Saturday, July 21, 2018

Brad Hand, Adam Cimber, and Would You Have Given Up Estevan Florial to Have Acquired Them?



The Cleveland Indians shocked the league a bit on Thursday night when the team acquired not one, but two top relievers from the San Diego Padres for the low, low price of one of their top prospects in their farm system. The Indians acquired both closer Brad Hand and his setup man Adam Cimber from the Padres for their top prospect and one of the top prospects in all of Major League Baseball in Francisco Mejia. New York had been linked to Hand in recent weeks with varying degrees of interest, so I always wonder when a deal is made if the Yankees could have met or exceeded the prospects package that the receiving team had given up. The closest the Yankees could have come to matching this deal is if they offered their own top prospect in Estevan Florial, would you have made the move? Here is whether I would have made the deal or not if I were the Yankees GM.

Mejia is listed as a catcher and an outfielder on MLB Pipeline and is the 15th best prospect in all of MLB. Mejia is also the top catching prospect in all of baseball with experience at both corner outfield spots and third base as well. Florial, meanwhile, is the 37th best prospect in the game according to MLB Pipeline and the best prospect in the Yankees system. While the Yankees may have had to add another piece to sweeten the pot I truly think these two teams could have come to a deal, and both Hand and Cimber would have likely been worth the price, even at the cost of their top prospect.


Hand is on a very team-friendly deal that will keep him in Cleveland through the 2020 season, a deal that will earn him $3.5 million in 2018, $6.5 million in 2019 and $7.5 million in 2020. Hand also has a team option for the 2021 season with $10 million with a $1 million buyout. As a member of the Padres since 2016, Hand has put together a 2.66 ERA, 11.8 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 0.9 HR/9 and a 46.5 percent groundball rate in 213 innings pitched, albeit inside the spacious Petco Park for his home games. Meanwhile Cimber is a 27-year old set-up man that has pitched to a 3.17 ERA, 9.5 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, and a 52.3 groundball percentage in 48.1 innings pitched with the Padres. Both men would have been a huge upgrade over Chasen Shreve, or possibly a lot of the Yankees bullpen right now not named Betances or Chapman. Cimber has held right-handed batters to a .207/.221/.261 triple slash this season which would immediately make him the Yankees left-handed specialist going forward if a deal was to be made.

Cimber and Hand would have been great for the Yankees, and I truly believe the team could have matched or exceeded the deal the Cleveland Indians gave San Diego before the end of the All-Star break. Oh well, while these posts are fun to look at an analyze, unfortunately they do not change a thing. Cashman, still waiting on you. You’re up.

13 comments:

  1. Keep waiting because this isn’t fantasy baseball pal. Let the big boys like Cash Ninja determine the market value of our prospects. We true Yankee fans are in for the long haul dynasty run and not a one and done trade the farm for the new shiny toy syndrome many of you fantasy baseball stat geeks hope for. Can I get a hello?

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    Replies
    1. Hello, unocinco, welcome to the site!
      I do think I may qualify for a long haul Yankee Fan...maybe not. Been a fan for over 65 years. This in no way puts me into the Expert Class of Yankee Fans (of which there are many). But, as mentioned in the article above, 'Everyone wants to make the Yankees pay much more for a trade than anyone else...it has been that way from way back in the '60s.

      Do keep commenting, the more the marrier, get to know the people here, they don't agree all the time but, we do have fun.

      Delete
    2. My dear friend Kenneth...How are you my friend ? Fine, I hope.

      Kenneth, we think you are missing the point here.

      Long haul, short haul, player chips, overpay, fleece..just words.
      Point of fact....No matter how Yankee mgmt. gets it done, if this pitching rotation is not truly upgraded really soon...
      the season / campaign will come crashing down in a few short weeks.

      The Yankees are 12 of 24 to date. With NO one getting to seven innings since June. Kiss it off if it can not be corrected.
      A $3 billion dollar team acting like the Mets. Pathetic.

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    3. I don't see them acting like the Mets at all...the Mets kicked their buts Yesterday.

      Not missing the point either...Winning is the only results acceptable.
      I only think some people are willing to trade anyone and forget there is a time when a few of our best aren't around anymore. When that happens we may need some of those we just gave away for one pitcher. Hell, I read some saying give them three or four of our best players for a pitcher!
      Not so much here, but elsewhere!

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    4. I know I am late to this party, unocinco, but I am not your pal. Especially when the context comes across as pretty condescending. Especially when it prefaces you indirectly or directly questioning my Yankees fandom. Especially the guy who started the series , what it means to be a Yankees fan. I am far from a bandwagon fan and if you were as smart as you thought you were, you would know that.

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  2. patrick, my good friend....
    I am doing fine as always.
    Granted, a good pitcher right now would help a lot.
    I think someone said last year, something like; "Stanton is a want, not a need!" Our need was and always will be PITCHING.
    Try history...CleveI don't see them acting like the Mets at all...the Mets kicked their buts Yesterday.

    Not missing the point either...Winning is the only results acceptable. has tried to win with hitting for many, many years...not about to happen!
    So, what do our fans ask for....players like Stanton, Machado all big guns right?
    Question; who are they going to drive in? Keep the line moving means ...get someone on and keep moving people around the basses, we can win!
    We don't hit HRs....we lose...with this power ONLY team.
    Keep the wind at your back!

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  3. Well, JEHD...
    Is that ok? It takes me an hour just to type a few lines so, I take the short cuts I can.

    Anyhow, The people that Know (yes, the same ones that said Brett would only be an 4th OF or maybe bench player) have said Florial will be a star. I have never seen him play, so I will withhold my onion of him. But, as bad as we are going to need a true CF in the next year or so, I would say ...No trade!

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  4. Ken, Florial is getting his ass handed to him in Tampa, striking out more than judge does in the majors, like 33%. Not holding my breath!

    And Daniel, Mejia is a near mlb ready catcher, premium position! So comparing that to some CF loser in tampa isn't even worth discussing. Comparison--start w/ an uninjured frazier, then add another good piece, maybe tate or Medina...that would be comparable.

    But why? Our need is starting pitching. Badly. And don't forget, priority #1 is luxury tax reset

    A heads up to all of us- we aren't winning shit without better starters. So count on an early off season, yet again

    But Hal you jerk, do what needs to be done and sign dallas, Corbin, and happ this off-season.

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  5. Daryl....Good evening.
    Florial to me?...an enigma. 2-3 years away at best? Ehh.

    What confuses me is that from spring training to date, I get
    the impression that Yankees mgmt. cares more about being under
    the luxury tax, than reloading for a division drive.

    If those skunks / Mets win tonight, Boston will laugh
    themselves to sleep.

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  6. I don't disagree with you very often patrick but, the tax is almost a must reset for many reasons.
    If Cashman wants a player (after the reset) he will have money to spend, if no reset, he is hand cuffed and we will not get the pitchers we need...or anything else.

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  7. The most powerful juggernaut...USS Yankees-2018,
    is now six fathoms down, and is being swallowed by water.

    The way it is going, by the trading deadline, they may be
    ten fathoms down. It happens fast.

    But please! Do not disturb the luxury tax.
    Hear the laughter coming from Boston?

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  8. Daryl,

    And I quote...

    While the Yankees may have had to add another piece to sweeten the pot I truly think these two teams could have come to a deal, and both Hand and Cimber would have likely been worth the price, even at the cost of their top prospect.

    I know just Florial wouldn't have gotten it done, I merely compared them because he is the Yankees best prospect. That's it.

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  9. The luxury tax now also affects signing international free agents and all kinds of other areas. It just simply isn't money only anymore, it is prospects, money and a slew of other things.

    Yankees made it within one game of the World Series last year not because they won the division, but because they were a hot team heading into the postseason. Absolutely no reason they can't do it again. As a reminder, not that you specifically need one little p, the Red Sox won the division last year too... that and 15 bucks got them a beer at Yankee Stadium in the ALCS.

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