SPANISH HARLEM – It was certainly a fun week for New York Yankees fans, as they their team acquired some significant talent before the MLB Trade Deadline. Today, I will focus on the who they got and what grade I will give the team for making a specific trade. NOTE: I will only be discussing the players coming in and not the players going out in the trade (except for Jordan Montgomery). So, lets get to it.
Andrew Benintendi: Grade A
The Anti-Joey Gallo is a player that the Yankees desperately needed in their lineup. On a team full of swing and miss guys, Andrew Benintendi will compliment the players around with his ability to make consist contact and provide a high average. He won’t hit you a ton of home runs but he doesn’t need to provide that. Add the fact that he plays a great left field, it’s hard not to be happy to have him on the team.
Scott Effross: Grade A
To be honest with you, I never heard of this guy before but after watching some highlights, he has swing and miss stuff. He doesn’t throw hard but has a lot of movement on his pitches as a sidewinder. When you consider that he has good stats and is basically a rookie, the Yankees have a player that can be a mainstay in the bullpen. Giving an A grade can seem pretty high when you take in account the anonymity but those in the know, really like this trade for Yankees.
Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino: Grade B+
Luis Castillo was Plan A for the Yankees but once he was traded off, the Yanks pivoted to Plan B and got the next guy they coveted. Frankie Montas is seen as a notch below Ace-status but he is a player that other teams wanted… and for good reason. The talent is there as a top-line starter under contract for this year and the next. They have a pitcher that will help them contend for 2 years, at the very least. Add in the fact that they got a reliever in Lou Trivino, and you can see why the grade has a plus sign attached. Trivino has not been as good as he has been in the past but the Yankees have a track record of getting the most out of their relievers.
Harrison Bader: Grade Incomplete
This trade really confused me when it happened. I thought the Yankees were looking to add to their rotation, not subtract. Jordan Montgomery was not someone that really stood out from the crowd but he was a young pitcher that came through the farm system and most Yankees fans appreciate their homegrown talent. On the other hand, Bader is seen as an elite center-fielder with good to great speed. At the moment he is on the injured, so it will be some time before we all see what he can contribute to the Bombers.
That’s it for now, please come back tomorrow for Different Matt.
