Lets Make a Deal

Before the start of the 2008 season the Yankees committed themselves to a youth movement of sorts in the pitching staff by refusing to part with a group of their youngsters such as Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy for Johan Santana. This proved to be a bad decision when a combination of injuries and poor performance held the duo to just 73.2 IP and a 7.45 ERA. Now for the ‘09 season the Yanks have gone back to their recent roots and spent heavily on the best free agents available, bringing in CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett to fill out the starting staff. This basically means another season in AAA for Hughes and Kennedy, unless, Joba Chamberlain goes to the pen and one of them win the #5 spot in the rotation, which as of now doesn’t seem likely.

Instead of sending Kennedy back to AAA, I think it would be in the Yankees best interest to trade the young righthander. While I do believe that you can never have too much pitching depth, especially young pitching, Kennedy just turned 24 years old and his trade value will only be decreasing regardless of how good he does in AAA this season. He last two seasons in the minors have been almost unbelievable. He’s pitched 223.1 Innings and struck out 246 batters while posting a 2.01 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP.

Unfortunately, he now seems lost in the shuffle in the Yankee organization behind the new big money guys CC and AJ, the phenom Joba and the younger Hughes. If the Yanks stick him back in the minors another year and attempt to move him next season they’ll find teams won’t be as interested in a then 25 year old pitcher with less than 100 innings experience in the big leagues. The time to trade Kennedy is now and here’s a few possibilities I thought could make sense.

1. A trade of potential for potential. Kennedy goes to the White Sox for power hitting 3rd baseman Josh Fields. The Yanks get a potential power bat to fill in at 3rd in A-Rod’s absence and the Sox get another young arm to go with Danks and Floyd. The Sox also throw in a 2nd minor leaguer to round out the deal.

2. At the trade deadline the Yanks send Kennedy, Mark Melancon, and Nick Swisher to the A’s for Matt Holliday. This is assuming the A’s have conceded the AL West and are looking to move Holliday and the Yanks are looking to upgrade from Matsui/ Damon in left field. If so its obvious what the Yanks get in this. As for Oakland they get a bat to replace Holliday for the rest of ‘09, a pitcher in Kennedy who they can put in their rotation right away and a young power arm for the pen in Melancon.

3. The Yanks send Kennedy, Melky Cabrera, and minor league pitcher Zach Mcallister to Milwaukee for Mike Cameron and Bill Hall. In Cameron the Yanks get a Gold Glove caliber center fielder with a little pop and in Hall the they get a replacement at 3rd for A-Rod and then a quality utility man off the bench when A-Rod returns.

Of course, I’m no general manager, I just play one on the internet, so I don’t expect any of these deals to happen. I haven’t considered salaries or any of the other fine points of making a trade. I just think in their raw form these deals make sense for both teams involved. More so, I like Kennedy and I just want to see him get a shot in the big leagues beyond a September call up and I don’t see that happening anytime soon with the Yankees.

-Robb Lennahan