Impact Analysis: Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte, New York Yankees

July 29, 2008 @ 15:25:03

By Owen Kinsky
Edited by Tim Heaney and Nicholas Minnix

Making a push to try to overcome the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox in the AL East standings, the New York Yankees acquired outfielder Xavier Nady and reliever Damaso Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday, July 26. In return, the Pirates acquired four minor league prospects.

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, the Yankees' hand was forced due to injuries to outfielder Hideki Matsui (knee) and catcher Jorge Posada (shoulder). The Yankees front office determined that they needed a slugger in their lineup, and Nady was a quality option they were able to obtain that didn't require giving up an arm and a leg.

Marte, who had been installed as the Pirates' interim closer, was acquired to shore up a bullpen that was already among the top 10 in the majors this year. Numerous injuries to the Yankees rotation prompted a rapid move of setup man Joba Chamberlain into a starting role. That left the Yanks with relievers Kyle Farnsworth, Edwar Ramirez and LaTroy Hawkins as the stopgaps between the starters and closer Mariano Rivera. Marte will be the lefty specialist the Yankees need - but at the expense of nearly all of his fantasy value.

In return, the Pirates received a slew of prospects, although none were pitchers Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy as some had hoped. Included in the trade was outfielder Jose Tabata (hamstring) along with pitchers Ross Ohlendorf, Jeffrey Karstens and Daniel McCutchen. Two players in the trade, Tabata and Ohlendorf, were among Baseball America's 2008 top-10 prospects for the Yankees, at No. 3 and No. 9, respectively. Karstens has already been called up by the Pirates, and Ohlendorf is expected to join him before the end of the season.

Nady's great '08

Nady, who was in his third year with the Pirates, had been having a career year prior to the trade. Before being dealt, Nady had amassed 13 home runs and 57 RBIs with a .330 average in 89 games. The 29-year-old outfielder has never hit .300 in a season.

Nady looks to become the Yanks' starting left fielder. This will be a transition for Nady, who played mainly right field for the Pirates prior to the trade. Though he had an 0-for-7 showing in his first two games with the Yankees (against the Red Sox, no less), Nady homered Monday, July 28, against the Baltimore Orioles. He also made a great play in the left-field corner to relay the ball to shortstop Derek Jeter and gun down Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts at the plate. It seems as though he is settling in nicely to his new position.

However, given the Yankees' logjam at outfield and designated hitter, Nady stands to lose a few plate appearances over the course of the season as a result of this trade, especially if Matsui returns. However, the Yanks would like to have another right-handed bat in the lineup as often as possible, and Matsui will probably be restricted to DH duty if he comes back.

The Pirates' fifth hitter the majority of the season, Nady drops to seventh in a potent Yankees lineup. Hitting in a somewhat improved offense may mean more RBI opportunities. However, the fact that he is hitting lower typically means fewer plate appearances and possibly a slight drop in stats over the remainder of the season for fantasy owners.

Marte done with trade rumors

Anytime potential trades for bullpen help had been mentioned over the past month, Marte's name was on the short list of candidates. A left-handed pitcher that has excelled at retiring lefties over his career, he had success this season shutting down hitters from either side of the plate. Righties are hitting just .203 against him in '08, but, despite a career clip of .197 against Marte, lefties have actually been more successful against him (.246) this year.

After Pirates closer Matt Capps (shoulder) went to the DL with a pair of shoulder injuries, Marte stepped in and had been closing games until he was dealt. He has a 3.37 ERA with five saves in '08, accompanied by a sparkling 50-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Marte was property of the Yankees nearly a decade ago, although he never suited up for them. Signed in November 2000 as a free agent by the Yanks, he pitched in the minor leagues before being traded to the Pirates that June. Marte is no stranger to trades, as he was swapped three more times since that initial deal to Pittsburgh.

However, it seems that Marte has a clear-cut role with the Yanks. In his two appearances so far with the Yanks, Marte has come in for an inning or less. The Yankees have allowed him to face both righties and lefties in his short time with them, though. As time goes on, expect the Yankees to pile more responsibility on to Marte's shoulders, with him receiving a chance at a more consistent setup role should Farnsworth or Ramirez falter.

The rest of the Yanks

Nady's arrival brought the end for outfielder Brett Gardner's short stint in the majors. Though projected as a Yankees starter down the road, Gardner was sent back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in order to give him consistent playing time to develop more. The Bronx Bombers kept outfielder Justin Christian as Nady's backup in left field.

Two days after Nady's arrival, the Yanks announced that Posada would be undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. Having Nady in the lineup will provide the perennial 20-homer bat, with a solid average, that they are losing in Posada. The team won't worry about bringing Posada back too soon so he can be ready for the start of 2009.

Nady's arrival could also mean that the Yanks won't rush back Matsui. Out since June 23, Matsui is hoping to avoid surgery. By his own estimation, he hopes to be back in the majors within two weeks. With Nady in left field, there is no reason for the Yanks to put Matsui on the field at less than 100 percent. However, if and when Matsui returns, Nady will likely remain in the outfield, while Matsui likely spends most, if not all, of his time as the designated hitter.

With another possible player at DH, it might fewer at-bats for the current timeshare - a rotation between outfielder Johnny Damon and first baseman Jason Giambi. First baseman Richie Sexson is used primarily against lefties and as a defensive replacement, but if Giambi becomes solely a first baseman, Sexson could see even less game action.

Marte's arrival meant the dismissal of the pitcher who held the role he inherited. Pitcher LaTroy Hawkins was designated for assignment shortly after the completion of the trade, as he had become expendable.

Fantasy baseball impact

While Nady has had an amazing season thus far, it appears as if this trade may actually take some value away from him. He is now hitting lower in the lineup than he did with the Pirates, and he may be in line to lose some at-bats if Matsui returns. Though his stats may drop slightly, he is still a great option in all leagues in what is turning out to be his best season. Those in AL-only leagues would be justified in spending a good portion of their Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) on him given his presence in a powerful lineup.

Owners of Marte have to be disappointed with this trade, as it stole much of Marte's value from him. While great relievers deserve a spot on fantasy teams, much of Marte's current value was due to the fact he was the Pirates' interim closer. With Rivera holding down the fort in the Bronx, Marte's save chances will be few and far between, barring an injury. Marte can be kept if owners in mixed leagues are still looking for help with strikeouts and ratios, but owners pining for saves should drop Marte and look for a better option.

The Pirates are likely to give chances to John Grabow, Tyler Yates and Denny Bautista, but Grabow is also considered trade bait. This situation is messy for fantasy purposes. The team hasn't had a save opportunity in four games since the trade. Owners could take a flier on Grabow, but be prepared to make a swift change if he loses his shot through trade or poor performance.

St. Louis Cardinals reliever Jason Isringhausen was reinstalled as closer recently, and the Detroit Tigers named Fernando Rodney as their closer to replace the erratic Todd Jones. Both would be good options for those looking for relievers in the wake of the Marte deal, but they likely are not available in leagues with daily transactions.

Damon and Giambi each maintain their value in mixed leagues. Sexson, who shouldn't be on roster at all right now except for in deep AL-only leagues, loses a good amount of value; upon Matsui's return, the Yankees will find ways to keep both Nady and Matsui in the Yankee lineup. Christian maintains the value he had in AL-only leagues, which wasn't much to begin with.

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Owen Kinsky
Owen Kinsky is a KFFL contributor that has been an avid sports fan his entire life. He began playing fantasy sports, both football and baseball, back in 2000. His love of writing and the game of baseball brought him to KFFL in 2008.

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