Bombers Banter: Trade Deadline Hits and Misses

With the New York Yankees coming off their biggest win of the season—a two-comeback, 14-9 victory over the Los Angeles Angels—I figured it was time to break out the first Yankees Roundtable Discussion of the year.

Allow me to introduce you to my fellow Yankee writers who will be participating in this premier edition of Bombers Banter: Ethan Gooderum, Mackenzie Kraemer, A.J. Martelli and Patrick Read.

This discussion will center on the Yanks' recent deadline deals and their chances of making the playoffs as we enter August.

Enjoy and feel free to comment.

The Yankees recently acquired Xavier Nady and Ivan Rodriguez to bolster their offense and Damaso Marte to help their bullpen, but they weren't able to trade for a starting pitcher to improve the back-end of their rotation. Has the team done enough to put themselves in a position to compete for a 27th World Series title?

Ethan Gooderum: The two trades that the Yankees made fixed gaping holes that the Yankees needed to fill. All three guys (Marte, Pudge, and Nady) are very good players that will bolster the Yankees' lineup and bullpen.

With that said, I think the Yankees desperately needed to get a starter, although there is a lurking possibility of Jarrod Washburn getting claimed off waivers. So, because I think it’s virtually impossible to fill every hole with excellence, I think the Yankees were big winners at the deadline.

Do I think they did enough to win a championship? The answer would have to be no.

Mackenzie Kraemer: It's impossible to say if the Yankees have done enough. They've helped out their offense a lot and added a lefty to an already solid bullpen, but the rotation is still a question mark. Wang is the ace, and he's not coming back until maybe October.

Joba Chamberlain can be a shutdown starter, but are Mussina and Pettitte good enough to out-duel Daisuke Matsuzaka or Ervin Santana? I don't know. Plus, who starts Game Four in the ALCS?

A.J. Martelli: The team has done enough to put themselves in position to win the World Series. Nady will provide a little spark in the offense and is a good defensive player. Marte is a good bullpen player, but will have to pick up the slack for the recently traded Farnsworth.

Pudge is a 14-time All Star and has the ability to call a good game behind the plate, which will help the starting pitchers. These three additions can help fill the Yankees' holes down the stretch.

Patrick Read: Not yet. Starters have put up three or less runs in 69 out of 80 games this year, so I don't equate the losses as being the starters' fault. The Yankees need some bats on the bench, like they had in the 1990s in Strawberry, Justice, Fielder, Raines, and later Ruben Sierra.

Matsui is said to be making good progress in rehab, which is a relief, but if NY will not sign Bonds, then they have to improve the defense to prevent more runs and get better in middle relief. 

A better defense means Abreu DH’s. Cabrera could easily replace his arm in right, putting Nady in center (where he is used to being), and Damon in left. With this lineup, Abreu went three for four against the O’s, with two homers and a double. That is Bobby as a Bronx Bombing DH.

The Yanks have until Aug. 11 to make waiver-wire deals and then, until Aug. 31 to sign any free agents. Barry could put this team over the top, giving the bench at least one reliable bat.

I don't think that Barry's "issues" are the problem; after all, NY just signed Pudge. And Tejada is under the same scrutiny and was an All-Star that played a mean game in Yankee Stadium this year.

Adding Marte helps in late innings, who joins Veras and Ramirez. Bruney was brought back up to join Giese on Aug. 1, bettering mid-relief, too. Hughes and Kennedy will be back soon to add more talent. Pettitte (12 wins), Moose (14, en route to 20), and Joba have all had excellent seasons, and so has Sid, with a 4.2 ERA he is 6-2 for NY.

Jordan Schwartz: Xavier Nady was the biggest addition the Yankees made before the trade deadline. They needed a right-handed outfield bat to replace Brett Gardner and get the offense going, and Nady is finally doing just that, after a rough first few games.

At the time, I didn’t think the Damaso Marte acquisition was necessary because the bullpen was already doing a great job, but the move allowed the Yankees to trade away Kyle Farnsworth for Ivan Rodriguez, so the trade with Pittsburgh turned out to be important for a few different reasons.

I worry, however, that New York’s inability to add another starter like Jarrod Washburn might keep them out of the playoffs. There are still a lot of games left until Chien-Ming Wang returns in September, and Darrell Rasner and Sidney Ponson will be pitching 40 percent of them. They need to step up even more now

Do you think Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner will be able to hold down the fort until Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes, and Carl Pavano become available in September, or should the Yankees call up Ian Kennedy or another minor leaguer to fill the fifth-starter's spot over the next month or so?

Ethan Gooderum: The Yankees are not going to be able to survive with Ponson and Rasner in the back end of the rotation. I think that when Pavano and Hughes are back up, the rotation will be solidified with good starting pitching, however, until they come back up, the Yankees need to find replacements, at least for Ponson.

One possibility is Victor Zambrano, whom they signed to a minor-league deal, so if I am the Yankees, I call up Zambrano as fast as I can.

Mackenzie Kraemer: Kennedy should be up sooner rather than later. Rasner and Ponson have limited upside, and Kennedy has been close to dominant in eight AAA starts (3-2, 2.06 ERA, 0.86 WHIP). Ponson looked great against Los Angeles, but the Yankees' interest in Jarrod Washburn shows that they are not happy with whomever will be their fourth starter come playoff time.

Kennedy and Phil Hughes (when he gets back) have the upside to be useful playoff starters. Kennedy and prospect Alfredo Aceves can start now, though it would be hard to dump Ponson after his best start in New York.

A.J. Martelli: Whether I think they can or not, Ponson and Rasner will have to hold down the fort until September. Hughes hasn't proved anything, save for Game Three of last year's ALDS.

Pavano is a just an injury waiting to happen. Wang can come back and be effective, but until that happens, they'll have to be able to go out and pitch effectively. I think they can, but they have to go deeper into games and not be afraid to go right after hitters.

Patrick Read: Hughes is pitching already in the minors and went three innings this past week, bolstering a shutout. Sound familiar to last year’s Hughes? Brian Bruney was activated on Aug. 1 as well.

One of these two could replace any weaker pitcher in the rotation, but I don't think a fourth or fifth starter will cost NY a postseason appearance. I give you Hideki Irabu, who wears a ring.

Besides, there is just too much offensive potential with the additions of Nady and Pudge. I think Hughes will be added to the rotation for the obvious reasons and would opt for Rasner to the 'pen, because he has been in the bullpen before and needs some rest.  

Darrell Rasner was brought up in May and has thrown nine games where he was responsible for three or less runs. Of those nine games, he has two losses while giving up only two runs in each game, and one loss with a single earned run, and one no-decision with two earned runs, totaling four games that should have definitely been won.

Rasner showed his deceptive talent in the beginning with three shutouts in as many appearances and could add depth to the 'pen. At only 32 years old, Sidney Ponson has turned out to be a lucky pick-up, filling out the fifth spot with six wins, two losses, and a 4.2 ERA. 

Jordan Schwartz: Sidney Ponson was brilliant in his last start on Friday against the Angels, but Darrell Rasner struggled again on Sunday, and I’d give serious thought to replacing him in the rotation.

Why not give Dan Giese another shot? His first start against the Reds on June 21 was great, but then the Yanks pulled him from the rotation after a bad showing against the Mets on June 27.

One bad start is quite a short leash, and he’s been pitching great out of the 'pen lately, so I’d try him out one more time.

Livan Hernandez (10-8, 5.48 ERA) is another guy the Yankees could take a flyer on now that the Twins cut him. If that doesn’t work, there are a few options in the minors, including Ian Kennedy, who has been pitching well of late

Can the Yankees win the World Series without the return of Hideki Matsui?

Ethan Gooderum: I think if the Yankees had a perfect team, just without Matsui, the answer would be yes, considering they have a damn good replacement in Nady, not to mention an extra bat in Pudge.

There is no doubt that Matsui is a key part of what makes the Bombers work, but in this case, I think that they have done a good job of fixing the problem that he left them in getting hurt.

Mackenzie Kraemer: Matsui isn't the issue, the starting pitcher is. Robinson Cano, Xavier Nady, and Ivan Rodriguez (in no particular order) are the six, seven, and eight hitters. That's plenty, and the latter two should add enough to the lineup to make up for Matsui. The Yankees will miss Jorge Posada much more than they will miss Matsui.

A.J. Martelli: Yes, they can win without Matsui. Last time I checked, Matsui doesn't have a ring on his finger, and with the addition of Nady, the Yankees have enough players to win.

With Damon, Nady, Abreu, and Cabrera manning the outfield, and Giambi as the DH/1B, the Yankees are in good shape. Matsui has a great bat, but with the trade moves they've made, they can get it done without Matsui. The big guys like Jeter and Rodriguez need to have big postseasons, too.

Patrick Read: Of course they can win without Matsui. Damon is on fire this year, with a .315 average and Nady has a .334 average, replacing Matsui both defensively and offensively. Plus, Pudge is a career .300 hitter and is at .295 this year.

If they improve the defense in the OF to prevent more runs from scoring, then Abreu will DH. With Sexson on the bench, along with Betemit (switch hitter), Molina, and the speedy Justin Christian, I would look forward to a better offense in the second half, without the injuries NY had in the first half. 

Having Hideki early on didn’t mean NY won more games, but having an extra reliable bat on the bench that can field is essential. If not Hideki, then I like Bonds at $150,000, which is the prorated league minimum. Or grab Shelley Duncan and give him another shot.

The starters have been much better than given credit, but the offense and defense has been very suspect. Heck, Pavano started in last year's rotation, and NY still went to the postseason, even with the injuries that both Clemens and Hughes suffered.

Jordan Schwartz: They can, but it would be a whole lot easier if Hideki Matsui (.323 average) could return from his knee injury. The Yankees have really been struggling to get the big hit with men in scoring position, and Godzilla is great in those situations, hitting at a .338 clip.

The addition of Nady eases the loss of Matsui, but if Hideki came back, the Yanks could use him to replace the slumping Melky Cabrera, which would make their lineup incredibly potent

Melky Cabrera is hitting just .245 with eight homers and35 RBI. What can Cabrera do to improve his stroke, and should the Yankees keep him in the lineup everyday if he continues to struggle at the plate?

Ethan Gooderum:  I have been a big advocate of the Yankees sitting Melky. He can have his share of good plays in the outfield, but he subtracts more than he adds to the Yankees, which is something they don’t want to have.

In my eyes, he is a very good bench player, and I think we may see him make a career out of that, as he plays anywhere in the outfield, with decent speed and a good bat for a bench player.

Mackenzie Kraemer: The Yankees should look to improve if they can, but they can live with Cabrera's weak bat for now. Brett Gardner got a chance to take his job in July, but he failed. I still don't think we've seen the last of him though. He would provide an element of raw speed the Yankees don't really have.

Either way, the lineup is good enough where they can afford to keep a weak bat like Cabrera's or Gardner's in the lineup, as long as they play solid defense, and Melky does.

A.J. Martelli: Melky should take the approach Cano did. Take a day or two off, work with Kevin Long, and watch videotape. Addressing the problem and rectifying it as Cano did should help his swing, and he could look a lot better than .245.

Patrick Read:  What NY cannot afford is a slumping Cano, Cabrera, and Molina.  Molina's lack of offense has been solved with I-Rod, but he will catch Moose, with I-Rod as a backup in the dugout, for when a pinch-hit is needed.

Cabrera and Cano cannot both slump forever, but what's worse is that these two never walk, either. Paul O'Neil could help out in this area, teach them to intentionally foul some balls off to tire the pitcher, and also teach them what a slap hit is, too.

NY doesn't have the injuries, and with that, I suspect that the offense will be much better. Melky is the best outfielder NY has, his arm and his hustle saves runs for now. If Hideki gets back, of course NY should consider playing all the best bats to spark a fire when in a slump.

Jordan Schwartz:  The Yankees should think about maybe starting Justin Christian once in a while to mix things up. Maybe that will get Melky’s attention. Cabrera started hitting better once Gardner began challenging him for playing time last month

If the Yankees make the playoffs, whom should they start in Game One of the ALDS?

Ethan Gooderum:  This is a tough question, and it is between three guys: Pettitte, Moose, and Joba. In a way, it makes sense to start Joba because of his dominance, and his electric stuff, which is a plus in a first game of a series. I really think that I start Joba, considering that Moose isn't a shutdown guy, and considering that Pettitte is just too damn inconsistent.

Mackenzie Kraemer: The Magic 8-Ball says, "Ask again later." I doubt the Yankees want to have Joba Chamberlain start Game One in his first season as a starter, but come September, I'd be surprised if he wasn't the best option. If Mussina or Pettitte end up with comparable numbers, Joe Girardi might opt for one of his veterans, based on experience. However, my money is on Joba.

A.J Martelli: This is a little bit of a toughie. With the way Wang started last year, it shouldn't be him, even though some people might say he should be because he's won the most games out of all the pitchers in recent years.

However, I would go with Pettitte, simply because Andy has the experience and is traditionally a big-game pitcher.

He has that playoff pedigree, and if he wins Game One, it'll take the heat off guys like Mussina and Wang. The second and third starters won't feel like they have to win in order to keep themselves alive.

Patrick Read: Through 86 innings, Joba has a 2.24 ERA with 99 strikeouts and just faced down the best postseason pitcher in a long time in Josh Beckett, posting a 1-0 victory.

Since the beginning of June, he has given up more than two runs only twice. NY will most likely go with Andy second. A lefty off-speed pitcher behind Joba is a good combo. Pettitte has a 4.18 ERA with 12 wins right behind Moose, who will without a doubt be the third, the Magic Man. Mighty Mike is awesome this year and ready to face a slumping Matsuzaka or Lester. 

Jordan Schwartz:  Joba. I feel so confident when he’s on the mound, and I know the Yankees do, too. He’s been the most consistent starter on the team, with a record of 3-1 with a 2.23 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, a 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and is allowing one home run every 30.1 innings.

The Yankees are 8-3 in his 11 starts. In addition, Chamberlain has shown no fear in pressure situations. I think he’s ready for the bright lights of October.

Jordan Schwartz is Bleacher Report's New York Yankees Community Leader. His book "Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man" is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and authorhouse.com. Jordan can be reached at [e-mail]