ST Game 13: Blue Jays at Yankees

The Yankees are taking on the Blue Jays in Tampa at 1:15. Andy Pettitte gets the start for the first time this spring, and the game is not on television.

New York Yankees
Brett Gardner CF
Melky Cabrera LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Jorge Posada DH
Nick Swisher RF
Jose Molina C
Angel Berroa 2B
Justin Leone 3B
Ramiro Pena SS

Andy Pettitte LHP, followed by Ian Kennedy, Dan Giese, David Robertson, Jose Veras and Jonathan Albaladejo

Peter Abraham is reporting the Yankees have made some roster moves. Andrew Brackman was optioned to Class-A Charleston, while J.B. Cox, George Kontos and Kanekoa Texeira were reassigned to the minor-league camp.

Yankees tie Astros 5-5

There's no tying in baseball!

Chien-Ming Wang pitched two scoreless innings and Melky Cabrera had two hits in the Yankees' 5-5 tie against the Astros.

Wang gave up two hits in his two innings of work and didn't strike out or walk a batter. The Yankees' bullpen didn't fare as well, as George Kontos was charged with three earned runs in a 1/3 of an inning.

Cabrera tripled an drove in two runs in his three at-bats. Angel Berroa hit a solo home run in the fourth inning as part of a 2-for-3 day.

The Yankees will play Team USA tomorrow afternoon in Tampa at 1:15 p.m on YES. Derek Jeter will be suiting up against the Yankees. Phil Hughes will start for the Yankees, while Roy Oswalt starts for Team USA.

AP Photo

Nady/Marte trade reworked

The Yankees have sent Jeff Karstens and Dan McCutchen to the Pirates for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte instead of Phil Coke and George Kontos. Jose Tabata and Ross Ohlendorf are still in the trade as well.

I don't consider myself to be an expert on the minor leagues. However, I know that McCutchen has a higher upside than Coke and Kontos do. That said, the Yankees had to make this move if they were serious about contending this year.

Any way you slice it, it's a great trade for the Yankees. Not sure when Nady and Marte will be here. The lineups haven't been posted yet.

Nady and Marte for Tabata, Ohlendorf and two minor league pitchers

It's now being reported that the Yankees have traded Jose Tabata, Ross Ohlendorf, Phil Coke and George Kontos for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte. The Yankees haven't confirmed this and physicals need to be taken, but Nady was pulled from the Pittsburgh lineup, and Coke was pulled from his scheduled start tonight.

What the Yankees gave up

Tabata has been a highly-touted prospect since being signed a few years ago (I'm actually older than him by a couple of weeks), but he's had some behavioral issues and has been on the disabled list with a wrist injury since the beginning of the month. He has a .630 OPS in 294 at-bats with Double-A Trenton.

I've liked Ohlendorf since the Yankees acquired him in the Randy Johnson trade, but if the Yankees could get Nady and Marte without giving up players like Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy (for now) or Austin Jackson, they had to pull the trigger. Ohlendorf recently began starting again, and now it looks as if it were simply to showcase him.

I don't know much about Coke or Kontos. Coke is a 26-year-old lefty who was having a solid season for Double-A Trenton. He was recently called up to Triple-A. He struck out 109 batters while walking 38 in 114 1/3 innings for Trenton. Kontos is a 23-year-old righty. Pitching for Trenton, he posted a 3.77 ERA in 20 starts, striking out 103 and walking 43.

What the Yankees got

Nady, the Pirates' starting right fielder, is having a great year. He is batting .330 with 13 home runs and 57 RBI. He also has a .919 OPS. He's never had more than 431 at-bats in a season (he is already up to 327), so that is a bit of a concern. However, he provides the Yankees a solid right-handed bat from the corner outfield spot and force Brett Gardner back to the minors.

Marte wasn't as much of a need as some would lead you to believe. Historically, lefties don't hit well against him (.198 BAA vs. .241), but this season, lefties are hitting him at a .255 clip. Righties, on the other hand, are hitting .200 against him this season. If he can regain his dominance against lefties, he'd be a solid addition to this Yankees bullpen. Other numbers this season: he has struck out 47 batters in 46 2/3 innings while walking 16. He has allowed four home runs and 38 hits.

Tentative lineup

C: Jose Molina
1B: Jason Giambi
2B: Robinson Cano
3B: Alex Rodriguez
SS: Derek Jeter
LF: Xavier Nady
CF: Melky Cabrera
RF: Bobby Abreu
DH: Johnny Damon

This trade probably signals the end of Hideki Matsui's and Jorge Posada's respective seasons.

Money

Nady has $3.35 million due to him this season, a contract he signed during the off-season to avoid arbitration. Marte has a $6 million club option for 2009. He signed a two-year, $4.7 million extension in November 2006.