Pineda, Montero Swapped (and what it means)

It's a trade that may not seem like a huge deal to casual baseball fans. But a few years from now, this deal could have a profound impact on the Yankees, and be an integral part to getting the Mariners back on track.

New York has dealt DH/C Jesus Montero and relief pitcher Hector Noesi to the M's in exchange for phenom pitcher Michael Pineda and the righthander Jose Campos.

Noesi is a 24-year-old reliever who posted a 4.47 ERA and 45 strikeouts is his rookie campaign. Campos has yet to sniff the bigs.

Maybe those two guys will turn into decent players. Time will tell. The other two involved, Montero and Pineda, have superstar potential.

While his ability to catch is in question, Jesus Montero has extraordinary talent with his bat. After some struggles in triple-A, Montero went on to hit .328 with four bombs and 28 ribbies in just 18 games last year with the Yanks. Had he stayed in New York, he would have been the everyday DH.

I've had the pleasure of watching Montero when he played for the double-A affiliate of the Yankees, the Trenton Thunder. Let's just say the man could hit.

Michael Pineda may continue to morph into the additional impact starter behind CC Sabathia the Yankees have yearned for. He's only 22, but he showed he was major league ready in his rookie campaign with Seattle. He posted a 3.74 ERA, with 173 Ks in 171 innings. His stat line included a sparkiling 1.10 WHIP, and opposing batters hit just .211 against him. The sophomore possesses electrifying stuff, and the Yankees' hope is he will create an imposing 1-2 punch with CC is the postseason.

The deal, while widely said to favor the Yanks, is logical for the M's as well. Loaded with young arms, everyday position players are a scarcity in the organization.

Both of these players are already on the brink of stardom. In Seattle, Montero won't have the pressure of playing in New York as he develops. Seattle has some of the best fans in sports, but to say they will contend for their division is borderline absurd. Pineda, on the other hand, will have to adjust to facing the big guns of the AL East, and the hardships that comes with playing in the Bronx.

Behind Sabathia, Pineda, and Ivan Nova, the Yankees' rotation is in question. Phil Hughes, Freddy Garcia, A.J. Burnett and newly-signed Hiroki Kuroda will contend for the final two spots. Suddenly, this rotation looks like one to be reckoned with.

The organization probably will root for Hughes and Burnett to fill the 4-5 spots; Hughes because he's young and still shows potential, and Burnett because of the cash invested in him. Burnett had a rough year before redeeming himself in his divisional playoff start.

Kuroda's situation is interesting. His ERA was 3.07 with the Dodgers last year, ace material on a number of teams. But if he doesn't impress in Spring Training, he could find himself coming out of the pen.

Kuroda's acquisition is now silver lining with Pineda coming to the Bronx. Brian Cashman and the Yankees organization can only hope he is worth giving up Montero, a guy who could be an icon in Seattle for years to come.

Against the Odds, Burnett Comes Through

I have to start off by gloating that somehow I saw this coming. Six innings pitched and two runs was what I projected for A.J. Burnett last night. I just had a gut feeling for some reason. Maybe it was partially because of his final regular season start against Boston; I do not know.

While it wasn't always pretty last night, A.J. pitched even better than my projection. He ended up surrendering only one run in five and two thirds innings en route to earning the win and keeping the Yankees' season alive. Sure, he needed Curtis Granderson to bail him out when he walked the bases loaded in the first. But what's wrong with a break going your way? When he left the game to the bullpen, his team had more runs than the opponent. He did what he needed to do.

Perhaps all he needed was confidence. Burnett constantly told reporters all season he believed he had what it took to be successful. Did he mean it? Only he knows. His self-confidence was probably wavering at best through his regular season struggles, in which he posted a miserable 5.15 ERA. Nonetheless, manager Joe Girardi kept putting him out there, much to the displeasure of the Yankee faithful.

And last night, well, his own teammates probably questioned whether their season was over before the game started. While everyone knows Burnett has the stuff to be successful, he just can't locate it. Extensive work with pitching coach Larry Rothschild helped fix his release and it proved successful, at least for yesterday's ballgame.

The only reason Burnett was on the hill for the Yanks was because of the Game 1 rain delay. He was expected to work out of the pen for the series in middle inning work. The rotation was supposed to be Sabathia, Nova, Garcia, Sabathia, Nova for the five-game series. Thanks to Mother Nature, A.J. Burnett got his chance, and he made the most of it.

What does this mean? Should the Yankees advance into the ALCS, we will see him on the hill, probably as the Game 2 starter. He is in the Yankees good graces after his performance last night, and he is as important as anyone for the Bombers if they want to make a championship run.

Onto the Postseason: MLB Division Series Projections

The Rays gather around home plate to welcome Evan Longoria, whose walk-off last night propelled Tampa into the Postseason.

You've probably heard what transpired last night in Major League Baseball, a night that was probably the most thrilling ever in regular season history. Following the collapses of the Red Sox and Braves, there is more baseball to be played.


Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers
Prediction: Rangers in four.

Yes, the Rays have a lot of fight in them, and their September run was riveting. But momentum doesn't always carry over, and overall the Rangers are the better team. Texas' superb offense, which ranked third in baseball with 855 runs, just won't be contained enough for the Rays to win the series. And the Rangers have a solid enough rotation that they should be able to contain the average Tampa offense enough to have the advantage on the scoreboard.

Tampa Bay also has rotation issues, as David Price just pitched yesterday, and James Shields won't be able to start until Game 2. Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, and even rookie Matt Moore are being considered by manager Joe Maddon for the Game 1 nod. Niemann and Davis both have ERAs over four, and Moore has only pitched 9.1 innings of major league ball in his entire career. But, hey, with the Rays, anything is possible.


Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees
Prediction: Yankees in five.

The Tigers are actually the favored by many people across the country; an ESPN SportsNation poll had 63% of the country picking the Tigers to win the series. Detroit does have a slightly better one-two punch in their rotation, sporting Justin Verlander and Doug Fister, who both have ERAs lower than CC Sabathia's 3.00. Ivan Nova will start Game 2 for the Yankees.

The reason 63% of the country has picked Detroit to win this series is because of one person: sure-to-be AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander. But in baseball, one pitcher simply can't win a series by himself. CC Sabathia has the skills to match Verlander pitch for pitch. Considering games one and four a toss-up is reasonable, since New York has the edge at the plate.


Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Prediction: Brewers in four.

Only the Phillies sport a more solid postseason rotation than the Brewers. Milwaukee should be able to shoot down Arizona's offensive core (Justin Upton) fairly easily.

That being said, the Diamondbacks are very relatable to last year's Giants. They have a triple-A call-up playing first base for them. Their ace and 21 game winner Ian Kennedy was written off by the Yankees organization just a few years ago. They didn't have postseason aspirations at the start of the season. Yet somehow, they have chugged along to an improbable 94 wins and an NL West crown that was supposed to be won by the Giants or Rockies.

You can't write off the D'Backs. It's just too hard to pick them to get past Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and the all-in Brewers. It's championship or bust with Fielder likely out following this postseason, and Milwaukee will come out with full force.


St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Prediction: Phillies in four.

The Phillies would have been better off losing to Atlanta last night, oddly enough. For one, St. Louis is a tougher matchup than division foe Atlanta, a team they were able to take care of this year. An Atlanta win also would have forced a playoff, resulting in the winning team being fatigued and without their ace to start the series.

All of that aside, Philly is still the favorite. We all know why. Heck, they have Vance Worley, a guy who went 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA on the year, coming out of the bullpen. Whether Roy Oswalt will even start remains to be seen. The rotation is just unfair.

The only thing stopping the Phils from winning it all this fall will be an offensive letdown, something this veteran crew is subject to. It happened last year against the Giants, and resulted in a postseason exit.

Well, that, or a surging Albert Pujols, who is coming off a .355 September. Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday just so happen to be pretty good as well. While the Cards are capable of putting up runs against anyone, Philly should be able to contain them just enough to move on.