Wednesday, July 30, 2008 |
Yankees Acquire Pudge, Other Roster Notes
- Pudge Rodriguez will finish the season in Yankee pinstripes, with the Bombers sending RHP Kyle Farnsworth in exchange. That the Yanks would angle for a catcher was a given, especially since the announcement that starter Jorge Posada would undergo arthroscopic shoulder surgery, ending his season. Jose Molina wasn't going to cut it the balance of the way, especially considering he's never been a starter in his life, and he's only hitting .229/.279/.307 with the Yankees; he was only 33 at-bats away from tying his career record of 225. Even at the advanced age of 36 (only three years older than Jose!), Pudge represents a significant offensive upgrade at .295/.338/.417.
The bad news for the Yanks is that this somewhat reduces their bullpen depth, because the often-flammable Farnsworth is having something of a career season for him, posting a 113 ERA+ for the first time since his career 2005 season. Nevertheless, dealing a reliever is actually something the Yankees can, surprisingly, afford to do this time; looking at their B-Ref team page, they've got some very good guys in the bullpen this year. With only two exceptions, the recently DFA'd LaTroy Hawkins and the no-longer-with-the-team Ross Ohlendorf, every Yankees reliever with 30 or more innings pitched has an ERA+ of over 110, and most are over 130. The Tigers' had a pressing need for bullpen help, so this definitely works for both clubs. You can probably look at this as a white flag for the 2008 Tigers, though.
- Angels minor league pitcher Tommy Mendoza tested positive for amphetamines and was immediately given a 50-game suspension.
- Frank Thomas has been cleared to rejoin the A's as early as Friday. He will not have a rehab assignment.
Labels: angels, athletics, ex-angels, minors, suspensions, tigers, trades, transactions, yankees
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