True, but Proctor's been very valuable to us, and while Betemit is a nice player, Cano, Jeter, and ARod are young enough where they don't really need many days off, and playing Betemit at first base is wasting what he's good for because he is not very good offensively for a first baseman.
He also allows us, in the off-season, to package either he or Cano for a front-line starter. As far as 1B goes, without looking it up, I'd imagine his OPS is better than nearly half of the starting 1B in baseball. Most importantly, it's better than Phillips and Cairo.
I know he's better than Cairo and Phillips, but if we're going to trade for someone to primarily be a first baseman, I would trade for a first baseman. Betemit's value rests on being able to start anywhere in the infield. Betemit's a very nice player, and I wouldn't hate the trade, but having a guy who is pitching as well as Proctor is, is more important than a utility guy. I just re-looked at his stats. I love the .844 OPS, but I don't think a guy who can play shortstop at that clip is going to be had for Proctor. It's a pretty fair trade, but Atlanta would probably get more. If the plan is to end up getting a frontline starter in the future with Betemit as the key component, why doesn't Atlanta just do that? Or at least get someone better than Proctor.
I'm not saying getting a frontline starter with Betemit as the key component can be done, I was just throwing it out there as another possible solution for acquiring him. Braves are also desperate for middle relief, and they like Proctor's arm. That's the only reason they would ever consider trading someone with Betemit's talent for Proctor.
Someone on NYYFans just said that Buster Olney was just on SportsCenter and said that Betemit to the Yankees is very close to happening, the only thing holding it up is Atlanta waiting to see how serious Chipper's latest injury is.
We absolutely have to make a deal for another reliever in that case. Even if we have to overpay for a mediocre guy like Roberto Hernandez this bullpen does not make the playoffs without Proctor (who again last night saved the game by pitching two lights out innings.)
Betemit out of the lineup for Atlanta tonight (and Chipper is playing with a bad oblique). Proctor won't pitch anyway due to a heavy workload recently, so there's nothing to read into there.
I like Betemit a lot, but I just don't think we need him enough unless they know something about Cano that we don't. Or maybe they think that if he played steadily at first, he could develop more power.
And here is the problem in a nutshell. Fine, Proctor may never be better than he is right now, and we may never get better value for him. However, who the hell do we pitch in the 6th and 7th when the majority of our starters are barely struggling through innings? At least in the past few years there have been guys in the pen who could fill in a little bit, but who do we have now? The best guy after Proctor who isn't nicknamed Mo is Vallone. How many innings can they expect him to throw in the second half? He throws hard, but he also throws like a guy who is going to have a hanging stump on his left shoulder in late September. Then what? I don't understand what everyone's problem with the Yankee offense is. Jeter is Jeter. A-Rod isn't having nearly as bad a season as everyone is making it out to be. Cabrera is progressing very well and learning patience at the plate. Damon is fine (when he plays at least.) Guile has been a great surprise. Bernie is hitting very well for almost not even being here this year. Crosby can hit when he gets some time to play. Posada is having a very good year. So what does that leave? First and second base with some lack of production. However, I like Cairo's fielding, and Phillips is fine defensively. Neither is a super star, but they are still functional. Hell, if the Yankees are dead set on not keeping Cano at second (why they would do that I have no clue) why not try for Soriano?
Wow, I didn't realize how badly Hernandez was doing. I only saw his 3.00 ERA, but a 1.64 WHIP is disturbing.
Anytime you can trade something so average like Proctor for a young player like Betemit who already is a good hitter, and as his minor league traits show, will continue to improve at the major league level, you have to do it and not think twice. When all is said and done, Proctor will finish this year with an ERA around 4.2, 4.3. I know I can get nearly that from Beam/Smith. And when all is said and done, Betemit will have an .850+ OPS, but I know Cairo (currently at .590) will never even sniff .700. Betemit provides far greater value to the Yankees now, and in the future (as a Yankee, and he also allows us to see what the pitching market is this off-season for either he or Cano.) Besides, the offense is a problem. Like Derrek Lee has shown, a great hitter coming back from a serious injury isn't a slam dunk to continue to do what he did before, so we may not see the real Matsui or Sheffield this season. Bernie is just a disaster that should have retired after the 2003 or 2004 season. Crosby barely deserves to start for a minor league team, let alone the Yankees. Phillips is meh. Cairo is just sad, because he seems like a nice guy and you know he's trying hard, but he's awful.
Betemit is a better player than Proctor. Only problem is that we need Proctor more than we need Betemit.
Depends on how long Cano is out. The drop between Betemit and Cairo is far greater than the drop between Proctor (who once Clueless overuses him, will return to his 4.30 ERA form) and Smith/Beam/Cox/whomever. I'd also imagine Dotel, in September, can give us a sub 4.5 ERA.
Here's the problem with that theory though: when is Dotel going to be back? There will be an adjustment period for him when he comes back to the big leagues and let's face facts, he's been "two weeks away" for almost 2 months now. This is not a guy who we can rely on to be a big contributor. Your theory that Proctor has a 4.20 ERA and we could get almost that much from Beam or Cox would work better in theory with a hitter, because everything would even out given the amount of at bats they get. But tell me, in a game that decides the division against Boston would you want to send TJ Beam into the game to face Ramirez, Ortiz and Lowell? I'd rather have Proctor. Our bullpen is fractured to the point that we just can't deal Proctor unless we have a plan to add another arm. It's just inconcievable. On another note, for those of you who speculate that we could pick up Betemit and then trade Cano, I implore you to look at their career stats. Betemit, 26 years old, is a career .282 hitter with 13 homers and 52 RBIs in 493 at bats. Cano, 23 years old, is a career .306 hitter with 18 homers and 89 RBIs in 793 ABs. He was also selected as an all-star this year. Cano has secured a starting job and become an all-star in 1 and a half years in the Bronx. Betemit hasn't proven that much despite being a highly touted Atlanta prospect for some time (he was actually considered a bust until recently.) So don't tell me that we should trade Cano, well on his way to becoming the best second baseman in baseball with Soriano in the outfield, to make room for Betemit.
maybe betemit will be our primary 1b with giambi primary dh when cano gets back....i think you have to pull the trigger....proctor is good, but betemit can be a potential all star in future years as he is very young....we have to deal for another reliever, and may be screwing ourselves for this year if we don't get one, but no doubt this is a great trade in the long run
The Yankees don't trade established contributors for prospects because they are young. We are trying to win the World Series this October not in 5 years.
