The Yankees are back at their old tricks, acquiring aging superstars in hopes a making another run at the World Series title.
The latest, future Hall of Famer to join the "One Percent-ers" of Major League Baseball is Ichiro Suzuki.
Ichiro who had built a long and steady career as the lead-off man for the Seattle Mariners over the last decade-plus will now patrol right field for the Yankees for the remainder of this season.
This is the second time this season, the Yankees have made a deal with the Mariners. In Spring Training they traded away Jesus Montero for pitcher Michael Pineda. It was later discovered that Pineda needed season ending shoulder surgery.
While the Yankees had some questions about their outfield with the loss of Bert Gardner, who has been out since April, they did have guys producing out there. Andruw Jones, Raul Ibanez, DeWayne Wise and Eric Chavez were all getting the job done.
However, once Nick Swisher landed on the 15-day DL, suddenly the Yankees who lost four straight to the Oakland A's over the weekend needed a bat.
Unlike typical Yankee deadline deals, Ichrio is not a power threat. His ability to get on base and produce runs is something the Yankees, who are speed deprived could definitely use. However at 38-years-old, Ichiro isn't the same guy who used to bat around .350 every year for Seattle.
His average has dipped each of the last three season, and in 2011, his average dropped below .300 for the first time in his MLB career, .282. He is batting .261 this year, and has walked only 17 times this season.
The Yankees could insert Ichrio into the lead-off hole, and move Derek Jeter back to his more familiar number two slot, a slot he dominated during the Yankees World Series run in the 1990's.
However, with Ichiro's struggles at the plate, the Yankees could move him down in the order like 8th or 9th, and use him as a guy who can turn the line-up over.
This is a big gamble for the Yankees, who have way too many guys in the outfield over the age of 35. This trade has boom or bust written all over it. It seems like the Yankees were more taken by Ichriro's name rather than what he has been doing on the field over the past two seasons. This could be a big mistake.
The latest, future Hall of Famer to join the "One Percent-ers" of Major League Baseball is Ichiro Suzuki.
Ichiro who had built a long and steady career as the lead-off man for the Seattle Mariners over the last decade-plus will now patrol right field for the Yankees for the remainder of this season.
This is the second time this season, the Yankees have made a deal with the Mariners. In Spring Training they traded away Jesus Montero for pitcher Michael Pineda. It was later discovered that Pineda needed season ending shoulder surgery.
While the Yankees had some questions about their outfield with the loss of Bert Gardner, who has been out since April, they did have guys producing out there. Andruw Jones, Raul Ibanez, DeWayne Wise and Eric Chavez were all getting the job done.
However, once Nick Swisher landed on the 15-day DL, suddenly the Yankees who lost four straight to the Oakland A's over the weekend needed a bat.
Unlike typical Yankee deadline deals, Ichrio is not a power threat. His ability to get on base and produce runs is something the Yankees, who are speed deprived could definitely use. However at 38-years-old, Ichiro isn't the same guy who used to bat around .350 every year for Seattle.
His average has dipped each of the last three season, and in 2011, his average dropped below .300 for the first time in his MLB career, .282. He is batting .261 this year, and has walked only 17 times this season.
The Yankees could insert Ichrio into the lead-off hole, and move Derek Jeter back to his more familiar number two slot, a slot he dominated during the Yankees World Series run in the 1990's.
However, with Ichiro's struggles at the plate, the Yankees could move him down in the order like 8th or 9th, and use him as a guy who can turn the line-up over.
This is a big gamble for the Yankees, who have way too many guys in the outfield over the age of 35. This trade has boom or bust written all over it. It seems like the Yankees were more taken by Ichriro's name rather than what he has been doing on the field over the past two seasons. This could be a big mistake.
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