Bombers net Nady, Marte from Bucs for prospects

Brian Cashman has finally done a great trade. With the recent 7-game winning streak together with this blockbuster trade, I think the Yanks are gearing up for at least the Wild Card slot. We all know we’re an awesome team, don’t we? Well, the Yanks acquired outfielder Xavier Nady and lefty reliever Damaso Marte.

This trade probably puts off any future Barry Bonds talks, since Nady is a capable power hitter, and we’d own him for two more years. Marte could become a free agent after this season if the Yanks don’t pick up his option (How bout we don’t and make a run for K-Rod?) but if another team signs him, we’d recieve two draft picks most likely, since Marte should be a Type A free agent. Suffice to say, we just locked up two required pieces for two years.

What we sent to the Pirates in return won’t hurt the Yanks’ farm system that much. The Yankees traded a trio of prospects, all of them in Double-A Trenton, plus a reliever for Nady and Marte. The prospects are: lefty Phil Coke, righty George Kontos, 19-year old outfielder Jose Tabata (our best hitting-for-average prospect) and right-hander Ross Ohlendorf, who came to the Yanks in the Randy Johnson trade. Ohlendorf is the only one among the four with any Major-League experience.

Well, this looks like a steal for the Yanks, although losing Tabata was tough, since he is talented and young. We still have Austin Jackson in the minor leagues, though. Anyway, we did not surrender much, and recieved much in return. This trade helps our needs (lefty in bullpen, power-hitting outfielder) and with the recent surge, the Yanks might just make the playoffs again. Can’t wait to see those guys don their pinstripes and play.

The other hot Yankees rumor is a possible Jarrod Washburn trade. Washburn went 4-9 this season with the M’s. The lefty also has a 2.65 ERA over his last eight starts, but the Mariners couldn’t provide enough run support for him. Washburn isn’t a Rich Harden or CC Sabathia, but he is a lefty, a No. 3 or 4 starter, and is pretty consistent. However, he does have a no-trade clause and sadly, that includes the Yanks. If the Mariners organization could convince him otherwise, then yeah, we’d love to have him. A package the Yanks want to send to the M’s for Washburn includes huge bust Kei Igawa and possibly speedy outfielders Brett Gardner or Melky Cabrera. The Mariners insist that the Bombers have to take Jose Vidro along, though, since Vidro has a huge contract. This would be a pretty good trade, but if the M’s keep Washburn, Bronson Arroyo could be another option. He might be Javier Vazquez all over again, though.

That’s all for today.