The Michael Pineda for Tony Watson Trade That Needs to Happen

Ladies and gentleman after a long hiatus we are back. No excuses, let’s just get back to work and today we will begin working on finishing what we started before I took off. Building the Yankees starting rotation for the 2017 season while also building towards the future. The free agent market is dry and trades may be the Yankees only hope for improvement next season which brings me to an old trade partner that always seems to want former Yankees inside their organization, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Could the Pirates and the Yankees potentially hook up in a trade this winter to help both teams compete in 2017 and beyond? Keep reading.

Now with that said it is going to seem a bit contradictory when I suggest that the New York Yankees trade Michael Pineda to Pittsburgh for left-handed reliever Tony Watson after spouting all that in the first paragraph but stick with me. I said I wanted to build towards the 2017 season as well as the future and beyond the 2017 season Pineda, as it stands today, does not have a future with the ball club as he is set to hit free agency for the first time in his career. Strike while the iron is hot, I’d say.

Why would the Pirates do this? First of all the Pittsburgh Pirates have an uncanny ability to take pitchers with dominating stuff that can’t seem to put it all together (AJ Burnett, Edison Volquez, Ivan Nova and Francisco Liriano come to mind just to name a few) and Pineda would be the ideal candidate for this on a buy-low trade for the Pirates. The Pirates could always trade Pineda this winter and restock their farm system if they were out of contention again this summer while if they are in contention they could have a veteran arm to help lead them back to the postseason, all for a left-handed reliever that by all intents of the word is replaceable in Pittsburgh.

Why would the Yankees do this? They wouldn’t have to watch Pineda give up 20+ home runs again this season inside Yankee Stadium and they wouldn’t have to wonder what stunt, Pine Tar Gate for example, he was going to pull next. The team would also have one of the deepest and best bullpens once again in the league with Watson replacing Tommy Layne from the left side. New York would also save money in this deal with Watson set to make around $6 million next season while the team could also continue their youth movement with a Bryan Mitchell or a James Kaprielian taking Pineda’s vacant starting rotation spot out of the spring.

This deal could make the team better in 2017 but it will definitely make the team better going forward beyond the upcoming season and that, I believe, is the ultimate goal above all else anyway. So what are you waiting for? Get it done.