Boston – OF SIXTEEN scouts and executives polled, 12 thought the Yankees won their trade with Pittsburgh anywhere from mildly to a slam dunk, two viewed the deal as having equal value for both sides, and just two favored the Pirates’ side of the transaction.
Those who liked the Yankees’ acquisition of Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte essentially expressed the view that the Yanks addressed two areas of extreme need – a righty-hitting corner outfield bat and a top lefty reliever – without surrendering a substantial package. An NL scout who covers the Yankees went as far as to say, “I don’t think the Yankees gave up anything.”
The two scouts who favored the Pirates liked that the regime that was put in place to run Pittsburgh – namely President Frank Coonelly and GM Neal Huntington – did not get caught up in trying to win now like their predecessors and turned supplementary players who were not going to be part of their next good club into, at the worst, solid organizational depth. Pittsburgh received outfielder Jose Tabata and pitchers Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens and Daniel McCutchen.
“For Pittsburgh, it’s not a great trade talent-wise, but I like what it represents,” an AL executive said. “A lot rides on Tabata, who is a tool shed. Although there are concerns about his health, power and perhaps his makeup, he has the potential to be an impact player at a premium position by the time the Pirates should be competing again. Although not perfect because Ohlendorf is a middle man – maybe better in the NL – and the two other guys are long shots, it is precisely the type of deal the Pirates should be making: That is, one that exchanges impending free agents for potentially premier talent that is more suited to their time horizon. It is also the type of deal that the Pittsburgh club had not been making in recent years, despite it being in its best interest.”
For Pittsburgh, this deal does seem to hinge mainly on just how good Tabata is. As one farm director said, “If you saw him at the Futures Game two years ago at 17, you were sure you were watching a budding superstar. If you saw him this year, you were sure you were watching a bum.”
An AL executive said, “A year and a half ago, he was untouchable. Now you have questions about if his age is accurate (his listed birthdate has him turning 20 next month) and a lot about his makeup.”
The reports this year on Tabata have been universally horrendous. The comparisons to Manny Ramirez are long gone.
“He may have had tools when he signed, but if you were watching him this year, he was chunky and stiff,” one scout said. “He doesn’t run well. He made zero adjustments at the plate. He couldn’t hit my inside fastball. He is immature, has a lot of holes in his swing and is bad in the outfield.”
An AL personnel head said, “Tabata is the wild card in this trade. He has a big offensive upside, but his body type is not great, the reports are not good on him this year and the makeup is not good at all. And my biggest worry of all is that the Yankees know him best of all and traded him. That willingness says something to me.”
What it should say is that the Yanks felt Double-A outfield mate Austin Jackson had gone way beyond Tabata, which our panel concurred on, though several were not nearly as high on Jackson as the Yankees are. It also said Tabata has exhibited a lot of immature behavior, which included leaving the stadium in frustration during a game. Still, there remained Yankees executives who continued to think of Tabata as both a good person and a player who will hit. Tabata fractured his hamate bone in his hand last year, and there are many who believe he is just now fully regaining his strength.
The Pirates, who still have left fielder Jason Bay as a trade chip from now through next July, are projecting a young, controllable, affordable outfield of the future of All-Star Nate McLouth, top prospect Andrew McCutchen and Tabata.
And the Pirates also love Ohlendorf, insisting throughout trade discussions with the Yanks that he must be part of a deal. Executives from other clubs say Huntington, as a scout last year for the Indians, saw Ohlendorf pitch well and that has stuck with him. Internally, the Yanks wondered why Ohlendorf had not pitched up to his superb stuff, which is an outside view as well.
“Ohlendorf is a horse with stuff who doesn’t get guys out,” a scout said. “I think he might not be built for New York, but that the New York experience helps him in Pittsburgh.”
A more dubious scout said, “He is not young, he is getting hit around and his slider, which I thought would develop, hasn’t.”
McCutchen has been a favorite of Yankees officials because, as one said, “He’s very competitive, has great makeup, is a workout freak and is durable.” The Yanks imagine him as nothing less than a competent bullpen guy with a chance to be a fourth or fifth starter. Karstens was essentially a version of Darrell Rasner, which made him expendable.
Original reports had the Yanks dealing George Kontos and Phil Coke, rather than Karstens and McCutchen. The Yanks found it intriguing how many teams have called them heavily over the last month on Coke and another lefty, Wilkins De La Rosa, who is 23 and at Low-A, but is in his second year after being converted from an outfielder.
The Yanks have stopped Coke, 26, from starting because he was nearing his innings limit. But they are putting him at Triple-A as a reliever and the plan – at least before obtaining Marte – was to see if he could join the major league team as a lefty specialist.