galvez.
“Solarte has played what, 6 games in the past month? He is hitting .105 over that time period”
6 games, what a strong sample size that is. Look I won’t argue Solarte has been bad since April/early May, but Headley has been bad (Offensively) the whole season. Sure he’s done okay in recent weeks, I won’t argue that, but he will be a Yankee for 3 months and the Padres will have control of Solarte who as of now has done about average in the majors, like most players, and will have him for 5 more years assuming they don’t release or trade him that is of course.
Solarte was demoted to AAA because he hit .164 in June. He only played 6 games in the last month because he was playing so poorly.
Headley has hit .300 since having an injection in his spine to reduce pain in mid June. .300 is not okay. Its awesome. Headley played in Petco. Petco is one of the hardest parks in baseball to get a hit in and the hardest for a lefty to get a hr in. Yankee stadium is one of the easiest for both hits and hrs for lefties.
Solarte is a career minor leaguer who would not even be playing in the majors if not for the Arod situation. He will probably be back in the minors by the end of the season if the Padres decide to bring up a player with some real potential or make another trade.
I get your point and it’s a fair one. There are late bloomers who have had some success. Daniel Nava didn’t get to the majors until he was 28 or so and though he was hardly a star he proved able to contribute at times, a guy worth having around, and cheap. Doesn’t mean Solarte will pan out. But the Padres aren’t going anywhere this year so what do they have to lose? It’s not unprecedented. Far from a sure thing though.
I wouldn’t necessarily point to the fact that the guy has been playing with a herniated disk as evidence his ability to hit in spite of that makes him a good trade target. Don’t the Yankees have enough injured guys?
The Yankees are hoping they might get lucky, that a change scenery might help this guy. I guess it’s worth a try. But I’ll be surprised if this deal makes much difference. They are hoping to catch some old lightning in a bottle here. I don’t know if going older and more brittle is really the smartest thing for them though.
The point is that after getting the epidural he has not had the pain and has hit very well.
Yeah, but you have to cross your fingers he’s going to STAY healthy. If he’s been battling injuries you can’t count on that. More risk involved, especially since he’s just a rental.
Headley’s 30 years old. How is that getting older? Have you seen the Yankees roster? He will be considered a rookie on that squad haha.
Haha-true.
I wouldn’t exactly want Solarte for 6 years.
I dont think the Padres do either. He is a filler until Galvez is brought up or another trade is made. It is evidence that the Padres dont believe Gyorko can man 3B.
Even though most scouts project DePaula as a late inning bullpen guy, he still has the potential to be a solid starter. I guess that’s worth the risk.
Have you ever taken a look at park factors for those two parks? .254 at Yankee Stadium and the Al East is actually hitting less than .229 in Petco and the NL West. Solarte has played only a handful of games in the past month because he is hitting about .100 over that time.
DePaula is stinking it up at A+ ball at 23 years old. Not much of a prospect.
In my opinion the Padres made this move because they don’t believe Gyorko can play 3B and they want a MLB ready player to fill the position until they can find a permanent solution. Solarte isnt a long term solution, Headley would have been gone after the season and there is no one close on the Padres farm other than possibly Galvez.
“Have you ever taken a look at park factors for those two parks?”
Of course I have, but now check this out:
Headley at Petco – .250/.303/.357
Headley Away – .209//290/.353
That’s this season in which he’s been riddled with injuries. Over the past 3 years .290/.377/.491
Because what happens in years past tells us the present and future right?
Imagine in 2011 if you said in a few years, 1 team’s rotation will be Sabathia, Romero, Verlander, Peavy, Dickey.
Imagine in 2011 if you said your CF will be Matt Kemp in a couple of years (the Matt Kemp who is ranked 91st out of 92 OFers in WAR the past 2 seasons).
If you don’t read into past info when you’re acquiring players you aren’t doing your job.
Imagine in 2011 you said in a few years the Padres would trade Chase Headley for Solarte and Depaula… Padres fans would laugh and say who.
You’re just helping me prove my point even further! The past is the PAST.
You aren’t understanding that the past has a basis for the present and the future…
And you aren’t understanding that many things change in a very short 1-2 year span
Again, this isn’t about the loss of Solarte, it’s about the “gain” of a below average offensive player.
His WAR is high because of his defense and no arguing that it’s great. I’m still trying to figure out why you bring his 2012 season to predict how the rest of 2014 will go, as opposed to say……his first half of the 2014 season.
I didn’t. You did. I said over the past 3 seasons which INCLUDES this season hes hit .290/.377/.491 on the road.
WAR is WAR, no matter where it comes from it still results in wins for the team. And he’s moving to arguably the best hitters park in baseball, with people who get on base in front of him, and he’s someone whose historically a 2nd half hitter.
Park Factors – Yankee Stadium
Runs – 20th
Hits – 11th
HR – 2nd
2B – 23rd
It’s debatable, but nonthelss, I’ve already pointed out he’s done better at Petco this year than he has away.
3 months is not a trend nor anything you should base predictions on. 7 seasons of a consistent pattern is a trend. For those 7+ seasons in the majors for Headley its .286 on the road vs .243 at Petco.
This season Petco is the 26th hardest place to get a hit.
Runs – 26th
HR – 26th
2B – 25th
See a pattern there?
When it comes to park factors there is a 11.7% difference in how difficult it is to get a hit in Petco vs how hard it is to get a hit in the new Yankee Stadium. If a guy is hitting .300 in Yankee stadium that means that according to park factors he will hit roughly .265 in Petco. Lets round it down to only a 10% difference. That means .300 in new Yankee Stadium is about .270 in Petco.
Hope that makes it easier to understand.
It is easy to understand, but did you miss or forget the part where I said Headley has hit better At Petco than Away this year? His Away numbers are awful.
That ranks Headley 4th in MLB among players that have at least 350 games (home and away) at 3B over the 2012-2014 seasons. In other words full time 3B for all three seasons.
You cant enlighten those who chose to stay in the dark. They WANT to believe what they believe DESPITE the facts. You can lead a pig to water, but you cant make him drink.
“That’s this season in which he’s been riddled with injuries”
Which hurts his value even more.
Which is why he was given up for nothing… and he still has 0.7 more WAR than Solarte.
Because of great defense, not offense.
Does that not tell you how bad Solarte is?
This. This. This.
Solarte is borderline unplayable at 3B. If he isn’t hitting above a league average level, he probably isn’t even a bench player in the majors.
No it tells me how bad Headley is offensively this year. I don’t understand what’s confusing about that. I also don’t understand why you’re putting words in my mouth by me saying Solarte is great offensively. He isn’t. But he’s done better in 2014 offensively and the Yankees are fighting for their 2014 season.
Bring up his defense if you want, you have the right to, it’s great, their biggest concern is their sub-par bats, something Headley has had this year (I know you or Federal League will bring up his recent stretch which has been good), but for the 1000th time, my point still stands
Solarte in 2014 > Headley in 2014 (offensively).
I’ll just quote Dave Cameron on this:
“But we often overreact to extreme in-season results, and so projection systems that include multiple years of data help remind us to see the bigger picture. And those projections really like Headley.”
“Over the rest of the season, Fangraphs expects Headley to produce 1.4 Wins Above Replacement. For comparison, All-Star Todd Frazier is projected for just 1.2 Wins Above Replacement going forward. Would the Yankees be excited to add Todd Frazier for the stretch run? I think they would. And maybe they just did.”
Also, I never said you said Solarte was great offensively. Anywhere.
That one year where he was healthy and an MVP candidate totally skew’s those numbers and you’re not even trying to cover it up.
He has a back in need of surgery so don’t expect him to be popping 50 jacks just because he’s in New York.
That doesn’t change the fact that he’s been at worst a 3 WAR player even ignoring his 2012 season since 2010.
So you expect a man with broken back to provide 3WAR? Otherwise bringing up past performances makes no sense since you’re not going to see a healthy Chase Headley.
Also you do realize just by hitting in the top of the order and playing third base that an average .250/.300/.450 hitter can provide lots of WAR right? Evan Longoria’s currently providing 2.1WAR despite having a .720OPS and a negative defensive WAR.
Take a look at this:
Headley at Petco – .243/.331/.372
Headley Away – .286/.360/.444
Headley at Yankee Stadium – .333/.333/.667
Headley is a HUGE offensive improvement over Solarte.
Because career numbers mean everything for the remainder of the active season. My goodness.
I’m telling you right now man, your Pads won this deal.
Ok lets talk about current performance. Solarte was demoted to AAA in early July because he hasnt hit since May or played good defense. Headley has hit .300 over the past month since having an injection into his spine for pain.
That is NOW, not the past. Headley is hitting and playing good defense NOW and He has a proven history as a 2nd half hitter.
Solarte was sitting because he can do neither.
That is what is currently happening.With Headley there is at least a possibility that he will play well and hit well the rest of the season. Solarte, not so much.
Those Solarte numbers are a bit misleading. It really depends on which Solarte is the real one. If he can hit ~.250 and be a utility guy then it’s a good return. If he’s going to hit down in the .200-.220 range it’s basically a push. But I guess it’s something that the worst case of this deal is a push for San Diego.
Just moving to Petco will lower his BA by 20 points or more.
Quite possibly. I don’t follow the Pads much, but does he become a starter on their team, like the new 3B, or will he be on the bench?
Until Gyorko returns he will probably be the starter. After that probably a utility guy. The Padres have the likes of Alexi Amarista, Chris Nelson and Brooks Conrad starting right now, so even Solarte is a step up at 3B. Sad but true.
Okay, Headley isn’t a great player, especially not this year. However, I feel the Yankees win the trade because they sold high on the hot start Solarte had to the season. And included a bullpen pitcher. Both of those guys were expendable. And we received a third baseman who could, potentially (& hopefully), return to a player closer to his former self.
If he doesn’t… then so be it. Solarte and De Paula were not going to be a part of the Yankees future anyway.
EDIT: I shouldn’t say “win” the trade. Let’s say they didn’t lose it. Most likely, no team wins this trade.
I think you’re just upset because you bought a Solarte replica jersey.
Haha. Nah.
I wish Headley the best but as a Padre fan I’m ready to move on. I remember how excited I was when he got called up and was at his first game at Petco Park. He is a good defender but can’t consistently produce. You should see a few more left handed home runs from him in Yankee stadium (just like any other player who plays there) but he will never produce like he did at the end of 2012.
This is just a smoke screen to make us forget that A-Rod comes back next year.
Many Yankee fans will look at the depth chart next year and simultaneously go “DOH!”
To be fair he still puts up decent offensive numbers. Not sure what he will be like after a year off, but jeez he isn’t the worst thing in the world.
I wonder what is going to happen when he gets hit 3000 next year…going to be pretty awkward. Does MLB acknowledge it? I gotta imagine they do, but I could see them not.
He may in fact be the worst thing in the world. It’s just he might also still be able to play baseball.
I think the deal is pretty even steven. Yankees get a potentially decent hitter in Yankee Stadium and a very good defensive third baseman. The Padres get a decent utility guy with 6 years of control and a minor league pitcher with good stuff, and they get it for a guy they weren’t going to resign anyway.
What is wrong with Solarte? Not expensive enough, not old enough? his stats are at least equal to Headley. Headley has gotten some serious mileage form one outlier year that will never happen again.
On a similar note, many would say the Solarte has just been riding a hot first month.
While that’s true, Headley has been pretty bad like the whole season.
this trade has NOTHING to do with offensive stats. it’s about Headley’s defense. plain and simple.
While the Yankees defense has been bad, their offense needs improvement. They lost the better Offensive player (in 2014) in this trade.
I agree, but offense matters as well. Otherwise we would have seen a lot more starts by Brendan Ryan
So the Yankees don’t care about offensive production?
Headley has hit over .300 for the last month and played daily while Solarte has been sitting most of the time because he was hitting about .100.
Why give up Solarte?? He showed potential. I don’t think 1yr of Chase is worth a future stud.
Future stud, Solarte had one good month.
Stud? Lol he had a good April and May and that’s it. Probably was doing as bad as Soriano from June and on
Solarte is a 27 year old “prospect” who has never been regarded as having major league potential, and has bounced around the minors from team to team and only made the major league roster due to Alex Rodriguez being suspended. He had one hot month and went on to bat below the Mendoza line since June. He is far from a “future stud”
Not even a year, only half a year. Though Solarte is not a future stud. Probably average at best, but average is something Headley is not today (offensively).
Really only 64 games(40%) of a year.
Really only 64 games(40%) of a year.
Looks like Chase will need to shave before he puts on the pinstripes.
While I think the Yankees are two years late on Headley, they really didn’t give up much for him. Solarte has looked terrible since April.
anytime the Yankees get another team to send them money, you know they won the deal. Their payroll is roughly $203 mill, the Padres $90 mill … but the Padres are the ones sending $ to the Yankees
The Padres are still ultimately saving money though… Headley has like $4mil left on his deal, so the Padres payroll is decreasing by $3mil (less whatever Solarte’s prorated minimum salary is now), and Yankees’ going up by 3mil.
The Padres are still ultimately saving money though… Headley has like $4mil left on his deal, so the Padres payroll is decreasing by $3mil (less whatever Solarte’s prorated minimum salary is now), and Yankees’ going up by 3mil.
Does this mean I get to see less Zealous Wheeler. If so YAY!
Also #FreeZolio!
Well, I supposed it could have been worse, but trading for a 30+ infielder who seems to be on the decline doesn’t exactly float my boat. A-Rod just called his lawyers. Who hung up, because he hasn’t paid them yet.
Wow! Headly needs to be very, very good in NY, otherwise his career will be finished, like many, many other players….
Headley is only 30 and has been an MLB regular 6 seasons. He probably will never replicate his 2012 season but he will have no problem finding a job this off-season regardless of how he plays in NY.
“The Yankees have acquired Chase Headley from the Yankees, according to Jon Heyman… ” really? They traded Chase and they acquired Chase…amazing 😉
Pretty good buy low by the yanks will get great defense maybe above average offense. Padres kicking themselves for not trading him when he actually had value.
Deal is official; press releases sent out by both teams.
In related news, the entire Padres team combined predicted to knock in roughly 25 more runs the rest of the year.
That seems like a pretty reasonable total for the Padres.
Steve updated the article without changing the Yankees to Padres.
Maybe the Yanks can trade with themselves?
If it gets them below the Luxury Tax line, I’m for it.
Steve updated the article without changing the Yankees to Padres.
Maybe the Yanks can trade with themselves?
I wonder what the Padres would have gotten immediately after that monster year he had
High end prospects from another team.
I believe Texas would have packaged a deal around a young, promising infielder named Yangervis Solarte.
Solarte was never a promising infielder for Rangers. Not even top 30 in their system.
From what most of the Yankee fans are saying below it sounds like they would be lucky to get this stud named Solarte instead of the Solarte that was good for all of 1 month.
Years back maybe they could have traded him for some studs Brandon Wood or Mark Trumbo.
Mark Trumbo was never a ranked prospect, he came out of nowhere when Kendrys Morales broke his leg. Then the Angels wisely sold high on Trumbo.
My mistake man, I gotta be thinking of someone else.
Yankees have acquired Chase Headley from the Yankees. In other news, the Yankees also acquired Derek Jeter from the Yankees.
Typos happen! =P
Plus, Cashman is a wiley dude, he might have two teams with the money they make, 1.) The Yankees and 2.) Yankees Holding Corp.
So, it’s possible.
As a Yanks fan, I’m just thankful for the opportunity to see an actual major league third baseman man the position for once this year.
I still feel good about Headley. I think he will do well for the Yankees. I know the splits aren’t great for him even being poor away from Petco, but going to a competitive team and not having to worry about being traded may do wonders for him.
Only thing is Headley didn’t do anything away from Petco either.
Hitting .286 away with 50% more home runs vs .243 at home is nothing? Bitter much?
Padres got hosed. They could have gotten a better deal if they waited a few more days.
Padres got hosed. They could have gotten a better deal if they waited a few more days.
Wow, I guess we know who the Padres’ daddy is. At least they could have gotten a prospect who was actually halfway decent, like Severino.
Severino? Be serious.
lol we agree on this. Sorry on the argument before but I guess that’s one of the many things that makes baseball great huh?
Rather we just kept him for the rest of the year instead of two scrubs.
Keep him and get nothing or trade him for something…. seems like an easy choice to me.
He’s a guy that I’m not sure would’ve taken the QO or would’ve been offered one. He’s had a rough couple seasons after his breakout but I’m sure he’s thinking he might be able to get a good LT deal in a better park. Not sure he would’ve accepted a QO and have to go back to San Diego and have another poor season.
He’s a risky player to offer a QO to for both the team and the player
Looks like we got nothing
Solarte is not a scrub. DePaula has an upside fastball. Good trade.
Solarte is a bench player
Headley should be one based on his offensive production, which by the way, had been less than Solarte’s
Had Solarte kept playing as a regular in June and July his stats would be a lot lower
Something we won’t ever know. Doesn’t matter now though.
Not really. Headley is hitting really well since he got that injection in his spine, over .300. Solarte has been a career minor leaguer who had one hot month this year and has stunk it up since then. He has done so poorly that the Yankees demoted him briefly in early July and he has only started 6 games in the past month hitting about .100.
Solarte is pretty much a scrub. 8 years in the minors. Hit .164 in June and .100 over the past month. He had one really good month and then started declining as pitchers learned his weaknesses. DePaula is old for A+ ball at 23 and stinking it up after being even worse last year. I would say that Solarte is filler until the Padres can make another trade or find someone on the farm that can play 3B. Maybe Galvez? The one thing we can say for sure from this is that they would not have made this trade if they thought Gyorko could play 3B.
If the Yankees are willing to give Headley a chance, we lose nothing at giving Solarte an opportunity. I still believe Balsley can bring DePaula to life. I wish I can say that about Plantier and Solarte.
The Yankees lose nothing by sending Solarte away. He hasnt been playing and when he has he has not hit since mid May. Headley on the other had has been really hot for the past month.
DePaula had a 6 ERA last season and at an age that most good prospects are in AA or AAA, DePaula is repeating A+ ball and has an ERA in the mid 4s.
According to Baseball reference, Solarte is hitting at .254. where is Headley hitting?
They wont post my answer so you will just have to wait 24 hours until they get to it.
Solarte .100 over past month, 6 games started and demoted to AAA for a week. Headley .300 for the past month and played everyday.
Park factors Petco is 10% harder to get a hit in and 80% harder to hit a HR for lefties. So just take 25 points off Solartes BA.
Not when Headley’s avg gets lower away from Petco. At home he’s batting .250. Away he’s batting .209 I guess your wrong there.
You are talking about part of one season. You can keep arguing, but it wont make you right.
Headley has hit .286 away vs .243 at home over the past 8 seasons. That is a 46 point difference. That has been consistent throughout his career with the exception of a 3 month period in 2014. So when it comes to trends like that, what should I believe is going to happen going forward? 3 months or 8 seasons? You can do what you like. I am going to believe that the long term trend will hold up.
Harder for lefties? Aren’t Seth Smith’s power #’s respectable for a lefty? Headley has hit more home runs batting against RH pitchers. Wrong again sir.
You may want to check again. You are spouting a single player to try to prove a point, not how a park plays.
The Park Factors are this – Petco for HR – 0.813 Yankee Stadium for HR – 1.649. Park factors are based on 1.00 being league average or 100%. So that is an 83.6% difference in how difficult it is to hit HRs between the two parks.
And OF COURSE Headley has hit more home runs against RHP, he has FACED more RHP by a 2.5 to 1 ratio, but he only has twice the home runs. That is because he has hit a higher percentage of home runs off LHP. 1 hr every 39 AB vs RHP and 1 ever 34 AB against LHP. I don’t mind debating something, but at least look up the stats before you call me wrong.
Scrubs
Here is the bottom line of this trade: The Yankees and their fans hope Headley will return to his 2012 form ; possible but not likely. The Padres were through with Headley and acquired two players with some possibilities. Solarte has shown flashes of good play and DePaula has an upside fastball. I believe there is more potential for success for the Padres.
He doesn’t need to hit like he did in 2012 to be an upgrade for New York.
which is a sad comment. I think the same could be said about the Padres 3rd base position.
Headley’s 2012 was not a normal offensive season for a 3B in the major leagues. Most 3B, despite the position’s reputation as a home for power hitters, are not hitting 31 homers. If you’re going in expecting that as “normal” and everything that isn’t a 30 homer season is “sad”, you’re looking at the game from an unrealistic and skewed position.
Headley immediately improves a bad infield defense. If he gets a power boost from the short porch, even better.
Couple years too late Padres.
While this seems like a win for the Yankees, is it enough to win their division? 4 back with 64 to play isn’t a huge deficit, but outside of 2012 Headley has been kinda bleh.
No. But no one said it’s the only move they’re making.
That’s true, but how many potential impact players are available?
It also seems,from what I have been reading, is the fact that what NY needs (top line Pitching) will cost more that what they have available to offer. Is this true? What other options can they need that is more obtainable?
Tons, but one would have to ask if the Yankees have the pieces needed to acquire them.
They’ve got the pieces to acquire Cliff Lee who is probably the 2nd best SP on the market, assuming Price is available. They’ve probably got the pieces to get Price, but it would be extremely costly and probably not worth it unless he agrees to an extension before completing the trade. At this point with 9 days until the deadline that seems unlikely.
I don’t see how the Yankees could land Price. Lee, maybe, with a big part of the allure being that they can take a lot (or all) of the contract.
If the Yankees offered Sanchez, Severino, Judge and Jagielo that would probably be enough. If I were the Yankees I wouldn’t make that move. Price is a helluva pitcher, but he’s done that with the small market Rays and his postseason track record isn’t exactly a selling point.
First off I don’t see the Rays trading in the division with Price. The Rays always look for top talent for a player like that, and the Yankees don’t have it. They got a top ten prospect in Myers, for Shields who was older and not as good a pitcher. As for Lee, it’s a big if as to whether he is healthy enough to still be considered the 2nd best available arm on the market. The Yankees best option there is to hope the Phillies are willing to sell low on Lee. They may be as RAJ doesn’t always make the best decisions, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. The Yankees certainly aren’t in a position to make the best offer for Lee. They’ll probably get Danks which would be an upgrade, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on Price or Lee.
The Yankees are the ultimate of getting something for nothing.
Any other team would have had to give up at least a “B” prospect
Makes no sense. You think the price was bigger for every team but NYY?
Yankees can afford to take on these players salaries where most teams cannot and in return the yankees give up lesser prospects
He’s owed around $4MM for the rest of the year and SD is covering about a quarter of it.
they also are talking about Dank who is owed roughly 33 million no way are most teams taking on that contract
It’s not because they can’t afford Danks, it’s because he stinks.
Yankees fans are all clamming they got ripped off…. Padres fan also claiming they got ripped off…. Sounds like a fair trade to me.
They both did 🙂
This could be one of those fabled deals that hurts both teams.
Then we’ll call it a lose lose trade!!
Why?
Why not?
Good answer.
He is a free agent at the end of this year, Yanks get nothing because you cant make a QO to someone you acquired during the season.
The yankees average age of the infield just dropped by about 25% by aquiring a 30 year old..
Can the Yankees make Headley a qualifying offer? I thought that he would have had to have been on their team all season for him to be eligible for a qualifying offer.
Players traded mid-season are ineligible for QO’s and based on the way he has played so far Headley wasn’t going to be offered a QO anyway.
Wrong! There’s an increase in age because Solarte is younger than Headley.
Do they Yankees get any sort of draft pick compensation if Headley signs somewhere else in the off-season?
No.
Only if they offer him a QO, no?
A player must be on the same team for the entire season to be eligible for a QO
Ahh that’s right, thanks.
I have no emotional skin in this game although it is easy to dislike the Yankees and why would anyone be against the Padres(except maybe their own fans). That being said this is a good move for the Yankees. They gave up 2 guys with no future in NY and improved their defense. Headley could get an offensive surge with a new team. He will be playing for a FA contract so motivation will not be an issue. Yankees seem to have money growing on trees, so this will give him a taste of what being in NY is like and decide how much they will need to pay him to stay. Padres get young, cost controlled players who could grow into valuable assets in the future. Headley was gone after Sept. and they saved some $$$ on his contract. On a side note, is would be interesting to hear what guidelines have been passed down the Padres’ management chain to those making their trading decisions.
I don’t see this making sense for the Yankees. Another bat is not going to solve their abysmal starting rotation.
the offense is the problem for the yankees, not the rotation. anyone who has watched their games can tell you that
I agree with you generally but the Yankee’s rotation looks a lot weaker without Tanaka.
Well of course it is, but check the numbers in recent games from their other starters outside of Chase Whitley.
if they get a starter who can eat innings and is better than whitley, that will be enough in this division. for the post season? probably not.
And thats because Whitley isnt even a starter. Hes a reliever, and I think he could be a good asset out of the bullpen. Hes good the first time through the order, long man perhaps?
well of course it’s weaker without him, lol.
True, but I like what we have now honestly. I think one more starter should do it to replace Whitley. Give Greene more time, he pitched well last night, just kept running into errors. Phelps has been efficient as well
The EVIL EMPIRE strikes again!
Good deal for the Yankees. Headley has been hitting like .350 since getting the spine injection and changing his batting grip.
but the underlying problem does not get better. He’ll hit well in spurts but not in the long run.
Its just a 2 month rental in a hitter’s park. His numbers should improve since he’s leaving PETCO.
They got better defensively, so that helps their pitching staff. If he regains any of his breakout season form for even a month that’s an added bonus. Solarte and De Paula isn’t an overpay by any means so it’s a decent trade for the Bombers.
As long as this means Johnson never plays the corners again, Im all for it. Im kinda surprised we didnt give up more for Headley. Who knows, maybe he will get even hotter and make adjustments playing with a team whos games actually matter.
Just imagine how much more the Padres would have gotten in return if they had traded him back in 2012.
Why didnt San Diego trade him when his value was at its highest in 2012? the Yankees gave up nothing for him. I liked Solarte, decent utility guy but his average will dip even more in Petco
Yanks acquire Headley, Angels get Street, As trade for Smarjjdia, and Jack Z shines his big bald head. I’m so agitated I can’t even spell.
The Padres ripped off the Angels to the point of no return. 4 prospects for a closer with injury problems?
they made up for it with this deal though – evened out
That is true, I liked Solarte, but hes nothing more than a fine utility man
I hate that the yankees are able to trade scrubs to these teams just because they are able to take on so much salary from other teams.
Padres would have gotten a better deal giving him a QO and letting him walk
With the way he’s been hitting, Headley would have probably accepted it.
Given what happened to Stephen Drew and Kendrys Morales, I surely hope he’d accept one if they offered it.
Chase will definitely hit better in NYS compared to San Diego. He’s a real 3B, so at least we upgraded on defense. Either way, meh.
I believe Solarte is an upgrade for the Padres at a fraction of the cost… And a pitching prospect with promise…. More than I thought they’d get… A home run for the Padres in my book…
Anyone else getting modded like crazy today?
There does seem to be a rise in that in general lately. With posts that have absolutely nothing objectional about them.
I wonder what the Yankees are going to do with A Rod
headley is a free agent after this year so i imagine arod will be back at thrid next year
This is hilarious, I said earlier in one of the rumor post’s that the Yankees were going to do this just to cutoff the Jays but I wasn’t entirely serious they’d consider doing it for that reason alone. This is them claiming Jose Canseco off waivers all over again.
Darn you Brian Cashman!
Wow, nice move for the Yankees if he can regain his stroke from 2 years ago.
Typical Yankee pickup. Add another washed-up big name veteran to a team that’s full of them and hope to keep getting lucky in the close games. It’s a wonder they didn’t sign Dan Uggla and A.J. Pierzynski when their teams cut them.
I guess that Little League ballpark they play in might rejuvenate Headley’s bat, but it hasn’t done much for Brian McCann.
They bought low on a guy with a good ceiling, to fill a position of desperate need, and gave up not a whole lot. Headley has a good glove too, by the eye test and metrics. You’re not hating the move, you’re just hating the team that made the move.
Next.
Fenway and Wrigley are Little League parks. Yankee Stadium just has a short porch in right.
People criticize Byrnes for not trading Headley after his breakout year. Not many GMs would trade a guy that just had an MVP caliber season. More to the point he may not have traded Headley but he certainly didn’t spend out the nose to keep him. Headley can’t bat right handed. .212 vs lefties this season. They really just dumped him to make room for the young guys to get experience.
Headley has hit reasonably well against LHP – .256 career. Which considering the place he played his home games is pretty good. He is only hitting .20 points less against LHP than RHP this season. Not that big a difference. And he has hit better against LHP .308 vs .297, since he had the injection to stop the pain from the herniated disc in June. Lets see how he does for the rest of the season before you pronounce that he cant hit LHP.
Since Toronto was so connected, hard to fathom how they couldn’t top NYY’s offer, a minor league free agent, and their 15th prospect
The Jays probably wanted the Padres to eat the rest of Headley’s contract.
So does this mean that Gyorko moves to 3b then? I imagine that might be an easier position to manage his plantar fasciitis than 2b.
Gyorko was horrible at 3B defensively in the minors. That is why the Padres didnt trade Headley after that huge 2012 season.
A good trade for the Yankees and the Padres. Headley will definitely help cover up that gaping hole on the left side of the Yankees infield next to JEETZ and his power stroke might be rediscovered a bit when he takes a peak at that short right field wall. As far as the Padres, Headley had been a disappointment since 2012 De Paulino is the kind of guy that could always thrive at the back end of the bullpen in Petco. It’s a “Hey why not” kinda deal for the Padres and a very reasonable if not a good trade for the Yankees.
Dunno if Headley ever can get close to what he once was, but considering the Yanks gave up a bag of peanuts and a sack of baseballs, why not?
ok, what if headly does great this season, signs another deal with the yanks in off season. the question is: where does rodriguez end up?
A distant memory, hopefully.
But most likely a dead-weight contract. I believe the Yanks are smart enough to not let paying him, dictate playing him. Either they use legal process and get out of the contract, which I doubt, or he’s dead-weight money. I simply don’t see him getting many AB’s, if any.
That may be the Yankees best bet but I am POSITIVE that he has been doing everything in his power to come back for a swan song. For all the things you can gripe about with AROD one is not working hard on his game. The Yankees could end up paying 20 million a year for a contender’s DH/1b. Possible not probable.
Rodriguez is a sunk asset. He can play some third and mostly DH. He’s never going to be able to play a full season anyway, and the Yankees, regardless of his contract, need a third-baseman. Maybe that’s Headley, maybe that’s someone else. But A-Rod has to be worked around.
Chase Headley (1 game) has more walkoff hits in the new Yankee Stadium than Derek Jeter (354 games)
(Still not a big fan of the trade, maybe I over-reacted though earlier with anger and I apologize).
Nice to see the Yanks go younger and less injury prone for a change hehehe
Well, the trade makes pretty good sense, as the Yankees are pretty much the only contender for whom Headley might be an upgrade.