New York Yankees: Bronx Bombers Trade Jesus Montero for Michael Pineda

The New York Yankees have traded catcher Jesus Montero to the Seattle Mariners for starting pitcher Michael Pineda, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

Montero hit over .300 in limited action with the Yankees in 2011, and Pineda pitched over 170 innings as a rookie, posting a 3.74 ERA and a WHIP of 1.10.

According to Greg Johns of MLB.com, the trade is a four-player trade. The Yankees are also getting minor league pitcher Jose Campos and the Mariners are also getting pitcher Hector Noesi.

What Does It Mean?

For the Yankees, this trade means getting one of the best young pitchers around. Plain and simple.

Before the 2011 season, Baseball America had Pineda ranked as the No. 16 prospect in all of baseball. He proceeded to live up to the hype in his rookie season, overpowering hitters with a blazing fastball and offspeed stuff that is getting better.

The Yankees are definitely giving up a promising prospect of their own, but they need Pineda's arm more than they need Montero's bat.

The exact opposite is true of the Mariners. They finished dead last in the majors in runs scored in 2011, so they need as many bats as they can get their hands on. This trade allows them to plug Montero into the same lineup as Dustin Ackley, giving them a good core to build around.

What Happens Next?

Shortly after this trade was completed, the Yankees agreed to terms with free agent starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. Their rotation is pretty well set, so it would be surprising if they made any more big moves before spring training. 

As for the Mariners, they may not be done adding bats. They've been linked to free agent slugger Prince Fielder, and Heyman tweeted back in December that they actually made an offer for him. 

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweeted this week that Seattle's interest in Fielder has been "extremely overblown," but the Mariners have yet to withdraw from the chase for his services.