Are We A Trade Match With The White Sox - Pitchers

One thing that I would not exactly call a pressing need for the Yankees is the pitching, both the starting variety and the relieving variety. The White Sox should have a few pitchers available via trade this July trading deadline but will the Yankees be interested in any of them? You have to consider that the Yankees seem willing and ready to trade Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain this trading deadline if it fetches them a need, mainly a bat. Both Phil and Joba are free agents after this season and I cannot see either returning to the Yankees after this season so it may be worth exploring trading one or both of them if we can get a guy in return that can fill the shoes not only this season but next as well. Do the White Sox have anybody that would fit that role?

Jake Peavy is currently on the 15 day DL but could be moved in a deal if the White Sox can find a suitor for him and his nearly $20,000,000 left to be paid to him. Peavy makes $14,500,000 this season and next which will make him hard to move unless the White Soc trade him as a salary dump. Peavy is 6-4 with a 4.30 ERA in 67 innings pitched this season with a 1.16 WHIP and a .247 batting average against. I cannot see any team taking a waiver on Peavy with his injury history and healthy contract including the New York Yankees so I will call this one a pass.

Jesse Crain has been lights out all season long sporting a 0.52 ERA and a 2-2 record out of the White Sox bullpen this season. Crain is holding batters to a .202 batting average against and has a 1.07 WHIP this season and would fall into the replace Joba Chamberlain category. Crain is signed for this season only at $4,5000,000 and that would obviously be pro rated and make him affordable for the Yankees. Problem is I would think this would be one guy that the White Sox would want a haul for, all things considered.

Matt Lindstrom is getting a lot of attention already in the trade market and I cannot understand why to be honest. He sports a 2-2 record  with a 2.59 ERA in only 31.1 innings pitched. He is holding batters to a .248 batting average against and has a 1.37 WHIP. Not to say that those numbers are necessarily bad but he is being talked up around the internet as the missing piece to a contenders bullpen and I just dont buy it at this point. If the Yankees acquired him I would put him as a 7th inning man and the White Sox are going to want more of a haul than we would offer so I say that we pass.

Addison Reed is another one of those late inning bullpen guys that the Yankees will not be interested in unless a whole lot changed between now and the deadline. Reed is pitching marvelously this season with a 3-0 record and a 3.09 ERA but his WHIP of 0.97 and batting average against of .192 is what makes him valuable. Reed would probably be the White Sox version of David Robertson and while that would be nice we have way too many needs to be looking at luxuries at this point.

Matt Thornton is another one of those guys that the Yankees have seemingly had interest in for what seems like forever but have never been able to pull the trigger on. If the Yankees were able to use Matt Thornton as that second lefty and as a LOOGY only, a la Clay Rapada, the Yankees would find a gold mine. He absolutely cannot pitch against right handed batters but absolutely owns lefties and would be a welcomed addition to the Yankees. Overall Thornton has a 1.27 WHIP and .250 batting average against to go with his 3.33 ERA but he is holding lefties below the Mendoza line this season and would vastly improve that Yankees bullpen. Imagine a pen of Boone Logan, Matt Thornton, Adam Warren, Shawn Kelley, David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, and Mariano Rivera. No one is touching that bullpen, nobody.

Dylan Axelrod has been downright terrible this season with a .285 batting average against and a 4.57 ERA which will probably keep him in White Sox pinstripes this season. John Danks has long been on the Yankees target board for what seems like forever but after signing a big extension before the season I cannot see him being moved but more likely being built around. The White Sox control Danks for this season and three more years so it would take an absolute haul to acquire Danks at this point(not to mention that he has not pitched well this season anyway). Gavin Floyd is on the 60 day disabled list and will probably not be ready in time for the trading deadline so he will be a White Sox for the remainder of the season in my opinion.

The White Sox have a few pitchers that should fetch them some nice pieces in trades but the only one I can see the Yankees being interested in will be Matt Thornton... again. 43rd time is the charm?