Now that the latest MLB Hot Stove season trade is officially in the books, we can begin to delve deeper into who won (the Yankees) and who was just trying to get rid of some salary and hoping that one of these prospects pans out (the Braves).
Yankees Deal Their No. 2 Prospect In Exchange For A Stacked Starting Rotation
SB Nation’s Pinstripe Alley is quick to point out that Javier Vazquez probably won’t repeat the success he had in 2009 (ERA+ 143 with Atlanta), especially since he’ll now be in the American League (the AL East, no less). But it is reasonable to think that Vazquez could put up numbers similar to his three years with the White Sox (ERA+ of 106, never pitching fewer than 202 2/3 innings in a season or striking out fewer than 184 batters). What’s it all mean? The Yankees starting rotation is going to be stacked.
A quartet of C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, and now Vazquez gives the Yankees four above-average starting pitchers who are all capable of going deep into games and making opposing hitters swing and miss, which is critical against some of the tougher AL lineups they’ll face. Furthermore, even allowing for a minor injury or occasional missed start, this group could easily combine for 800 innings in 2010, which further reduces the likelihood of guys like Sergio Mitre or Chad Guadin having to toe the rubber.
As the rich get richer ... the poor get, well, a couple of prospects who may one day become stars. Or complete flops. The two key guys going from New York to Atlanta are Arodys Vizcaino and Mike Dunn. SB Nation’s Talking Chop has the scouting report on both of them.
Vizcaino gets hitters to swing and miss with a fastball he can crank up to 96 mph. He's got a hammer curveball, a power breaking pitch that could be a plus offering in time. Like with many young pitchers, the changeup lags behind the other offerings. It needs development, but it is emerging as a third pitch for him. He'll make his full-season debut in 2010 at age 19 and looks like a high-end rotation prospect with a ton of upside. [...]
[Dunn], a 24-year-old lefty, does have a power arsenal that could work well in the back end of the bullpen if he can refine his control. He's got a big fastball that tops out at 97 mph and a nasty power slider that he throws up to 91 mph with depth and quickness.
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