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Sources close to both teams say the New York Yankees have agreed to send catcher Jesus Montero and pitcher Hector Noesi to the Seattle Mariners for pitchers Michael Pineda and Jose Campos.
The deal helps to sure up a Yankees pitching staff that had some question marks behind ace CC Sabathia and last year's rookie of the year candidate Ivan Nova. It also brings youth to the staff as three of those starters are 25-years-old or younger.
The 6'7'' 260 pound Pineda as a rookie last season went 9-10 with an era of 3.74 with 173 strikeouts in 171 innings. Campos is a rated as a quality right-hander as he did well for Class A Everett last season going 5-5 with an era of 2.32.
The price was steep for the 22-year-old Pineda as the Yankees parted ways with Montero who was rated as on of the top 50 of prospects across all of baseball. After being called up last September he showed why hitting .328 with four homeruns and 28 runs batted in. Despite the offensive production doubts were raised about his ability behind the plate long-term and with the emergence of Russell Martin who made the All-Star game last season made him expendable.
The Yankees also signed 36-year-old veteran pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal worth about $10 million. Kuroda pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season going 13-16 in 32 starts with an era of 3.07. Kuroda will give the Yankees another pitching option that will factor in the enigmatic AJ Burnett, a resigned Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes for those last two spots in the rotation.
This is not the first time Montero's name has been bandied about in trade proposal. He was among those mentioned in a trade for then Seattle Mariners' pitcher Cliff Lee but after that was nixed Lee ended up with the Texas Rangers.
The Mariners were able to part ways wth Pineda because of a plethora of pitching talent at the major league level and on the rise in the minors. Not only do they have Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez but on the farm their three top prospects are pitchers including last year's No. 2 pick in the amateur draft lefty Danny Hultzen.
The Mariners hope the 22-year-old Montero can bring his lively bat to an offense that was dead last in runs scored, hits and batting average in the AL last season.
From The Sports Mind Of RB:
I look at this as a win win for both teams because they got exactly what they wanted. The Yankees needed pitching and young pitching at that and the Mariners get the hitter they desperately strived for. But of course we will have to wait and see down the line who really got the better of this deal.
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