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Did Cashman Blow It With Jimenez?


By Mike Silva ~ July 30th, 2011. Filed under: Mike Silva, New York Yankees.

Now that Ubaldo Jimenez is officially a member of the Cleveland Indians let’s take a look at the haul Dan O’ Dowd received for his ace. Is it the “Herschel Walker type deal” he demanded just a few weeks ago?

As first reported by The Denver Post, the Rockies will receive a package of four players: left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz, right-handed pitchers Alex White and Joe Gardner, and catcher/first baseman Matt McBride.

Reports throughout the evening had the Red Sox pushing for Jimenez late. The Reds, a team we heard was possibly in the lead, were nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Joel Sherman of the NY Post reported the Yankees didn’t have conversations with Colorado for four days. The Yanks offered Phil Hughes straight up for Jimenez, but the Rockies never really came down in their asking price. The last report had Manny Banuelos out of the deal, but Colorado still wanted Jesus Montero, Dellin Betances, and Ivan Nova. We reported that Austin Romine was also a name floated during trade negotiations.

One interesting twist was how Brian Cashman’s request to give Jimenez a physical was denied by Dan O’ Dowd. Why would this be an issue if he is healthy? The Yanks have been wary about the fact that Jimenez is available at all since Colorado still could control him for two more seasons at reasonable price.

A comparable package to what Cleveland offered was the Yankees giving up both Betances and Banuelos along with Nova and Montero. McBride is comparable to Montero since the Rockies viewed him as a first baseman anyway.

I don’t blame Brian Cashman for passing on this deal. The refusal to grant the Yankees an opportunity to give Jimenez a physical is a huge red flag. If they were able to get some medicals on him I wonder if Cashman would be more amenable to part with a couple of the prospects. I don’t blame him for not giving up both Killer B’s as it seems it was never a negotiation with O’ Dowd, but more of who will meet the king’s ransom demand first.

Two weeks ago I said the Yankees should go “all out” to acquire Ubaldo Jimenez. I didn’t believe, when push came to shove, that Colorado could get a 4 for 1 haul they were demanding. I was wrong as Cleveland GM Chris Antonetti decided to “go for it” in the wide open AL Central. If Jimenez doesn’t play a big part in Cleveland winning the Central, this could go down in similar fashion to the deal Montreal made in acquiring Mark Langston where they gave up Randy Johnson. There are two potential aces in this deal in Pomeranz and White.

Realistically, the Yankees could afford to be wrong and give up an expensive prospect haul. They have the kind of money to throw at future drafts to cover up such a mistake. I doubt Antonetti has the same luxury in Cleveland. He needs this deal to come up aces, for lack of a better word.

So what do you think? Did Cashman blow it by letting Jimenez go to Cleveland? Give us your thoughts.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com
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14 Responses to Did Cashman Blow It With Jimenez?

  1. Anonymous
    July 30th, 2011 at 11:28 pm

    The Rockies announcers are saying that Ubaldo does need to pass a physical to join the Indians. Why the Yankees did not have option, I don’t know.

  2. Chuck Johnson
    July 30th, 2011 at 11:34 pm

    Best trade Cashman never made.

    You don’t trade a controllable commodity like this unless something is wrong.

  3. FireCashman
    July 30th, 2011 at 11:40 pm

    Johan Santana, Cliff Lee, now Ubaldo Jimenez.

    Only time will tell if Jimenez can make it in the AL, but for now it seems that the Indians won.

    As for Brian Cashman “protecting his top prospects”…

    Let’s stroll down memory lane and recall the last time he protected his top prospects in: “Tommy John” Joba, “Dead Arm” Hughes, and Ian Kennedy.

    Yet another mistake made by Brian Cashman.

    I wish you were still alive George, I really do.

  4. Bradley
    July 30th, 2011 at 11:41 pm

    Could be great for both teams. Could be great for 1 team. Could amount to a wash. Cool trade. Cashman may have missed an opportunity like no other.

  5. KJ
    July 30th, 2011 at 11:47 pm

    Jimenez lost three miles off his fastball. From 96 to 93 this year. A huge red flag. Still good stuff, but more of a #2 or #3 now. He just can’t blow away hitters like he use to. He would of gotten hit in the AL East.

    Cleveland badly overpayed based on the early 2010 Jimenez who was a different pitcher. Hughes and Jimenez are actually a lot alike.

  6. KJ
    July 30th, 2011 at 11:53 pm

    @FireCashman - Have you been paying attention? Jimenez is not the same pitcher he was in May of 2010. Smart Yankee fans look at his numbers and see the steep decline. He is not an ace. His numbers are actually very similar to AJ’s. Right now they are pretty similar pitchers.

    So how did Cleveland win? They gave up their top prospects for a risky pitcher who doesn’t throw as hard.

    Now please do the world a favor and go play in traffic.

  7. FireCashman
    July 31st, 2011 at 11:17 am

    @KJ

    Any true Yankee fan would ignore Ubaldo’s drop in velocity and realize that the Yankees simply WONT make it to the World Series with AJ Burnett as your number 2 starter. Keep ignoring the fact that the 2011 Yankee rotation is C.C. Sabathia and then a HUGE drop off to the 2nd best starter.

    Attaining Ubaldo would certainly take less pressure off AJ Burnett and the rest of the rotation come playoff time. The fact that Ubaldo is not an “ace” is moot since the Yankees were not looking for an ace but were looking for a #2 starter to compliment C.C. Sabathia.

  8. Stu B
    July 31st, 2011 at 2:00 pm

    “The fact that Ubaldo is not an “ace” is moot”

    The entire issue is moot now that Jimenez is in Cleveland.

  9. Chuck Johnson
    July 31st, 2011 at 3:54 pm

    FireCashman,

    Any true Yankee fan would realize the asking price for Ubaldo isn’t worth Ubaldo.

    Take away his first 20 starts last year, and he’s a .500 pitcher for his career with an ERA well over four.

    Even if you discount his numbers by 15-20% because of the Coors factor, Jimenez is a number two at best, and a number three in the AL East.

    I’ll tell you right now, Jason Marquis will have a bigger impact for the Diamondbacks than Jimenez will in Cleveland.

    Having a number three pitching as a number three is a bigger difference than having a number three pitching as a number one.

    I’m not a fan of any of the prospects Cleveland gave up, and they still got hosed.

  10. Stu B
    July 31st, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    “I’m not a fan of any of the prospects Cleveland gave up, and they still got hosed.”

    To be fair, Alex White was no. 47 and Drew Pomeranz was no. 61 in BA’s prospect rankings, so the Rockies got a pretty good haul.

  11. Stu B
    July 31st, 2011 at 4:09 pm

    Now that the Red Sox got Erik Bedard, did Cashman blow it altogether?

  12. bklyn
    August 1st, 2011 at 12:21 am

    Did you just compare a 26 c/fb in mcbride to a top 10 prospect in montero… who is only 21.

    No way is the package the Indians gave up equate to a package of Banuelos, Betances, Montero, and Nova.

    Montero, Betances, and Montero are top 50 propsects and Nova is proving to be an excellent mid/back of the rotation starter.

  13. Bryan
    August 1st, 2011 at 6:24 am

    Velocity comes and goes some years with pitchers, especially power arms. The Yankees will probably end up getting him in a few years so no reason to worry.

  14. Stu B
    August 1st, 2011 at 9:10 am

    “No way is the package the Indians gave up equate to a package of Banuelos, Betances, Montero, and Nova.”

    How is that relevant to anything?

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