Goodbye Abe Almonte
Via MLBTraderumors -
The Yankees have acquired right-hander Shawn Kelley from the Mariners in exchange for outfielder Abraham Almonte, according to Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News Tribune (on Twitter). The Mariners designated Kelley for assignment on Thursday to make roster space for Kelly Shoppach.
Kelley, 28, appeared in 47 games for the Mariners in 2012, posting a 3.25 ERA with 9.1 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, and a 28.8% ground ball rate in 44 1/3 innings. The right-hander will earn $930K in 2013.
Meanwhile, Almonte will give the M’s some much needed minor league depth at the centerfielder position and can also play the corners. The 23-year-old spent last season in Double-A, hitting .276/.350/.392 in 78 games.
Let’s hope this one works out better than the 1981 trade of Willie McGee for Bob Sykes…
LOL: https://twitter.com/eboland11/statuses/301862750907424768
@ Steve L.:
For those of us who have Twitter blocked, what does it say?
MJ Recanati wrote:
That the just-acquired Kelley needs shoulder surgery will be announced tomorrow. #butseriouslyfolks
McGee was known then to be an outstanding prospect. The modern parallel would be putting Mason Williams in this deal. Almonte is a fringe type with a ceiling as a major league reserve.
@ Scout:
I hear you. And, Almonte was being squeezed in the minors by guys in front and behind him. That said, he has tools. And, you never know…
Steve L. wrote:
LOL. He’s had two TJS’s before so this isn’t surprising (and neither is it surprising that the last three pitchers we’ve gotten from Seattle all had bad shoulders/elbows).
Steve L. wrote:
How come when the Yankees trade a player, you give the player the benefit of the doubt and say things like “you never know [how good they'll end up being]” but with the players that remain in the organization, you always find a way to cast doubt on their abilities or their attitudes?
MJ Recanati wrote:
It’s the Cashman factor. He seems not to know what he has and/or overvalues things at times. See Austin Jackson and Ian Kennedy. See Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. He keeps the wrong players and trades away the good ones. See also Tyler Clippard and J.B. Cox.
Steve L. wrote:
Ian Kennedy was a back-end starter in the AL East. I’m not the least bit surprised that he’s doing better in the NL West. Is that a case of “not knowing what he has” or a case of knowiing what he has and thinking that a #4 starter in the AL East with no place in the then-current rotation isn’t something that stands in the way of acquiring an in-his-prime centerfielder with power and speed?
Steve L. wrote:
Funny thing about Jackson is that you didn’t think he was a good player in our system but you consistently cite him as someone the Yankees shouldn’t have traded away. You can’t have it both ways and you can’t use hindsight to aid your flawed argument.
MJ Recanati wrote:
I think you have me confused with the Yankees:
http://waswatching.com/2010/01/19/wynegar-austin-jackson-is-not-ready-for-prime-time/
I don’t recall saying Jackson was a busted pick. And, in the post above, I did say wait and see on him.
Even back in 2009 I said wait and see on Jackson:
http://waswatching.com/2009/08/05/austin-jackson-prospect-or-suspect/
Steve, that reference was a knife into the gut. Why not just go for the branding iron to the face, and reference “Bones” for Phelps? I still get sick over that one, and was screaming at the television at the news. But then, that is one that can’t be blamed on Cash….
Oh, and aren’t GM’s all greater (or hated more) in hindsight?
Steve L. wrote:
Maybe, maybe not, but it should be noted that teams had a chance to claim him in the Rule V draft, but didn’t.
Don’t know how good Abe Almonte is, but considering he was just planting his feet in AA at the age of 23, he’s probably not going to develop into an MVP candidate.
Raf wrote:
Great point.
Kelley made the team out of ST, FWIW.
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/aardsma_gets_ax_I5nqfPgQDWgsHqRNeCsQMP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Yankees
@ Steve L.:
Presumably as the 6th inning guy
Interesting that Girardi’s knock against Aardsma was that he could only go an inning at a time when that is pretty much the way Girardi has deployed his relievers.