The Yankees and the Pirates finalized a trade Saturday that they had agreed upon Friday with a few tweaks when Pittsburgh had some health concerns about two of the minor-league pitchers coming from New York in the deal.The revised trade has the Pirates sending right fielder Xavier Nady and left-handed reliever Damaso Marte to the Yankees for three right-handed starters at Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre _ Jeff Karstens, Daniel McCutchen, Russ Ohlendorf _ and Class AA Trenton outfielder Jose Tabata. Karstens and McCutchen replaced Trenton pitchers Phil Coke and George Kontos in the trade.
Meanwhile on Saturday, the Indians traded third baseman Casey Blake to the Dodgers for Class AAA Las Vegas right-hander Jonathan Meloan and high Class A Inland Empire catcher Carlos Santana.
Nady gives the Yankees a much-needed bat with catcher Jorge Posada and designated hitter Hideki Matsui on the disabled list. Nady, 29, was hitting .330/.383/.535 with 13 home runs in 88 games and 327 at bats for the Pirates to go with a .323 EqA.
The Yankees had been without a lefty in the bullpen for most of the season but Marte solves that problem. The 33-year-old was 4-0 with five saves and a 3.47 ERA in 47 games and 46 2/3 innings with a 3.047 WXRL.
Karstens, 25, was 6-4 with 3.80 ERA and a 5.14 DERA in 12 starts with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after missing the first six weeks of the season with a strained groin. He aveaged 7.21 strikeouts and 1.97 walks per nine innings with a 1.18 WHIP. He is likely to make his Pirates’ debut on Friday, starting against the Cubs in Chicago.
Ohlendorf, 25, was 1-1 with a 4.03 ERA and a 5.66 DERA in five starts with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with 10.07 strikeouts and 2.01 walks per nine innings and a 1.48 WHIP. That came after going 1-1 with a 5.35 ERA in 24 relief appearances with the Yankees to start the season with 8.38 strikeouts and 4.19 walks per nine innings and a 1.63 WHIP. His WXRL was minus-0.735.
McCutchen, 25, was 4-6 with a 3.58 ERA and a 5.29 DERA in 11 starts with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after going 4-3 with a 2.55 ERA and 4.28 DERA in nine starts with Trenton to begin the season.
Tabata, 19, was hitting .248/.320/.310 with three homers in 79 games and 294 at bats with Trenton to go with a .212 EqA but has missed the last six weeks with a strained hamstring. Of the four players going to the Pirates, he was the only one ranked among the Yankees’ top 11 propsects by BP’s Kevin Goldstein coming into this season as he was No. 4.
Meanwhile, Blake, 34, is expected to take over as the Dodgers’ starting third baseman for slumping rookie Blake DeWitt. Blake hit .289/.365/.465 with 11 home runs in 325 at bats witha .284 EqA for the Indians this season.
Meloan, 24, struggled with his conversion from reliever to starter this season at Las Vegas, going 5-10 with a 4.97 ERA and 5.85 DERA in 21 games, 20 starts, averaging 8.49 strikeouts and 5.14 walks per nine innings with a 1.70 WHIP. Goldstein had Meloan ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 8 prospect coming into the season.
Santana, 22, was having a great season at Inland Empire with an EqA of .296 to go with .323/.431/.563 slash stats and 14 home runs in 350 at bats.
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