Swish Traded to the Yankees

[fathom]

Sox got Betemit also

[DBAHO]

This means we are keeping Konerko. s***.

Well Konerko was argubly our best hitter in the 2nd half of the season.

 

I'm waiting to see what the deal was here, but maybe Swish had more of a market than Kong?

[DBAHO]

Sox got Betemit also

Our new 2nd / 3rd baseman perhaps.

[Dick Allen]

Its amazing how bad Swisher was and how much slack he continues to get. He hit .219. He fanned at an incredible clip. He hit below .200 after the AS break. He couldn't beat out Wise for playing time when Quentin went down.

[sircaffey]

I'll recap quickly BA's take on Marquez from last season...

 

Sinker-Slider guy. Power sinker 89-93. Curve and change improved to solid-average pitches. Great pickoff move. Doesn't miss any bats meaning he relies heavily on his defense. Projects him to be a workhorse number 3 or 4.

 

Again, that was last year's scouting report when he was the Yanks' #7 prospect.

[DBAHO]

Also this means that KW is going to target a CF now, I've got no doubt about that.

[bmags]

I'm so confused...

[DukeNukeEm]

This is a salary dump guys, $24 mil off the books for a scrap. It is however a pretty obvious sign KW is clearing up salary for something bigger, Aaron Poreda might want to pack his bags soon because were going to take on something big.

 

Carlos Beltran?

[DBAHO]

I'll recap quickly BA's take on Marquez from last season...

 

Sinker-Slider guy. Power sinker 89-93. Curve and change improved to solid-average pitches. Great pickoff move. Doesn't miss any bats meaning he relies heavily on his defense. Projects him to be a workhorse number 3 or 4.

 

Again, that was last year's scouting report when he was the Yanks' #7 prospect.

Sounds like the type of young pitcher KW has tried to target in the past couple of seasons (in terms of putting the ball in play, not giving up a lot of HR's, and letting the defense do the work).

[fathom]

This is a salary dump guys, $24 mil off the books for a scrap. It is however a pretty obvious sign KW is clearing up salary for something bigger, Aaron Poreda might want to pack his bags soon because were going to take on something big.

 

Carlos Beltran?

 

I'd love to trade Poreda now, as his stock is so much higher than it should be.

[ThunderBolt]

I'm so confused...

I'm hearing reports about Betemit, Marquez, and Melky. Not as bad, but we could use one more player.

[Sox It To Em]

This is a salary dump guys, $24 mil off the books for a scrap. It is however a pretty obvious sign KW is clearing up salary for something bigger, Aaron Poreda might want to pack his bags soon because were going to take on something big.

 

Carlos Beltran?

 

If that were to happen I would be A-OK with this. But this deal doesn't make sense on its own.

[Melissa1334]

Ken Rosenthal says the Yankees also get pitcher Kanekoa Texeira from Chicago

[DukeNukeEm]

Sox got Betemit also

What? Seriously?

 

OK now I like this deal, thats pretty good IF depth right there.

[Kalapse]

Sox got Betemit also

Kind of funny, I was really hoping the Sox would steal him away from LA at the deadline in '07.

 

Sox also got Johnny Nunez.

 

Sox included a class A pitcher in the deal, not named yet.

[BigSqwert]

Its amazing how bad Swisher was and how much slack he continues to get. He hit .219. He fanned at an incredible clip. He hit below .200 after the AS break. He couldn't beat out Wise for playing time when Quentin went down.

 

^^^^

[Dick Allen]

Also this means that KW is going to target a CF now, I've got no doubt about that.

That's nothing new. He already ruled out Swisher playing CF a couple of weeks ago.

[Steve9347]

Johnny Nunez, Wilson Betemit, Jeff Marquez

 

That's more like it, I love Wilson Betemit.

[DBAHO]

Kind of funny, I was really hoping the Sox would steal him away from LA at the deadline in '07.

 

Sox also got Johnny Nunez.

 

Sox included a class A pitcher in the deal, not named yet.

You and me both.

 

He's regressed a little Betemit, but he should have an opportunity to produce for us.

[fathom]

The fact we added Tex to it means there's more than Marquez. I'd love if we got Melky and Betemit. Betemit is a headcase, but he has huge power.

[sircaffey]

Sox got Betemit also

 

I like that. I've been wondering when this kid is going to get regular ABs. I've always liked Betemit. Not saying I like it for Swisher, but I really think Betemit could be a .270, 20 HR, 80 RBI 3B. He was bad last year, but he's another once HIGHLY touted prospect.

[SoxFan562004]

Its amazing how bad Swisher was and how much slack he continues to get. He hit .219. He fanned at an incredible clip. He hit below .200 after the AS break. He couldn't beat out Wise for playing time when Quentin went down.

BA is a horrible stat to try and prove how good or bad a player is. He was below average last year, I cannot argue that but in his first two years he was about 20% than an average player, he was playing CF for the first time on a regular basis, his BABIP was low and Ozzie dropped him lower in the order. He deserves slack and wouldn't be suprised if he's back to an OPS+ of 120 for the Yankees next year.

 

 

It's Swisher, a Single A pitcher for Nunez, Marquez and Betemit

[fathom]

Anyone know stuff about Jhonny Nunez?

[joeynach]

I am absolutely dumb founded by this trade. It looks like a salary dump, yet Swish makes no real $. We didn't even get a prospect on the yanks top 10. WTF is this, there better be more to it.

[DBAHO]

Vital Statistics

Name: Jeff Marquez

Position: Starting Pitcher

DOB: August 10, 1984

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 190

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

 

Although the selection of Jeff Marquez seemed to come out of nowhere in 2004, the Yankees have shown that they go to no limits in their player scouting. Marquez was a late bloomer at Sacramento City College and credits his development to the coaching staff there. In fact, Marquez entered the school as a 145 pound freshman who got zero attention from scouts out of high school. “Going to a good college program really helped me a lot,” said Marquez. “They really helped me with my mechanics and getting stronger and helped me a lot as an all around pitcher.” He made a wise choice, electing to redshirt his first year there in order to get stronger and build up for the 2004 season. It ended up being one of the best career moves a player could make. Marquez went on to have a dominating 2004 campaign and suddenly the Yankees were hot on his trail after he had pushed himself onto the draft day radar screen.

 

The Yankees did take Marquez, 41st overall in the draft in fact. And, it didn't take long for him to prove his worth. He was sent to the GCL where, as a 19 year old, he was simply dominating. After a few appearances, he had to be sent to Staten Island. Yet again, he put on an outstanding show. However, he admittedly wore down near season's end. "I think I might have been a little tired physically and mentally," Marquez told PinstripesPlus.com. "But, my arm wasn't really tired. But, not to make excuses, but in my last two starts, I really hated the mounds I pitched on. It was in Williamsport and Jamestown. One of my starts it was raining and I kind of lost it. I got a little frustrated with everything going on around me. I don't usually get frustrated but I think I was wearing down a little bit. Once I got to mini-camp I kind of got a new start." Not only did he get his fresh start in mini-camp but a huge vote of confidence from the organization as well.

 

When Jeff Marquez arrived in Tampa after the season ended, he was a bit deflated by his slow end to the season. But, that changed quickly once he spoke with pitching coordinator, Nardi Contreras. "Marquez just has the look of a real fast mover in this system and just a very good pitcher," Contreras told PinstripesPlus.com. "He is the type of guy that would fit right in there with that changeup he has. He has three established pitches and he is a really determined kid. He pushes hard to move to the next level and I think he'll be pitching in their rotation come 2005. He just showed us a lot when he came to mini-camp this year. He held up nicely health wise for a first year player and showed that he made the necessary adjustments when he needed to. If he shows more of that in Spring Training next year, I think he'll be in Tampa to start the season." A statement such as this shows a tremendous amount of confidence from the organization and Marquez sure appreciates the praise. "We had a long talk about that," the sinker baller said. "Here's basically what he told me. He was like if you keep doing what you're doing now, you are going to move faster through this system than you can possibly imagine. He said he was really impressed by me. It made me feel good to know they thought so highly of me." Look for Jeff to a big part of the Tampa Yankee staff in 2005 as a 20 year old.

 

Repertoire. Two-seam fastball, Four-seam fastball, Changeup, Curveball

 

Fastball. As even Jeff Marquez says, he is not a power pitcher. That is simply not what he is all about. However, he can still bring it with some good heat. Marquez's fastball is usually in the low 90's and topping out around 94 MPH. He does have what some would call a power fastball, but his fastball is used more so to get groundballs. He chooses to rely on the location and command of his two seam sinking fastball. He will get a lot of ground balls using that pitch. He sets up his two seam fastball with a riding four seam fastball. The four seam fastball, which he was able to develop in mini-camp, is going to be an enormous weapon for him. Now, he will be able to change a hitter's eye level, going up in the zone with the four seam and down with his nasty sinker. Expect Jeff to add even a little more heat in the coming years when he adds more bulk to his frame. Then, he will be one of the rare yet devastating power sinker ball pitchers.

 

Other Pitches. Besides the sinker, the pitch he bases his game around, Jeff Marquez also possesses another truly dominating pitch. That pitch is his changeup. A true power changeup, it is used as his best strikeout pitch and he can make hitters look foolish at the plate. To put it in perspective, this changeup is where his comparisons to Pedro Martinez stem from. They are different style pitchers but by the time Marquez makes it to the show, his changeup could be one of the or the best in the game. Not to mention, he really has found a feel for it and knows just the right situations to spring it on the hitter. It is definitely his best weapon in his arsenal. Jeff also possesses a curveball, but he calls that his worst pitch even though it is not all that bad. It is a solid curveball but he uses it more as a show me pitch.

 

Pitching. There is no better way to describe Jeff Marquez than a classic sinker ball pitcher. However, he is a very special kind of sinker ball pitcher. He is a guy who throws the ball with above average velocity and plus movement on his sinker. Right now he is not your typical strikeout pitcher but just by picking up some extra velocity with maturity, he could develop into one. But, his game is groundball outs, broken bats and weak hacks. He can make those weak hacks happen with his devastating changeup. Marquez has excellent command of his fastball and changeup but he is simply just learning to bring a little bit more of a breaking ball to the table with him. He takes an aggressive approach on the mound and he has the attitude that he can't be beat by anyone.

 

Projection. If you take the Yankee organization's word for it, the sky is the limit for Jeff Marquez. Although he may not be the ideal number one starter on a staff, Marquez still has the potential to be a tremendous number two type of starter. But, if he can get a little stronger, he may be able to become that ace material type of starter. He has two dominating pitches to work around with his sinker and his changeup. The Yankees are looking for him to fly through the system perhaps faster than any other pitcher despite his young age. He seems like the ideal type of Yankee pitcher, someone that can get up there quick and help just as fast.

 

ETA. 2007. We have now heard how fast the Yankees expect Marquez to get through the Yankee Farm System and this ETA reflects that notion. In 2005, the Yankees will likely have Marquez spend the full season at high A Tampa as Nardi Contreras told us he would. Then, in 2006, he should begin the season in AA Trenton. And, since the Yankees plan to move him aggressively, he has a good chance of being sent to AAA Columbus later in the season. After that, he has an excellent chance of breaking into the big leagues sometime during the 2007 season.