Thursday, May 19, 2016

Did the Yankees Screw up Trading Francisco Cervelli?


The New York Yankees and their GM Brian Cashman has grown to be known for their wheeling and dealing in recent years more so than their big money free agent signings. The tides may be turning in the Bronx and the Yankees GM is at the forefront of this change. Whether Cashman is a second tiered GM or even worth the breath you would waste to boo him if you saw him on the street is up for debate but I think we now have the answer to at least one question. Did the Yankees screw up when they traded away catcher Francisco Cervelli? In a word, yes.

Now one must keep in mind that Cervelli was traded on the heels of consecutive injury-riddled seasons and was also shipped away after a Biogenesis-related scandal and steroid suspension as well. There was all the drama and rumors circulating that Alex Rodriguez gave up names to investigators and the league including Cervelli’s and it was bad Ju Ju all around in the Yankees dugout. On paper that alone makes for a good trade for New York, especially when you consider they flipped him for durable reliever Justin Wilson before last season, but everything since has gone terribly wrong for the Yankees.

New York has since flipped Wilson for a pair of starting pitchers in Luis Cessa and Chad Green and neither have looked good in their ridiculously small MLB sample size. I won’t hold that against Cashman because we have a long way to go before determining who “won” that trade but after Cervelli signed a contract extension with Pittsburgh this week you have to think the trade to Pittsburgh was a loss for Cashman and company. Cervelli signed a three-year extension with Pittsburgh recently worth $31.5 million keeping the right-handed hitting catcher in Pittsburgh through his age 33 season.

Cervelli served as McCann’s backup in 2014 and since the 2015 season when Cervelli was shipped to Pittsburgh he has out-performed McCann in almost every aspect. Cerveli hits for a higher average, he actually frames balls better than McCann, Cervelli gets on base more often, his defense is better and so is his base running. McCann hits #TooManyDamnHrs but his WAR during that timeframe has been 3.8 while Cervelli has accumulated a 4.5 WAR in the same period.

So for less WAR the Yankees are paying McCann $16.40 million per year AAV while the Pirates will pay Cervelli roughly $10 million for a younger bat, better defense and a higher WAR. Sounds like the proof is in the pudding on this one Yankees family.


11 comments:

  1. As you mentioned Burch the flip of Wilson which was ridiculous from the fact that you traded a proven lefty commodity for two mediocre suspects. Yes the sample is small, however there also have been small samples of players that became great right away like Jeter and Arod. I have no problem trading away Kazo to Pittsburgh. I have a problem trading away Wilson.

    Cashman and Hal have again overthought the process and to have Hal call out the players is proving once again that he is a schmuck and should sell the team to someone that wants to win. Hal not opening his wallet when he knew that SP was a weak at best. Your pitchers for the most part can't get out of the 5th inning most nights and you traded people who never should have left.

    This is all on the elf and Hal and anyone that looks any further has no clue. This is the team assembled by both so as the old saying goes when it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck its a duck. When a team can't hit or pitch it will suck and my fear is that you will see this team make runs at wins and losses in spurts and when the trading deadline comes the Elf will hold tight and not trade Chapman and Beltran and Gaardner or even McCann. This team needs to do a full blown makeover with the obvious pieces staying. I would rather eat crow and lose watching youngsters than to see this crap being put on the field everyday. Send up Judge and Slade and move Mateo to Trenton and let Refsnyder play 2nd almost every night and Castro can relieve Headley over at third and sit Garnder and Ellsbury and rotate them and please leave Hicks out of CF.

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    1. Not to stick up for the trade or Brian Cashman specifically but two starting pitchers is worth more than a relief pitcher. Even if the starters are rookies and the reliever is proven. Reliever flame out quickly and are easily interchangeable and replaceable. At worst these starters can be moved to the bullpen long term, it doesn't go the other way with Wilson.

      And you know I agree with you on the youth movement and the use of the farm system.

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    2. I think we have been for that even last year right, Daniel?

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  2. Cashman didn't screw up by trading Cervelli. He screwed up by selling so low on him. I was never a Wilson fan, too many walks for a reliever, and I'm glad to see him gone. I don't care that we only got 2 mediocre prospects back.

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    1. How could he not sell low on him? He was a catcher who showed flashes of brilliance but that struggled with both injuries and concussions. They were not in a position of power when they traded him.

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    2. I need to check my faculties because I agree with you Burch on your comment but back to reality I totally disagree about the two suspects. Once again the elf got fleeced during Christmas season. Never trade a lefty reliever that throws 96 mph and costs a little over a million dollars for what he got back in the trade. He made that move because he is going to let some of his pitchers walk this off season. The elf has one pitcher that gets into the 7th more times then not. Evo still throws straight and way too many pitches. He has gotten better, however he isn't a 1, 2 or 3. This staff sucks and the proof is in the numbers and please don't patronize me about its still early in the year because like Yogi said its getting late, early

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    3. They weren't in a position where they had to trade him regardless. They only traded him to keep him from kicking Arod's ass. Middle relief is easy to find, catching talent is not. Cashman sold low, even in the position he was in.

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  3. So Levin tell me what lefty we have not including Chap or Miller that we can count on? Shreve is worse than Wilson especially with his inconsistency. Wilson made low money and it was stated it was a salary dump. #.3 billion dollar organization on a salary dump campaign

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    1. Never said Shreve was better than Wilson. I said I never liked Wilson and don't care that he's gone. I also think that calling it a salary dump is BS. We all know how inconsistent and injury prone our rotation is. Acquiring 2 starters for 1 mediocre reliever is a good move, but don't confuse me saying that with defending Cashman. I agree with you on that. I think Cashman is a dumbass that needs to move on.

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    2. I wasn't pointing out that you said anything about Shreve, I was talking in general terms about the lefties in the pen and used Shreve as an example. Trust me the two pitchers that are allegedly starters aren't that good, so the thought process of getting 2 for the price of one doesn't apply here. Its not like we're at the tire store and buy one tire and get two tires for free.

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  4. Last time I checked, starters were more valuable than a BP pitcher. And we do have a few to many BP pitchers on the DL, two that were being counted on to help...Ace and Lindgren.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)