Opinions are mixed about what the Yankees' latest trade means for the division, or if it means anything at all.
Padres: Yangervis Solarte and Rafael De Paula
I count five reactions among Yankee fans over the recent move to acquire the faded Padres star for a struggling third baseman and a minor league pitcher.
1) Great move
Soundbite:
"Ninja Cashman strikes again! We got a good-to-great third baseman for a bag of balls! He's the second coming of Scott Brosius!"
2) Logical move
Soundbite:
"An upgrade from an offensive black hole to a mildly weaker black hole is still an upgrade. Maybe the ripple effect of giving less playing time to Roberts and Johnson will improve the team. The AL East is really weak."
3) Non-move
Soundbite:
"It doesn't really matter because this team was never built to win the AL East, despite giving a billion dollars to a bunch of aging outfielders in the offseason."
4) Poor move
Soundbite:
"Giving up De Paula was probably too much for Headley at this point, but something has to be done to fix the mess Cashman put together this offseason. The Yankees couldn't keep Youkilis on the field, so let's try another 3B with a bad back."
5) Wasted opportunity
Soundbite:
"The Yankees have a chance to rebuild the farm by trading away some useful but duplicate pieces like David Robertson, Brett Gardner or Matt Thornton. Instead, they're swimming against the tide to squeeze one more run out of a broken down core."
I hear notes of truth in all these opinions, and I can't quite decide where I stand. I'm happier with Headley than with Solarte, but I recognize that this is what Brian Cashman calls an "incremental improvement." The guys who could make the Yankees favorites (Price, Stanton, even Cliff Lee) are out of their price range.
So help me make up my mind. What do you think?