Yankees acquire Devin Williams for Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin

Snatch Catch

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Those moves, IF they can't swing Tucker (which I have to assume is somewhat on the unlikely side), may include just resigning Torres and leaving Chisholm at 3B.

More generally - I think Cortes is being slightly underrated here too. He's been a 3-4 WAR starter 2 out of the 3 years since he became a fulltime SP, with the down year being injury related rather than underperformance. One year of a 3-4 WAR starter has real value.
I agree with the tenor of this. I have no quarrel with this move in a vacuum - the Yankees receive the odds-on best player in the deal, at the risk of Durbin becoming a Major Leaguer and providing years of controlled value. I love Nestor both as a competitor and a guy that has only ever wanted to pitch for the Yankees from the point he was drafted, but there's not a "high-end" aspect to his production, and he's coming off a season that was marred by shoulder and forearm injury. That's a solid allocation of assets for a team that is attempting to compete at the highest level.

I think the problem for me arises if this becomes a situation where a big name, MVP-production bat is attempted to be replaced at least in part by acquiring a big name, dominant bullpen piece. Adding an elite closer, especially if his salary is going to be used as a mean of limiting further expenditure, does nothing for me in the conversation of the Yankees regrouping as a championship contender. Tucker is the prize here - he is the guy that could conceivably replace the a good majority of Soto's loss, with the non-zero chance that he even eclipses him next year.

In a nutshell, you brought in Soto because you needed an elite bat. He was an elite bat, and played a major role, often propping up the offense for stretches because it was at times top heavy. When you now lose Soto, bringing in quality pitching, including a dominant closer, doesn't bolster my confidence in this operation dynamic. It would feel somewhat misguided, reactionary, and clunky.
 

jon abbey

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I agree with the tenor of this. I have no quarrel with this move in a vacuum - the Yankees receive the odds-on best player in the deal, at the risk of Durbin becoming a Major Leaguer and providing years of controlled value. I love Nestor both as a competitor and a guy that has only ever wanted to pitch for the Yankees from the point he was drafted, but there's not a "high-end" aspect to his production, and he's coming off a season that was marred by shoulder and forearm injury. That's a solid allocation of assets for a team that is attempting to compete at the highest level.

I think the problem for me arises if this becomes a situation where a big name, MVP-production bat is attempted to be replaced at least in part by acquiring a big name, dominant bullpen piece. Adding an elite closer, especially if his salary is going to be used as a mean of limiting further expenditure, does nothing for me in the conversation of the Yankees regrouping as a championship contender. Tucker is the prize here - he is the guy that could conceivably replace the a good majority of Soto's loss, with the non-zero chance that he even eclipses him next year.

In a nutshell, you brought in Soto because you needed an elite bat. He was an elite bat, and played a major role, often propping up the offense for stretches because it was at times top heavy. When you now lose Soto, bringing in quality pitching, including a dominant closer, doesn't bolster my confidence in this operation dynamic. It would feel somewhat misguided, reactionary, and clunky.
Huh? You can't just click your heels three times and create a Soto replacement out of thin air, they don't really exist. They are trying to improve the team, they are certainly not done yet.
 

jon abbey

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Also they pushed hard for Kyle Tucker from reports, but Crane was never sending him to NYY, no surprise.
 

EvilEmpire

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In a nutshell, you brought in Soto because you needed an elite bat. He was an elite bat, and played a major role, often propping up the offense for stretches because it was at times top heavy. When you now lose Soto, bringing in quality pitching, including a dominant closer, doesn't bolster my confidence in this operation dynamic. It would feel somewhat misguided, reactionary, and clunky.
1) A reasonable deal for Tucker may not have been possible for the Yankees. If he doesn't extend, they can bid for him next offseason.

2) The Yankees aren't done with offseason moves.

3) In addition to those other moves, a full year of Chisholm and continued development of Volpe and Wells could help.

4) Defense was a problem. Beyond saving wear and tear, Judge moving back to RF helps. Help could be coming for the infield too.

So no, I don't think the Yankees are only counting on pitching to make up for the loss of Soto. Will it be enough? Who knows how it will work out. Spreading Soto money around and improving the team in multiple ways also spreads the risk around.
 

The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa

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Can't believe the Brewers bought into the Durbin hype that hard, though he does fit their mold perfectly (contact-oriented, defensively versatile, plus-plus basestealer, will cost next to nothing for the next 3-6 years).
The Durbin hype kind of reminds me a bit of how Ian Kennedy got successfully inflated into being part of the so-called untouchable Big 3 Yankee pitching prospects for the purpose of being the sacrificial lamb that the Yankees would ultimately begrudgingly part with in trade proposals that initially demanded either Hughes or Joba, even though he was not in the same class as a prospect (ironically, Kennedy ended up having the best overall career of the three). All clubs try to do that, but the Yankees seem to be particularity successful at it.
 

RIrooter09

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It’s like players that can throw 175 innings at above replacement level or better are worth their weight in gold these days
He came close to 175 last year, and has never reached it in any other season. He also had an elbow flexor strain and has one year left on his deal.
 

simplicio

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I'm surprised at how many here think this was a steal for NY, y'all had me double checking to see if Williams has more years of control left or something.

But I guess you watch Nestor more than I do so I'll take your word for it.
 

ThePrideofShiner

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I'm surprised at how many here think this was a steal for NY, y'all had me double checking to see if Williams has more years of control left or something.

But I guess you watch Nestor more than I do so I'll take your word for it.
I mean, Nestor is fine. But he had arm issues down the stretch, kept getting shelled in day games and on the road, and played a position of strength for the Yankees.

This trade is great from my perspective, especially because it allows Luke Weaver to go back to the fireman role.
 

jon abbey

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Also NY needed to move him, same as Stroman, neither will be happy if they're not in the rotation in their FA season and neither is in NY's top 5 currently.