Yankees' Moves for Pineda and Kuroda May Put Them over the Top

Did you really think the New York Yankees were going to sit idly by and do nothing?

After letting teams such as the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels take center stage throughout the month of December, the sleeping giant has finally awoken.

On Friday, the Yankees acquired two starting pitchers: Michael Pineda via trade with the Seattle Mariners, and Hiroki Kuroda by way of free agency.

In the deal for Pineda, New York parted ways with highly-regarded young catcher Jesus Montero and right-hander Hector Noesi. The Yanks also received 19-year-old righty Jose Campos in the deal, a player who looks to be well on his way to becoming a very valuable prospect.

Shortly after the Bronx Bombers made the trade with the Mariners, it was announced that they had signed Kuroda, the former Los Angeles Dodger, to a one-year, $10 million contract.

So, what does this mean for the Yankees? Well, it means they now have a heck of a pitching staff with an incredible amount of depth there to boot. New York's front four now consists of CC Sabathia, Kuroda, Pineda and Ivan Nova. You will then see the likes of A.J. Burnett, Freddy Garcia (whom the Yanks re-signed earlier in the offseason) and Phillip Hughes battle it out for the fifth spot, and you have to assume Burnett has the edge there given his contract.

Throughout the 2011 season, critics said that New York was not a legitimate contender for a World Series title due to its shaky starting rotation. I think it's safe to say that general manager Brian Cashman and company have addressed that issue, landing one of the game's bright young stars in the soon-to-be-23-year-old Pineda and a solid, reliable veteran in Kuroda, 36.

Did the Yanks give up a lot in the deal for Pineda? Yes. It seems like centuries now that Montero has been touted as the next big thing, some even going as far to label him the next Miguel Cabrera. He certainly looked impressive in his short stint in the majors last season, posting a .328/.406/.590 slash line, albeit in only 61 at-bats. Still, you have to give up something to get something, and even with Montero switching coasts, I think New York got the better end of this trade.

Many people are concerned about Pineda's numbers away from Safeco Field. Well, stop worrying, as some of Pineda's peripheral numbers were actually better away from home. His road FIP was 3.26 as opposed to a home FIP of 3.62, and he only gave up 0.86 home runs per nine innings on the road compared to 1.05 at home. Yes, his road ERA was about a point-and-a-half higher than his ERA at Safeco (4.40 to 2.92), but if his peripherals are any indication, Pineda will be fine.

If there is one thing that Yankee fans should be a bit wary of, though, it's Pineda's BABIP (batting average on balls in play) statistic. In 2011, it was only .258, and the league average usually falls somewhere between .290 and .300. That means Pineda had a little bit of "luck" last season. Still, sabermetric guru Bill James projects that Pineda's 2012 BABIP will be .291 and that he will post a 3.07 ERA and 3.19 FIP to go along with that.

To put it plainly, Pineda has a ton of upside. This is a kid who could end up supplanting Sabathia as New York's ace in a couple of years, and that is why I really like this deal for the Yankees.

Let's face it; Montero was not going to be the Yankees' catcher of the future anyway, as he does not even project as a catcher long-term. Plus, the Yanks have two other very impressive young backstops in Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez.

Not only that, but offense is certainly not a need for the Bombers, a team that ranked second in all of baseball in runs in 2011. Pitching, on the other hand, was a problem, as New York depended upon the arms of players such as Garcia and Bartolo Colon to get them to the postseason, and that is definitely not something the Yankees can bank on happening two years in a row.

With the Angels signing Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, New York obviously needed to do something to keep pace in the American League. Well, "The Evil Empire" undoubtedly answered the bell, going from afterthoughts to big winners in what has been an incredibly interesting offseason.

I really think the acquisitions of Pineda and Kuroda have given New York its best team since its 2009 championship run. Gun to the head, I'm predicting a Yankees/Angels ALCS. I think they are the two most well-rounded teams in the AL, and probably in the entire major leagues, period.

Now, about Prince Fielder...