So now can we stop with the Barry Bonds talk in the Bronx?
Apparently Hank Steinbrenner was something of a Barry fan, and he let everyone know it. And Bonds' agent told SI.com that Bonds could "make the difference between the Yankees going to the World Series or not making the playoffs at all."
Here's guessing that the Yanks will be happier with Friday night's move for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte.
It's true that Nady is 687 career home runs behind Bonds. It's true that Nady, a decent player but never an All-Star, couldn't match Bonds in any facet of the game -- when Bonds was in his prime. But Bonds hasn't played all year, hasn't even been taking batting practice lately and is a huge negative in the outfield.
And, of course, Nady has the added benefit of not being under indictment.
As a right-handed hitter, Nady helps balance the Yankee lineup much better than Richie Sexson could. He allows them to let Jorge Posada go have his surgery, allows them to use Johnny Damon as the designated hitter or sit Melky Cabrera, and he even allows them the option of allowing Bobby Abreu to leave as a free agent this winter. The Yankees will have Nady under control for next year.
Marte could be just as big an addition, because the Yankees have been going without a left-hander in the bullpen. Left-handed relief help has been a big commodity on this month's trade market, and scouts will tell you that Marte was one of the best available options.
"(The Pirates) could get anything they want for Marte right now," one baseball official told me Thursday.
So how did the Pirates do in this deal? It's always hard to say, when you're dealing with prospects. We all want to make snap judgements on the players in deals like this, and sometimes we forget that the teams involved have spent weeks scouting them and making their decisions.
That doesn't mean they couldn't have made a mistake. It's just that we won't know for months or probably years whether they've done well or not. The key piece in this deal seems to be outfielder Jose Tabata.
On the one hand, his value has gone down some over the last year, because of concerns about injuries and immaturity. On the other hand, he's a 19-year-old already playing in Double-A, and a year ago the Yankees probably wouldn't have been willing to trade him for anyone.
Not even for Barry Bonds.
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