Thoughts on the Nady/Marte Trade

Written by Greg Fertel | 27 July 2008

I realize this is a few days late, but since I just got back tonight, I thought I would give my thoughts on the Nady/Marte trade, whether I think they gave up too much and if selling low on Tabata was the right move.

The Yankees Received

Xavier Nady OF: Nady, at age 29, was having a career year (.330 BA, 142 OPS+, 13 homers) for the Pirates before being dealt to the Yankees. Affordable at 3.5 million dollars this season, Nady is due for a significant raise this offsesason in arbitration (he doesn't have enough service time to be a free agent, but he will be in '09). Nady provides a quick fix this season as a right-handed bat with pop who hits well against lefties and is versatile defensively, able to play both outfield corners as well as first base. In addition to filling in for the injured Hideki Matsui this season, Nady could be an affordable replacement for Bobby Abreu or Jason Giambi should either of them fail to resign with the Yankees, so there is an eye towards the future as well. It is quite possible that he could regress to his career norms, however.

Damaso Marte LHP: A shutdown lefty has been the only piece lacking from a very strong Yankee bullpen this season, and in Marte, the Yankees acquired just that. While his numbers against lefties this season are not quite as dominant as they were last year (around .250 compared to under .100), Marte has the stuff to handle the toughest lefties in the AL (like David Ortiz last night) and also can get righties out (he has experience as a setup man and a closer). This move helps the team out in the short term. Marte has a 6 million dollar option this offseason, which is high for a reliever of his type. Ideally, the Yankees would decline the option, offer arbitration, and (when Marte presumably declines) either get draft picks as compensation for letting him signing somewhere else, or else come to a more reasonable agreement.

The Yankees Gave Up

Jose Tabata OF: The centerpiece of this trade, Tabata has always been one of the Yankees' top position player prospects, probably the top until this season, where a combination of poor performance, injury, and attitude problems caused his stock to drop. He was one of the few position players in the Yankees' system with a legitimate shot at being an above-average major leaguer, and with star potential, though he has yet to show the power projected in him. Still, at age 19 in AA, he has plenty of time to make it to the majors. Tabata could eventually join Nate McClouth and Andrew McCutchen in what could be a very young and exciting Pirates outfield. I'm still rooting for Tabata to do well, since I have followed him for so long.

Ross Ohlendorf RHP: Inconsistent in the minors as a starter, the Yankees converted Ohlendorf to the bullpen, and he impressed the Yankee brass, adding a few MPH to his fastball. He was used mostly as a long reliever this season. However, his performance in the majors was mediocre, leading to a demotion to the minors. The Pirates have been rumored to really like Ohlendorf, and they plan to groom him in the minors to be a starter.

Jeff Karstens RHP: Jeff has had success in the minors as a starter, and has served as a long man/spot starter in the Bronx when called up, with intermittent success. There's not much upside here, but Karstens could be a solid 5th starter in the NL who will throw strikes without costing the penny-pinching Pirates too much money. Karstens had little future in the organization as a starter, since there are too many higher-ceiling starters in the organization.

Dan McCutchen RHP: After Tabata, McCutchen is the 2nd-biggest talent in the deal. He has had success over several minor league levels over the past through seasons, making it to AAA and pitching very well there this season. He has good control but better stuff than a Karstens-type, and should be a #4-5 starter in the majors in the next few months. I imagine he will wind up in the Pittsburgh rotation soon if he continues to pitch well. While a bigger pitching prospect than Karstens or Ohlendorf, McCutchen was similarly blocked by his higher-ceiling compatriots.

Overall Analysis

This looks to me to be a very good deal for the Yankees. They were able to use their impressive minor league pitching depth to add several lower-tier prospects to supplement a legitimate high-ceiling prospect in Tabata, and obtain 2 important pieces for the rest of the season, and possibly the future. Nady and Marte should help the Yankees in their quest to make the playoffs and win the AL East, as they should help the Yankees deal with lefties.

Of the players dealt in the trade, Tabata is the only one who is not immediately replacable in the system, as young outfielders who hit over .300 as 18 year-olds in high-A are incredibly rare. Losing a talent like that hurts, but the fact is that his value was dropping, and Cashman might have thought it better to trade him before his value tanked completely. While Tabata will certainly be missed, his injuries, poor performance, and immaturity this season likely pushed back his timetable for arriving in the majors, meaning he wouldn't be of any help to the Yankees anytime soon. I'm glad that it was Tabata who was dealt, not Austin Jackson, who the Pirates reportedly asked for (and who Brian Cashman reportedly refused to trade).

As for the 3 pitchers, 2 of them (Karstens and Ohlendorf) were unlikely to contribute to the big club this season, and McCutchen, a legitimate prospect as a back-end starter, would likely have to battle with Ian Kennedy, Alan Horne, Alfredo Aceves, and others for a spot in the rotation. All 3 of these guys are very replaceable in the organizational depth, and do not weaken the system much at all. Phil Coke and George Kontos were potentially in the trade instead of Karstens and McCutchen, but Coke failed his physical due to a questionable shoulder.

Overall, I thought this was a very good trade that greatly strengthened the present team without hurting the future too much. While I hate to see Tabata go, Cashman was able to retain Jackson, Montero, McAllister, Kennedy, and many other prospects with impact potential. Tabata remains the key to the trade. If Tabata busts and doesn't make an impact in the majors, the trade is likely a landslide for the Yankees. If he fulfills his potential and becomes the great player he is capable of being, the Pirates come out ahead. However, this discussion is almost moot if the additions of Nady and Marte help the Yankees win the World Series this year.