Way to deal from strength Cash, yowza indeed!

Wow. Wow again. I guess Farnsworth pitched himself into being worth something.
What is Pudge's contract status? Surely this is some sort of salary dump? Can you imaging a Pudge-Posada tag team next season?

Marte replaced Hawkins, so who replaces the Whacker? IPK and Ponson/Rasner to the pen? Melancon? [Edit: Or Britton?]

This look like 'fair value' to you MattPat? (just joshing ya good man)

They really felt that Kyle Farnswoth (or any late inning guy) is the missing link that will put them over the top, at the expense of a still pretty good hitting catcher?

One other thing--I guess this finally marks the end of the Chad Moeller experience?

Hey, I'm not arguing or complaining. Just curious to see how the roster shakes out.

I still think they end up with Washburn by tomorrow evening.

Pudge is having about the same year he had two years ago, so the stats they feed into the rankings should look pretty similar. Of course, since the formula is a secret, and since it's comparative, there's no way to know. But it looks likely.

Kyle seems a little dissappointed. I have to say I am somewhat surpised by how emotional he seems. After all the acrimony, you have to give him credit for turning it around this year.

Pudge is currently batting: .295 .338 .417 .755
That's about a .150 pts upgrade, for a great defensive catcher who is currently throwing out 36% of runners. WOW! What a deal. What an upgrade!

OK Banterers. Repeat after me...
I will NEVER question Cashman again...
I will NEVER question Cashman again...
I will NEVER question Cashman again...

::slow clap for Cashman::

http://marilyn.indstate.edu/~vijaysomu/funny/JonnyCashFinger.jpg

Brandon Inge becomes the catcher. Their BUC is now one Dane K.A.A. Sardinha, born in Honolulu. Obviously, he's the brother of Bronson Kiheimahanaomauiakeo Sardinha; I can't wait to find out what Dane's three middle names are.

More irony...the Yankees get Pudge and he represents a downgrade in throwing out runners.

I wonder if the Marte deal had this as a next step all the way? If not Pudge then another catcher for a reliever.

Amazingly, though Pudge is NOT El Pudge any more (power's gone since 'roids are gone and I won't say sorry for that), adding him and Nady for Molina and a LF kidlet gives us ... an 8-deep batting order again, +Leche.

Next year? They need to offer him arbitration to get the picks. No room for Pudge AND a healthy Jorge next year, unless you treat them as the steady DH and C combo. Not SUCH a dismal idea, but ...

Bear in mind:

"Things aren't going to get any easier than that for the Yankees, who begin a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. Forty-one of their final 55 games are against teams at or above .500."

Ouch.

think it's a good, no-brainer trade for the Yankees, given, as RIYank mentions, how bad their situation has been since Posada went out. Farnsworth isn't much at all to give up. Old or not, he's an upgrade. The arbitration/draft pick issue is going to be trickier, no slam dunk they get the draft picks (and it's a risk to do it). But regardless, I still think this was a solid move by the Yankees.

That said, as my Dad the Yanks fan just wrote me, "Nice move but I want them to get Washburn. Ponson is a total crapshoot. Hughes may be back soon and then Wang, but after the first three starters they're really still hurting." So, starter anyone? Maybe they should trade for Paul Byrd? We don't want him.

"While Girardi, who was emotional about losing Farnsworth, would not specifically say Rodriguez will start over Molina, he did say, "Pudge is going to play."

Uh, oh. Did we just get another DH?

Eric Clapton has nothing on Cash-Money. Cashman is god.

holy crap.

Pudge started out horribly this year but has been hot for 2 full months now (June .877, July .866) if he can keep that up it will be helpful. He has a huge home/road split though, so I hope he gets comfy in Yankee Stadium quick.

Tigers just opened a pretty sizable hole in their team- they must really be worried about the continued health of Rodney and Zumaya.

It sounds like Pudge might not really be able to play every day anymore. But even four days a week of Pudge over Molina would be a huge improvement.

Unmentioned side benefit - Pudge is a righty hitter.

Other unmentioned side benefit - RSN is going to be furious, because Varitek has been almost as bad as Molina (-3.1 VORP) and he doesn't throw out anyone.

Dombrowski apparently said (according to ESPN) something like, "Pudge got what he wanted." I guess the no-trade that Pudge waived was a pretty big factor in the value they were able to get back. Other teams had relievers but he was only going to a couple teams. and with Boston's pen being relatively average I guess that meant us...

The pinstripes aura strikes again!

And they've now got Dane Sardinha as their backup catcher? Dane is several years older than Bronson, and has been knocking around the minors forever.

Last I heard, Bronson Sardinha had been knocked down to AA. With the Indians. The Mariners dumped him because he got caught driving drunk in Fresno.

By the way, I think that Bruney's going to replace Kyle on the roster. Melancon, as good as he is, might be nearing his innings limit for the season (I read that somewhere, but can't remember where -- maybe River Ave. Blues).

I am curious who the 8th inning guy is though? Bruney, Edwar or Veras seem the likely candidates.

By the way, I'm up for just buckling and sending Garnder to the Mariners. We need to win and he could help.

"Secondly, the club believes Brandon Inge is ready to succeed Rodriguez as the No. 1 catcher for the rest of this season. "Brandon Inge is ready to tackle being the everyday catcher. He gives us a quality chance to win on a day-in, day-out basis and this allows us to address the one area of our club that needs to be addressed the most, which is our bullpen, " Dombrowski explained. He also said Inge will be the No. 1 catcher next season.

"Lastly, the Tigers need bullpen help. "Our major focus was our bullpen," said Dombrowski. Todd Jones has been replaced at closer by Fernando Rodney, but neither Rodney nor Joel Zumaya, who were injured much of the year, are as durable right now as the Tigers hope they will be. Rodney has struggled with his control in both of his outings since he replaced Jones at closer.

"He stressed that the deal doesn't in any way represent a retreat from the Tigers' playoff aspirations for this season. He said he believes the trade makes the club stronger now."

http://tinyurl.com/5m3t6p

OK, Dave. Whatever you say.

I'm not counting on it, though.

"Stalemated with the Yankees over Washburn, the Mariners are trying to stir interest in other clubs, including the Rockies. Lots of luck when the M's want to purge the remainder of Washburn's $9.85 million salary this season and $10.35 million salary next season and get legitimate players in return."

screw that.

Apparently, the Tacoma Rainiers just left Sardinha there. He ended up staying there for three weeks, until Cleveland signed him.

He's an idiot with only himself to blame. He admits the Yankees offered him a great contract, but he turned them down. Then screwed up his chances with the Mariners with that DWI.

But I still feel sorry for him. He probably chose Seattle/Tacoma because they're close to Hawaii. Then he ends up in Buffalo, NY.

Even worse, his whole family came to NY from Hawaii to see a series where his team played his brother Dane's team. The day they arrived, the Bisons told him that he was being sent down to AA. They let him spend one day with his family, then it was off to join the Akron Aeros.

I keep score of every game I go to, so I like little things like that.

37 agreed to the checkmark for Cash, but not (any more) a D upgrade from El Molina.

I'd be surprised if Detroit doesn't deal for a catcher now, someone like Zaun, or one of the Texas trio.

I like this all over the place, it makes the Marte deal (and Bruney/Britton to arrive) fit so well.

Holy fucking shit.

weepingforbrunnhilde will be ecstatic.

47 et al - wow, I had no idea B. Sardinha had gone through all that.

51 But what if Girardi plans on "auditioning" an 8th inning guy, and in the process, discovers that playing mix-and-match works damn well?