Well the white flag finally flew on the Bucs’ season, as Pirates’ GM Neal Huntingdon traded Xavire Nady and Damaso Marte to the Yankees for 4 prospects: Jose Tabata, Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens, and Daniel McCutchen. Let’s look at each of these prospects and see what the Pirates got.
Karstens, 25, is a right-handed pitcher who has spent the entire year at AAA Scranton. In 12 starts he is 6-4 with a 3.80 ERA, 55 strikeouts and only 15 walks in 68 innings pitched. He spent a small amount of time with the Yankees in ’06 and ’07 and preformed very poorly, with a 5.65 ERA and 10 HRs allowed in 56 major-league innings. He is not listed among the Yankees’ top prospects on either BaseballProspectus or BaseballAmerica.com. My guess is he was acquired to give organizational starting depth, with only a small chance of becoming a quality major-leaguer.
McCutchen, 26, is another right-handed pitcher who has split the season between AA Trenton and AAA Scranton. At Scranton, in 11 starts he was 4-6 with a 3.50 ERA in 70 innings. His control appears to be excellent, as he allowed only 11 walks at AAA, but 73 hits allowed is a high number. He has already started a game for Pittsburgh’s AAA affilliate, Indianapolis, and he allowed 4 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts. Again, he is not listed on any prospect lists for BP or BA. I’ve heard some scouts are fairly high on McCutchen, and his control certainly seems to be a strength (he has very low walk totals throughout his minor-league career), but average major league starter looks to be his ceiling.
Ohlendorf, 25, has split the season between AAA Scranton and the Yankees. The righty has thrown 40 innings for the Yankees this season, compiling a 6.53 ERA in 40 innings. Coming into the season he was rated the 9th-best Yankee prospect by Baseball America, and an Honorable Mention in Baseball Prospectus’ “Top 11 Rankings”. Ohlendorf doubtless will fill the vacancy Marte left in the Bucs’ bullpen. Ohlendorf’s stock has definitely fallen this season, and how he recovers will be interesting to watch next season.
Tabata, 19, is the key to this deal from the Pirates’ perspective. He is ranked as the #4 Yankee prospect by BP and #2 by BA. He had a strong season last year in High-A before having surgery to remove a hamate bone. That procedure typically takes about a year to recover from, and Tabata has struggled at AA Trenton this season, and is currently on the DL. Still, 19 is EXTREMELY young for AA and Tabata is forecast to hit over .300 in the majors with decent defense. The question is the power – scouts think it will develop, and if it does Tabata could be a star. If it does not, Tabata will be average at best in the majors.
Overall this is a decent return, and I think GM Neal Huntingdon did well to acquire some pitching depth and a high-upside prospect in Tabata. As always, time will tell.
Finally, I’m no Yankee fan but I wish Marte and especially Nady the best in the Bronx. By all accounts, Nady is a fine person as well as a fine player, and I will miss him in the black and gold.
