The Yankees acquired third baseman Chase Headley from the San Diego Padres today for minor league RHP Rafael DePaula and major league utility player Yangveris Solarte.
If you have followed the Yankees over the past few seasons, Headley's name has come up frequently. He is a very good defensive third baseman (the Yankees actually do care about infield defense?) who has been above average offensively in his career, but not in 2014. Over his career, he is hitting .266/.346/.410 (113 OPS+) in 3,720 plate appearances, while playing his home games in Petco Park. However, this season, he is hitting only .229/.296/.355 (ugly) in 307 plate appearances. Not exactly the type of season a player hopes for in their walk year.
A switch-hitter, Headley hits better left-handed, but isn't useless as a right-handed batter (.769 career OPS vs. RHP, .723 vs. LHP.
The Padres didn't take very much in return in this deal. We all know the Solarte story - he started red-hot and predictably cooled off. I guess in the end, he ended up doing just enough to actually have trade value. In that regard, kudos to the scouts who recommended him.
DePaula came out firing in 2013 for Charleston, posting a 2.94 ERA in 13 starts with a 96/23 K/BB ratio over 64.1 innings. He did enough to earn a slot in the Futures Game, but his season unraveled in Tampa, where he put up a 6.06 ERA in 49 innings with a 50/30 K/BB ratio.
This season, the 23-year old has done a pretty good job in Tampa, compiling a 4.15 ERA over 89 innings with 104 strikeouts and 38 walks. Over his past six starts, he is 4-0 with a 1.34 ERA, and 33/10 K/BB ratio over 33.2 innings.
DePaula's main pitch is a sinking fastball that can sit 92-94 MPH during most of his starts. However, it has been reported that he has trouble maintaining that velocity later in games. He also throws a good slider and a decent change-up. He seems to fit the profile of a pitcher best suited for a future bullpen role.
Overall, this is a good trade for the Yankees - they didn't give up much to fill an obvious need at third base. A strong few months may even make him an option beyond this season, though a history of injuries will also be taken into consideration there.
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