Ugly Trade Idea: Who Wants To Help the Skanks Keep Judge?!?

I’m bored at work so I figured I’d take a crack at one of these….

OK, so first, do you want to avoid another season of Magnificent Sierra? Would you like a guy who can play 1B, platoon at 1B with Walsh if he comes back, and fill in fairly well at second? Would you like some more prospects to sow into our farm system? Well, OK.

First we’ll address the dead horse in the room. Aaron Hicks is not very good, but he does cost about 10M a year for the next three seasons plus his buy out. He’s 32 years old. So he has all that going for him. STILL, he is better than many of the OF we’ve had over the last 2 years, and with all the magic a new owner will bring, perhaps he will even be a league average player. At least he can play CF.

DJ LaMahieu is 34 years old and is set to be paid 15 Million a year over the next 4 seasons. He will almost certainly not be worth that, though he is worth it now. His value to us is that he will be a great platoon partner for Walsh, he can fill in at 2B and 3B as well, and he actually plays good defense. He is also a very good contact hitter, which may age better than some skills. We will likely get some sort of value out of him for at least a couple seasons, maybe even all four, and if Walsh is out long term he can fill in at 1B.

We are picking up 25M of salary per year off the Yankees for 3 years. Amazingly, this is when Giancarlo Stanton’s contract starts to wind down from it’s current 32M per year number. We will also pay 15M in year four, as his number drops to 29M and continues to drop yearly from there.

You see, I watch ESPN sometimes, and I listen to sports gawk radio. So I know that Aaron Judge is the greatest thing evah. The Yankees made a huge mistake taking on the contract of former greatest thing evah, Stanton. We can help them fix that a little because there is absolutely no way the Yankees will let Judge leave if money is the only issue.

In return, we will get prospects back.

Everson Periera OF (Yankees #5 Prospect): Added to New York’s 40-man roster in November, Pereira always has had a quick right-handed stroke and now that he has gotten significantly stronger since turning pro, he’s producing some of the highest exit velocities in the system. He has geared his swing to launch balls in the air and has the hand-eye coordination to make it work, though his approach does lead to strikeouts. He initially looked like a potential plus hitter with average power, but now that profile has reversed.

Pereira has slowed slightly as he has added muscle but still possesses solid speed and makes the most of it. He can steal an occasional base and covers ground in center field with his quickness and instincts. If he has to move to a corner, he has the power and solid arm strength to profile well in right field.

Will Warren SP (Yankees #8 Prospect): Warren racks up groundouts with the sink on his two-seamer, which sits at 92-93 mph and tops out at 95, and still incorporates some four-seamers, but his best pitch is clearly his slider. He didn’t use the slider much in college but since has added significant velocity and movement, and it now operates at 85-88 mph with wicked horizontal sweep and 3,000-plus rpm. He possesses a pair of average secondary pitches in a mid-70s downer curveball that also features top-of-the-scale spin rates and a low-80s changeup with decent fade.

Warren has gained about 10-15 pounds since turning pro and his 6-foot-2 frame still has room to add more strength. He has a sound delivery and throws strikes, which will give him the opportunity to remain a starter. If he winds up in the bullpen, his slider could make him a high-leverage weapon.

Drew Thorpe SP (Yankees #13 Prospect): Thorpe relies heavily on one of the best changeups in the 2022 Draft, a fading weapon in the low 80s that earns double-plus grades from some evaluators. His fastball features below-average velocity at 89-92 mph with a peak of 95 and only some mild sink, but it plays as an average offering because he locates it well and keeps hitters off balance. He improved the depth on his low-80s slider this year and it shows flashes of becoming a solid pitch.

His advanced feel for pitching allows Thorpe to get the most out of his stuff. Recruited as a two-way player, he has the strength and athleticism to repeat his simple delivery and pound the strike zone. He sequences and commands his pitches well, giving him the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter along with a high floor.

Oswaldo Cabrera IF (Yankees #14 Prospect): A switch-hitter, Cabrera returned from the 2020 pandemic layoff with more strength and more pronounced loft in his swing. His power surge only came from the left side, where he batted .290/.350/.612 compared to .227/.277/.333 as a righty. He’s using his legs more at the plate and has taken a more aggressive approach without sacrificing much in the way of contact, though he’s a fringy hitter at best. 

Cabrera’s added muscle cost him some quickness, though he’s still an aggressive runner who makes the most of his fringy to average speed on the bases. His quick hands, solid arm and finely-tuned internal clock help him make plays in the field, though his range is a bit stretched at shortstop. He saw more action at second and third base in each of his last two seasons, and he’s a solid defender at both spots.

In return the Yankees also receive possibly good cheap pen arm Jose Marte from us and possibly good possibly overpriced pen arm Ryan Tepera. They also gain the ability to pay Judge and still trade for the “real talent” their fanbase will demand come the deadline, sign some other FAs, etc.

So. How much do we hate this idea?

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi