Bronx, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – The New York Yankees have acquired pitcher
Nathan Eovaldi from Miami as part of a five-player trade that will send
veteran infielder Martin Prado to the Marlins.
First baseman/outfielder Garrett Jones and minor league pitcher Domingo German
will also go to the Yankees in the deal, with the Marlins to receive pitcher
David Phelps and cash considerations from New York as well.
The move greatly changes the composition of the Yankees roster. Eovaldi’s
addition presumably lessens the chances of New York pursuing Max Scherzer, the
top free agent pitcher left on the market, while Prado’s departure opens the
door for prospects Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela to take over at second base.
Jones, a left-handed bat with 115 home runs over the past six seasons, could
be used in a platoon with the recently reinstated Alex Rodriguez at designated
hitter while spelling an injury-prone Mark Teixeira at first base.
Eovaldi, who turns 25 in February, adds a durable power arm to a New York
rotation in which three key members — Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Ivan
Nova — missed significant time with injuries last season. The right-hander
logged 199 2/3 innings over 33 starts with the Marlins in 2014, though he
allowed the most hits (223) in the National League and struggled greatly in
the season’s second half.
In 14 starts after the All-Star break, Eovaldi went 1-10 with a 5.51 ERA and
permitted hitters to bat .310.
Though the Yankees have been perceived as a front-runner for Scherzer, who is
reportedly seeking a $200 million contract, general manager Brian Cashman and
team president Randy Levine have both publicly stated in recent days that the
club does not intend to sign the 2013 AL Cy Young winner.
Prado provides a still-young Miami roster with a solid veteran presence who
will likely play third base in his return to the National League, with Casey
McGehee shifting to first to replace Jones.
A .291 career hitter over nine seasons in the majors, Prado batted .316 with
seven homers in 37 games with the Yankees after being obtained from Arizona at
the July 31 trade deadline. The versatile 31-year-old previously hit over .300
four times in a five-year span with the Atlanta Braves from 2008-12.
Phelps was shuttled between the rotation and the bullpen during his three-year
stint with the Yankees, with the right-hander compiling a 15-14 record with a
4.21 ERA in 87 appearances (40 starts) over that span.
Jones batted .246 with 15 homers and 53 RBI in 146 games last season, his
first with the Marlins after spending the previous five with Pittsburgh. The
33-year-old belted a career-best 27 homers with 86 RBI for the Pirates in
2012.
German, 22, was rated as the No. 8 overall prospect in the Marlins’ system by
MLB.com. The Dominican native posted a 9-3 record with a 2.48 ERA in 25 starts
for Greensboro of the Low Class-A South Atlantic League in 2014.
