New York Yankees: Judging the Trades, 2010-11 Edition

The game of baseball has always had clearly defined winners and losers. On the other hand, the business of baseball­, i.e., the trades and signings teams make, hasn't. For years baseball writers have dissected and analyzed trades to see what team benefitted more from the deal.

New York has always been active in the trade market, but they've been busier now than they've been in the last 15 years. The Yankees have always been at the forefront of these discussions, for both good and bad reasons. The Jay Buhner-for-Ken Phelps trade was so bad it was lampooned in an episode of Seinfeld. The trade for Babe Ruth was so good it cursed the archrival Red Sox for nearly a century.

The first in a multi-part series, this article will break down every trade the Yankees have made, starting with the two most recent seasons—from the 2009 offseason until now. Each trade will have one of three verdicts—the Yankees benefitted the most, the other team involved in the trade benefitted the most or a tie between both teams.

Sergio Mitre for Chris Dickerson, 3/25/11

It’s hard to believe this is the last trade New York has made, given their wheeling and dealing at the trade deadline in recent years. The Yankees, with an expendable arm in Mitre, shipped him to the Brewers for outfielder Dickerson just before the season started.

Dickerson had started solidly in his first two major league seasons for the Reds, but he was traded to the Brewers midway through the 2010 season for Jim Edmonds after only batting .205 in 20 games for Cincinnati. He didn’t fare any better after the change of scenery, batting only .208 in 25 games. Dickerson started 2011 with Scranton, but was put on the 40-man roster six weeks into the season and stayed on it to finish the season. In 60 games for the Yankees, Dickerson batted .260 with a home run, seven RBIs and four stolen bases, but his greatest value was as an outfield defensive replacement in late innings.

Mitre was 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in 22 games for the Brewers before he was designated for assignment June 27. The Yankees claimed Mitre off waivers but he made just four appearances for New York, giving up seven earned runs in just over five innings.
Verdict: NYY

Adam Olbrychowski for Justin Maxwell, 2/2/11

The Yankees traded Advanced-A starter Olbrychowski to the Nationals for outfielder Maxwell, who began the season at Triple-A Scranton. Maxwell was likely destined to be a major league call-up after he hit 16 home runs and 35 RBIs in 48 games with Scranton, but a torn labrum prematurely ended his season. If he remained healthy, this trade would have been a steal for the Yankees.

Olbrychowski spent all of 2011 at the Advanced-A Potomac Cannons, compiling a 5-7 record and 4.16 ERA in 31 games.

Verdict: Push

Juan Miranda for Scott Allen, 11/18/10

Miranda had been a sparingly-used first baseman in his time with the Yankees, owing to the already-established starters at the position. He was traded to the Diamondbacks, after playing in a career-high 33 games for New York, for minor league pitcher Allen. He played in 65 games for Arizona, hitting seven home runs and 23 RBIs, but he was released Nov. 2.

Allen started the season at Advanced-A Tampa but was demoted to Single-A Charleston with a 7.21 ERA and 3-4 record through 16 games. Allen did have a 4-2 record with Charleston, but his ERA climbed to 7.86 in his nine appearances for the club.

Verdict: Push

Andrew Shive and Matt Cusick for Kerry Wood, 7/31/10

Shive, a minor-league pitcher, and Cusick, a minor league infielder, were sent to the Indians after the 2010 season to complete the trade for Kerry Wood. Shive was a New York-Penn League All-Star in 2008 for Staten Island, but he missed all of 2009 after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery. In 2010, he was 1-2 with a 4.56 ERA in 16 games. He has yet to play for the Indians farm system though, missing all of the 2011 season with injuries.

Cusick, acquired from the Astros in the LaTroy Hawkins trade, reached Triple-A Scranton at the end of 2010, but was released by the Indians before appearing in any games. He was picked up by the Angels, sent to Double-A, demoted to Advanced-A, released, signed by an independent team and re-signed for the Double-A squad all in 2011.

Wood, who switched from closer to setup man for the Yankees, became a valuable reliever in New York’s run to the ALCS. In 24 games, Wood was 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA. Wood also made seven appearances in the playoffs. His option was declined by the Yankees after the season, and he briefly considered re-signing with the Yankees before rejoining the Cubs for 2011.

Verdict: NYY

Mark Melancon and Jimmy Paredes for Lance Berkman, 7/31/10

New York moved Melancon and infielder prospect Paredes for Berkman, who would become New York’s designated hitter to close the season. Berkman was a disappointment though, as he only hit .255 with one home run and nine RBIs and was released after the season. Berkman signed with the Cardinals, where he was an All Star, NL Comeback Player of the Year and a first-time World Series champion.

Meanwhile, Melancon is 10-4 with a 2.85 ERA in two seasons for Houston; he had 20 saves as Houston’s closer in 2011. Paredes was promoted to the majors for the first time in 2011 to play third base for the Astros. In 46 games, Paredes had a .286/.320/.393 batting line, two home runs and 18 RBIs.

Verdict: HOU

Zach McAllister for Austin Kearns, 7/30/10

The Yankees sent minor league pitcher McAllister to the Indians to add veteran outfielder Kearns to their bench. Kearns played in 36 games for the Yankees, but his .235/.345/.324 slash line was well below his stat line with Cleveland. Kearns was released after the season and rejoined the Indians for 2011. McAllister made his MLB debut for Cleveland in July, going 0-1 with a 6.11 ERA in four starts.

Verdict: CLE

Mitch Hilligoss for Greg Golson, 1/26/10

The Yankees sent minor league third baseman Hilligoss to the Rangers for former Phillies first-round draft pick Golson after he was designated for assignment. Hilligoss is still with the Rangers organization, playing mostly at the Double-A level in his two seasons there.

In two seasons with the Yankees, Golson has played 33 games, compiling a .235/.257/.294 batting line. He was also on both the Yankees 2010 postseason rosters.

Verdict: NYY

Melky Cabrera for Boone Logan and Javier Vazquez, 12/22/09

New York packaged starting outfielder Cabrera, reliever Michael Dunn and starting pitching prospect Arodys Vizcaino to the Braves for reliever Logan and Vazquez. Cabrera, who had one of his best professional seasons in 2009—setting career highs in home runs and slugging percentage—regressed sharply for the Braves in 2010, batting just .255 as Atlanta’s starting centerfielder. The Braves let him walk after the season and Cabrera had a career year after signing with the Royals for 2011.

Dunn, a former 33rd-round draft pick, finally reached the majors with the Yankees in 2009, making four pitching appearances for the Bronx Bombers. Dunn pitched 25 times for Atlanta in 2010, going 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA. He and utility man Omar Infante were traded to the Marlins after the 2010 season for All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla, where he became an oft-used reliever for Florida.

Vizcaino, a 19-year-old starter prospect when he was traded, reached the majors for Atlanta in 2011. As a reliever, Vizcaino was 1-1 in 17 games. He spent the majority of 2011 as a starter at the Advanced-A and Double-A level before a promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett, where he made six relief appearances before his promotion.

Vazquez was coming off a 2009 season where he finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting, but he struggled mightily in his return to the Bronx. He compiled a 10-10 record and 5.32 ERA in 26 starts and five relief appearances. Vazquez’s starts, strikeouts and innings pitched were the lowest totals since 1999, his second season in the league, and his ERA was the second-highest of his career. New York released him after the season and he signed with the Marlins, where he would bounce back from his dismal 2010 season.

Logan became the key part of the trade for the Yankees, rather than Vazquez. As New York’s top lefty specialist the last two seasons, Logan has thrown 81.2 innings in 115 appearances for the club, going 7-3 in those games. Logan has been a valuable member of New York’s bullpen, especially after the season-ending injuries to both Damaso Marte and Pedro Feliciano in recent seasons.

Verdict: NYY

Phil Coke, Austin Jackson and Ian Kennedy for Curtis Granderson, 12/8/09

In a perfect world, every trade would work like this. The four names above were part of a seven-player, three-team trade that saw Kennedy and Edwin Jackson move to Arizona, Coke, Jackson, Daniel Schlereth and Max Scherzer to Detroit, and Granderson to New York. All seven made the postseason in 2011, and only Edwin Jackson didn’t appear for the team he was traded to.

Coke went from being New York’s top reliever in 2009 to being Detroit’s top reliever in 2010. Coke was 7-5 with a 3.76 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 74 games in 2010. After a failed conversion to starting pitching in 2011, he went back to being a reliever, finishing the year 3-9 with a 4.47 ERA in 34 appearances and 14 starts.

Daniel Schlereth, who was 2-0 in 18 relief appearances in 2010, joined Coke in Detroit’s bullpen. Schlereth became a full-time member of Detroit’s bullpen in 2011, making 49 appearances for the Tigers. 

Kennedy went straight to the Diamondbacks, packaged with Tigers starter Edwin Jackson. Kennedy struggled in his first season, compiling a 9-10 record, but his 3.80 ERA was a sign of things to come; he had an NL-leading 21 wins in 2011 and a 2.88 ERA as the Diamondbacks' best starter in 2011.

Jackson was 6-10 in 21 starts for Arizona, including a June 25 no-hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays. He was traded to the White Sox for pitchers Daniel Hudson and David Holmberg before the trade deadline, where he finished the season. Hudson finished the 2010 season on a 7-1 tear and won 16 games for Arizona in 2011, forming a 1-2 punch with Kennedy, which was vital to their playoff run. Holmberg, a second-round pick in 2009, went 12-9 and reached Advanced-A Visalia in July.

Scherzer went 12-11 with a 3.50 ERA and 184 strikeouts for Detroit in 2010. Although his ERA jumped to 4.43 in 2011, Scherzer went 15-9 for the Tigers in the regular season and almost threw a no-hitter in the ALDS against the Yankees.

Austin Jackson immediately became Detroit’s starting centerfielder in the absence of Granderson. Although he had an AL-leading 170 strikeouts in 2010, he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting thanks to a solid .293/.345/.400 slash line, 10 triples and a solid glove. Although his batting average dropped to .249 in 2011 and his strikeouts jumped to 181, Jackson had an AL-leading 11 triples and another top-five finish in range factor for an outfielder.

Granderson’s first season was curtailed by injury, but he still managed to hit 24 home runs in 136 games with the Yankees. He rebounded in style in 2011, earning his second All-Star nomination and pushing himself into MVP consideration. Granderson batted .262, hit a career-high 41 home runs, an AL-leading 119 RBIs and an MLB-leading 136 runs. Although Granderson has had the best statistical season of anyone involved in this trade other than Kennedy, every team benefitted equally from their major acquisitions in this trade.

Verdict: Push

Brian Bruney for Jamie Hoffmann, 12/7/09

Bruney was one of New York’s better relievers in his time in the Bronx, posting a 12-3 record and 3.25 ERA over four seasons. He was traded to the Nationals for their Rule V Draft pick, rightfielder Hoffmann. Bruney would only pitch 17.2 innings for Washington, posting a 7.64 ERA and 1-2 record before he was released in May.

Hoffmann was returned by the Yankees to the Los Angeles Dodgers in spring training; a Rule V draft pick must spend the entire season on the 25-man roster or else be returned to the team where he was selected from. He made his major league debut in 2009 for the Dodgers and returned to the majors for two games in 2010.

Verdict: Push