Nick Swisher to the Yanks
by Lunkwill Fook on Nov 13, 2008 3:51 PM EST
68 comments
Nick Swisher has apparently been traded to the Yankees for Jeff Marquez and potentially some other as of yet unknown prospects.
I guess this assumes Swisher is going to be the new centerfielder. Depending on what else may be in this trade, it could be a steal for the Yanks.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3700869
Marquez, Betemit, and Nunez…for Swisher and Kanekoa Texeira is what it apparently looks like in the end.
0 recs |
68 comments
Email
Print
Comments
Cashman just absolutely bent over Kenny Williams
That’s ridiculous. If this was a fantasy baseball league it would be vetoed. WTF is wrong with the White Sox? Imbeciles…
Perfect fit for the Yanks and a huge boost to them, if its indeed just Marquez…
Keith Law: Idiot.
by alskor on Nov 13, 2008 4:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
veto's
are for losers.
If you can’t get to the fish first, it probably means you are the fish.
by tuna411 on Nov 13, 2008 4:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
that comment is even funnier coming from someone with the handle tuna.
Cashing checks and having sex.
by MarketMaker on Nov 14, 2008 2:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
i love this comment and will have to use it sometime.
I heard Tim Lincecum will win 1 Cy Young & 11 Tim Lincecums. Question is, how many Cole Hamels will he win?
by the pinstripes on Nov 14, 2008 8:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
It's a paraphrase of an old poker axiom
If you get into a game and you haven’t figured out who the sucker is within an hour… then you are the sucker.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on Nov 14, 2008 1:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I would assume Swisher is the new 1B
fwiw
Keith Law: Idiot.
by alskor on Nov 13, 2008 4:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Really?
I wouldn’t think the Yanks would place Swisher there when, in their heart of hearts, Teix is their future boyfriend.
by Lunkwill Fook on Nov 13, 2008 4:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I think it means no Tex
to tell you the truth. I always thought he was staying in LA.
I think it means CC, though. Theyve been discussing all good defensive CFers like Cameron. I find it hard to believe theyd turn around and doom themselves to a terrible OF of Damon-Swisher-Abreu/etc…
Maybe they play Swisher in RF?
by alskor on Nov 13, 2008 4:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
From rotoworld (I realize not the most reliable source, so fwiw)
Yankees acquired first baseman-outfielder Nick Swisher and RHP Kanekoa Texeira from the White Sox for infielder Wilson Betemit, RHP Jeff Marquez and RHP Jhonny Nunez.
We still think Betemit can be an adequate regular, but this is a great trade for the Yankees. Three pieces they had little use for in return for a possible 30-homer guy still in his prime. Swisher was quite a disappointment while hitting .219 for the White Sox last season, but he still had 24 homers and 82 walks in 497 at-bats. If he bounces back to .260 or so, he’s a well above average regular. Plus, he gives the Yankees plenty of flexibility. He should be penciled in at first base for now, but he can shifted to right or center if the Yankees go and get that other Teixeira fellow.
Emphasis mine.
by alskor on Nov 13, 2008 4:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Swisher
My inclination is that the Yankees won’t be going after Teix. He’d block 1b, at a time when Posada might have to be shifted to the position permanently. The plan is likely something to the effect of
1) C – Posada, 1B – Swisher, CF – Melky/Gardner
2) C – ???, 1B – Posada, CF – Swisher.
All that having been said, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Cashman make another move to fortify the defense/add a bat. The main issue becomes what to do with Matsui, who’s essentially a DH at this stage in his career.
by GuyinNY on Nov 13, 2008 4:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I think Matsui DHs
and they still go after a bat in CF who can run down balls.
Mike Cameron seemed like a perfect fit, but the price was too high. Still, keep hearing rumblings about guys that fit that mold.
by alskor on Nov 13, 2008 4:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Makes sense.
It does make sense for the Yankees to do something like that, and simply push Swisher over to RF and Nady to the bench (or something to that effect), but who knows? For some reason, I keep thinking Cashman has something big up his sleeve…
by GuyinNY on Nov 13, 2008 5:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That's the nicest thing about this move
it doesnt lock them into any one configuration… they can still pursue Teixeira, but they dont need him.
by alskor on Nov 13, 2008 6:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
How about Hughes for one of the Rangers C's?
Then it would be C: Former Ranger, 1B: Posada, CF: Swisher.
by demondeaconsbaseball on Nov 13, 2008 8:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
As an O's fan
I hope he is their new 1st baseman.
Swisher experiment in Chicago ended quickly.
by cowboy4eva on Nov 13, 2008 4:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Kanekoa Texeira supposedly coming to the yankees too…betemit, nunez and marquez going to the white sox.
Count me as one Yankee fan who likes this deal. Always been a fan of Swisher, nice buy low i think for a guy would can play some CF and 1b.
by rhodehead on Nov 13, 2008 4:15 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
ChiSox get Betemit too
Still think the Yanks win this one going away.
by alskor on Nov 13, 2008 4:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
*Sigh*
Feels like Yankees sure housed Kenny Williams. But then again, ChiSox were right on Danks and Floyd when everyone was looking down on them. Current favor: Yanks; Future? Who knows.
by thudean on Nov 13, 2008 4:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Im sure that Betemit will do well in Chitown
but they certainly could have gotten him for less. A good portion of this was a salary dump.
by alskor on Nov 13, 2008 4:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The question is:
Where will Betemit play? I’m only seeing part-time duty for him (at best), given the presence of Josh Fields.
"A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day." - Calvin
by RVachon on Nov 13, 2008 6:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Ozzie hates Fields
Even after Crede went down for the season this year he bashed Fields to the press and played Juan Uribe there every day… which, in typicaly Ozzie fashion, worked out really well despite making absolutely no f***ing sense whatsoever.
The word is Alexei Ramirez is shifting to SS… which leaves 2B open for Betemit. There is also speculation he just takes 3B.
With Swisher gone, there is perhaps room for Fields in the OF now, too…
by alskor on Nov 13, 2008 6:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
the fields OF experiment is over for the sox. if his surgery/off-season doesn't make him an acceptable 3B...
Cashing checks and having sex.
by MarketMaker on Nov 14, 2008 2:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Now I need five words.
Nicely done.
I’ll wait on this one until the final report of who’s going where, but certainly first blush makes it a win for NYY.
Formerly Uncle Charlie of Minor League Ball
by Yakker on Nov 13, 2008 4:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Great pickup for the Yanks
He fits in perfectly with their offensive philosophy of seeing a lot of pitches. He also gives them flexibility this offseason by allowing them to pursue a free agent 1b or RF now, whichever works out best.
Kenny Williams seems primed for some blunders this offseason by insisting on selling low on Swisher and Javy Vasquez.
by jibs on Nov 13, 2008 4:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I like the gamble for the Yankees
Nunez, I think, has some late inning potential, but he’s not a big loss, and they do get a decent pen prospect back in Kanekoa Texeira. Marquez is replaceable, and while Betemit’s versatility is nice, he is replaceable. All in all, good gamble, as I think Swisher can bounce back a bit.
by toonsterwu on Nov 13, 2008 4:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Betemit would put up sick numbers in that ballpark
25+ homers. someone should just give him a chance to play everyday. Stick him at 2B since Ramirez is moving to SS. If Betemit plays every day I bet he is more valuable than Swisher. On the contrary he has never been an every day player to prove that.
by bravitos5122 on Nov 13, 2008 4:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I think that’s probably the very idea. Betemit at 2nd every day. Bye bye Cabrera.
by Lunkwill Fook on Nov 13, 2008 4:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That was my thinking too
I dont know why the speculation about 3B… other than Ozzie needlessly despising Fields.
Betemit could be the All Star starter at 2B if he plays every day there in that lineup. Perfect fit… and they cleared salary, but still… they sold at the absolute lowest point of Swisher’s value and you have to think they could have gotten Betemit for a good deal less. The Yanks never seemed to have a role for him or believe in him… Why? I do not know. I always liked Betemit.
by alskor on Nov 13, 2008 4:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
anybody want to speculate on betemit's defensive ability at 2B?
Cashing checks and having sex.
by MarketMaker on Nov 14, 2008 2:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Horrible
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on Nov 14, 2008 12:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
2b? full time? really?
25 HR doesn’t mean much when you’re as big a butcher in the field as Betemit is, and 2B is far from his natural position.
by sabernar on Nov 13, 2008 6:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Would the White Sox trade...
Would the Sox trade Betemit, Marquez, etc. for FDLS and Gio Gonzalez right now?
by aap212 on Nov 13, 2008 4:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
They wish they could I bet
The A’s wouldnt even consider that, though. Gio is by far the best player in that deal, and FDLS even having surgery doesnt change much…
by alskor on Nov 13, 2008 4:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Ahahahahahaha
hahahahahaha.
Sorry.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on Nov 13, 2008 5:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
???
I don’t think KW was ripped off that badly here…
by GuyinNY on Nov 13, 2008 5:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I do
Swisher was the unluckiest player in MLB last season. He’s easily an above-average regular player in a normal season.
Getting him, at a favorable price, and a prospect for this pile of poop is remarkable. Nunez is the only decent player of the three.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on Nov 13, 2008 5:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think Betemit is bad. I wouldn't have minded him for A's 3B Chavez backup.
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Nov 13, 2008 7:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
yeah, .251 BABIP
with that short porch in right field, as long as Swisher gets the AB’s, I think he could have a really good year for them. Very good gamble, considering they didn’t give up much of value to the Yankees future.
by toonsterwu on Nov 13, 2008 10:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh Sure
Swisher is just as bad defensively, if not worse, than Betemit with old man skills. Don Cooper will turn that “pile of poop” into something like he has with Floyd, Thornton, Danks, etc. I’m sure you all were laughing hysterically when he traded for the reject Quentin last year too.
I reject your reality and substitute my own.
by WayneCampbell08 on Nov 14, 2008 12:11 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Swisher is projected at +5 runs in corner OF by Smith
and has always been seen as a plus corner outfielder who can play center in a pinch. Good things have also been said about his ability at first base, but that seems to be more suspect.
Betemit’s projections are 0 runs at 1st, -6 runs at 3rd, -10 runs at 2nd and -15 runs at shortstop.
As for Quentin, he was a far better prospect than any of these three, and was acquired for less cost.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on Nov 14, 2008 1:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Not me.....
I predicted Quentin to hit around .280 with 30 HR.
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2008/4/9/391126/not-a-rookie-carlos-quenti
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift
by King Billy Royal on Nov 14, 2008 1:59 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
You're comparing Carlos quentin to Wilson Betemit?
TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems
by OldProspects on Nov 14, 2008 8:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
even more concerning, he's suggesting that the pitching coach, albeit a good one, is gonna make wilson betemit into a better player.
i wouldn’t want to take anything away from the success he’s had with danks, floyd and thornton, but this would really be an accomplishment.
Cashing checks and having sex.
by MarketMaker on Nov 14, 2008 8:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t know much about the prospects traded, any insights?
by dogdays on Nov 13, 2008 5:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Marquez is probably the best prospect
on the list. He was a supplemental 1st and was well thought of after a good year in 2007 in AA. Last year in AAA was not so good for many reasons, most of which was chalked up to a tired arm. Pretty much what seems to happen with all young Yankee pitchers.
Texeira is a AA reliever. Decent stats but not much projection. Maybe a middle guy. Ask about Nunez after another year.
by sdtribefan on Nov 13, 2008 7:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
aww not back to oakland
why not kenny? A’s couldve offered something better
by Asfan4ever723 on Nov 13, 2008 5:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
if you don't realize that nick swisher is garbage
then you’re not paying attention.
by robcast23 on Nov 13, 2008 8:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
no after 2 bad years in a mediocre (at best) career
hes had a career of 2 bad years and 2 mediocre years. if you want to tell me his ‘06 was good because of the 35hrs and the OBP, he did strike out 150+ times and he did hit .190 with RISP (which he always sucks at: .223 career) so don’t get too excited about it. i mean how can you hit 35hrs and not get 100rbi’s? the guy has a good eye but he can’t hit and to make matters worse he swings as hard as he can at every pitch.
ironically, it sounds like i’m talking about jason giambi here…
by robcast23 on Nov 13, 2008 11:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Umm...
“i mean how can you hit 35hrs and not get 100rbi’s?”
Spend almost exactly half your AB’s hitting 2nd, like Swish did that year? He did hit .190 with RISP that year, but in those same 126 AB’s with RISP, he drove in 55 runs. That’s not really bad at all I’d say.
One thing about the strikeouts, they really don’t matter at all if no one is on base, and over half his K’s came with the bases empty. That’s one thing that people overlook when throwing out strikeouts as knock against hitters.
"So's your mom"-David Sloane
by gatling on Nov 14, 2008 12:06 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Hrm...
There are usually a small, but non-negligible, number of opportunities to get on base which will arise from errors, etc. from a player who doesn’t k. Generally speaking, though, you are absolutely right on this one.
by GuyinNY on Nov 14, 2008 12:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
All else being equal, a K costs you about 2/100ths of a run
relative to some other species of out. (See “The Book.”)
To all practical intents and purposes, that’s irrelevant.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on Nov 14, 2008 1:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
no matter how few rbi's he had
you can’t possibly argue 35 homers isn’t at all valuable to your team. Unless he had 35 hits in 600 AB’s with 35 homers, it’s definitely still productive. He’s been an .800+ OPS hitter every year of his career, including this year. Maybe Swisher’s gotten way worse, but he’s by no means ‘garbage’.
by boonitez on Nov 14, 2008 1:26 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
OPS+
2005 age 24 101
2006 age 25 125
2007 age 26 127
2008 age 27 92
OK, obviously last year was one of the bad years (although he was really just unlucky, but we’ll let that slide), but where’s the other bad year and the two mediocres?
Formerly Uncle Charlie of Minor League Ball
by Yakker on Nov 14, 2008 12:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
He was ridiculously unlucky this past year
Luck normalized, he was still an .800 OPS hitter.
Vogt early, Vogt often.
by Brickhaus on Nov 13, 2008 10:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Bleah
800 still is below average for a 1B, LF or RF.
I reject your reality and substitute my own.
by WayneCampbell08 on Nov 14, 2008 12:13 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Is it "garbage?"
Rowdy Hardy Fan Club member.
by doublestix on Nov 14, 2008 1:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
OK
AL splits:
as 1B .266 .346 .447 .793
as LF .267 .336 .430 .766
as RF .282 .351 .459 .810
NL splits are a bit higher; presumably those guys are worse on defense. Add them up and an .800 OPS is almost exactly league average for those groups. Swisher’s higher OBP makes his hitting more valuable than average, however. His glove, which pegs him at 5 runs above a typical corner OF or 10 runs above a typical 1B, makes him clearly more valuable than average.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on Nov 14, 2008 1:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Where are you getting 10 fielding runs above average at 1B? Doesn't Chone have
him slightly below?
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Nov 14, 2008 7:40 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Not that your overall point isn't valid
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
by WaddellCanseco on Nov 14, 2008 7:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+5 in a corner is worth 10 runs more than 0 at 1B
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on Nov 14, 2008 12:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
And there goes Nick Swisher
zooming up fantasy draft lists next year.
He’s always a guy that’s expected to have a huge breakout, and I fall for it every year, but he could be a monster next year.
He could very well be batting 3rd in that lineup depending on what happens to Abreu. Some improved luck and he could easily be a .900 OPS guy with 30-40 HR power. He’s still only 27.
This was an amazing trade for the Yankees.
by Galt on Nov 14, 2008 11:14 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
