Austin Jackson, Curtis Granderson and the Trade

I won’t lie, I was lukewarm about the chatter three weeks ago that the Yankees were looking to acquire Curtis Granderson from the Tigers. I didn’t like the fact that he only hit .249 in 2009 and that he only got on base 32.7% of the time. I didn’t like that he strikes out so much and that for a guy with his speed, he only stole 20 bases last year. His .183 average against lefties in 2009 bugs me too. But there’s just something about him putting on the pinstripes that makes me believe he is going to turn it up as the Yankees center fielder over what could be a good portion of the next decade. 

Again, at the beginning I didn’t like this idea. Then, when I inserted Granderson into the Yankees lineup, something dawned on me. The Yankees lineup is so tenacious and deep that hitting between Jeter and Teixeira (against righties) will only make him a better hitter. Something is strikingly wrong if you only hit .250 when batting before Teixeira and A-Rod. After saying this, however, I’m still quite concerned about Granderson’s poor numbers in 2009.

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Yankees Get Granderson From Tigers

Leave it to the Yankees to be the first team to make headlines this winter. The Yankees are very close to acquiring Curtis Granderson from the Tigers in a three-team trade that included the Diamondbacks. Included in the trade were Phil Coke, Austin Jackson and Ian Kennedy from the Yankees.

Here are the players involved in the deal:
Yankees get CF Curtis Granderson
Diamondbacks get P Edwin Jackson and P Ian Kennedy
Tigers get P Phil Coke, P Max Scherzer, P Daniel Schlereth and OF Austin Jackson

Granderson will be 29 years in 2010 and is entering what most scouts believe are the prime years of a players career. He became the Tigers full-time center fielder in 2006.

Yankees Acquire Curtis Granderson

It appears the Yankees are on the verge of acquiring center fielder Curtis Granderson from the Tigers in a three-way trade. In the trade the Diamondbacks would get Edwin Jackson from the Tigers and Ian Kennedy from the Yankees and the Tigers would get Max Scherzer from the Diamondbacks, Phil Coke from the Yankees and Austin Jackson from the Yankees.

Red Sox Want Roy Halladay; Yankees Should Drive Up Price But Not Pull Trigger Themselves

Reports coming out of the New York Daily News today suggest the Red Sox are getting ready to throw the house at the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay. An unidentified source told the Daily News the Red Sox are “putting on a full-court press” to acquire Halladay.

Where the Red Sox sniff the Yankees follow. Brian Cashman, Yankees’ GM, will do his due diligence on Halladay if nothing more than to drive up the price for the Red Sox. The price for Halladay will be steep, but as of right now it looks like the Red Sox are willing to go there.

Driving up the price for the Red Sox should be the only reason the Yankees get involved in talks with the Blue Jays. They should not pull the trigger on a trade for Halladay just because the Red Sox want him. Let him go to the Red Sox. The Yankees have been discussing their payroll and adding Halladay would end the discussion of cutting it. Acquiring Halladay would also cost a package of top prospects including at least Austin Jackson, Jesus Montero and either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain.

Halladay doesn’t fit into the plans the Yankees “say” they want to follow, but what the Yankees say and do don’t always agree. If the Yankees hadn’t won in 2009, it would be very likely they’d complete a deal for Halladay this winter. I’ve said it before; the team won in ‘09 without Halladay. What makes people think the Yankees need him to do it again?

Instead of trading for Halladay, the Yankees should sign free agent pitcher John Lackey. The Yankees rotation would be CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, John Lackey, Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain/Phil Hughes. That is some rotation. They are going to have to pay Halladay after this season anyway so why not just pay Lackey now and not lose the prospects.

The argument for acquire Halladay is that prospects don’t always pan out and Halladay is a proven big league pitcher and former Cy Young Award winner. Jackson and Montero haven’t seen time in the bigs and Joba and Hughes’ roles are uncertain. While this is completely understood, there is an upside to these players that will pose the question, “What if?” These prospects can have great careers in other cities (the Yankees could always buy them back in the future).

If John Lackey was not available in free agency then the Yankees would be more apt to acquiring Halladay. Since Lackey is available, there’s a better chance the Yanks throw money at him to bring him to the Bronx.

Halladay may go to Boston and so be it. Yes, he’s a Yankee killer and he’ll shine in Boston, but the Yankees will do fine without him. I know I’m in the minority on this one.

Blue Jays are Pricing Themselves Out of a Halladay Deal

The Blue Jays have spoke to several teams in the last few days and have made demands on what players they want in exchange for Roy Halladay.  I really don’t understand what Blue Jays GM, JP Ricciardi, is doing. Ricciardi and the Jays are demanding for a ridiculous amount of talent in return for Halladay and teams just aren’t going to do it.  If the Jays can’t deal Halladay before the deadline, they aren’t going to get a whole lot for him in the winter. They will get the most in return for him now, but they are just pricing themselves out of a deal.  

Ricciardi needs to lower the asking price, not by that much, but by at least one or two players. For instance, Jon Heyman of SI reported that they have said they would trade Halladay to the Yanks for Joba, Hughes and two other players.  There is no way the Yankees do that right now.  Especially since both guys are pitching so well.  So why don’t the Blue Jays ask the Yankees for Joba and maybe Austin Jackson and another player.  Don’t ask for Joba and Hughes.  They are basically saying ‘we are not trading Halladay this season’, because they won’t get what they are asking for from the Phillies, Yankees or any other team.  If Halladay is traded, the Blue Jays will be accepting less than what they are demanding, but they will still receive a good amount of talent in the trade.

Yankees Shouldn’t Celebrate the ‘Halladay’

If the Yankees ever want to cut payroll and stop spending lavishly, then they will not make a trade for Roy Halladay. In addition to prospects the Yankees have deemed ‘untouchable’, the Yankees would also have to give up either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain to land Halladay.  We’re not talking about a trade of Austin Jackson and either Hughes or Joba for Halladay, we’re talking about Jackson, Hughes/Joba and two or three other top prospects for Halladay and then a multi-year, multi-million dollar extension for Halladay.  

Would it be worth it?  If the Yanks get Halladay they will have a greater chance at winning it all this season and probably next season, but they hurt their future.  The Yankees can keep spending and spending and trading away young talent in exchange for stars in their early 30’s and always be in the “win now” mode or they could work up their prospects, let them get the kinks out, give them the chance to contribute and come up big in the postseason, and give the Yankees a shot at another dynasty.

Let’s face it, the Yankees are getting old.  Jeter, Posada, Pettitte, and Mariano are all getting up their in age.  Those four guys all came up in the mid 90’s.  The Yanks were just getting ready for a youth movement recently, for the first time since those guys came up.  The Yankees made two incredible signings over the winter.  They signed Sabathia and Teixeira in their prime.  I think the Yankees currently have a good mix of players that are up-and-coming, in their prime, and experienced veterans.  

The Yankees have two options:

They can trade their best prospects for Halladay and hope he can get them over the hump and win a title.  Then, trade other top prospects next July for a star and hope to win again.  Get older… and older.  

Or, they could give the young guns a chance; pitch Joba every fifth day, give Hughes the set-up role, let Austin Jackson take over center, get Cervelli behind the plate, take what comes with young baseball players and hope the vets can play big and create a team that can win now and also have a chance at another dynasty within the next ten years.

If Halladay comes in here and the Yanks don’t win it all, then what?  He could struggle and get injured and not be the same after he signs a 5-year extension worth $18 million a year.  At least when the Yankees signed guys like Pavano, Giambi, and Mussina, all they did was spend money, they didn’t have to give away their prospects.  

A time must come when the Yankees say they will not trade certain players, no matter what, and stick with it.  They need to commit to the young players.  The price for Halladay is too steep… It’s the price of what could be, the next great Yankees dynasty.