Yankees Rumors: Montero/Pineda Trade Conspiracy Theories and the DH
By Editorial Staff
Jayson Stark of ESPN provided his weekly Rumblings and Grumblings article which included several notes of interest regarding the New York Yankees. Stark touched on the Yankees designated hitter situation and also provided readers with a pair of conspiracy theories that have arisen since the Michael Pineda/Jesus Montero trade was announced.
Since last weekend’s pair of transactions, the Yankees have been rumored to have made designated hitter priority number one. Having sacrificed the rising slugger Montero in order to add a young top-of-the-rotation arm, New York had a void at DH that needed to be filled.
Or this was at least what many reported throughout the week. Even though it’s been rumored that the Yankees had made a designated hitter their main focus, Stark hears New York is actually not that hungry for a bat.
With a bevy of veteran infielders, it would make sense if the Yankees entered the season leaving their DH role open. Instead of acquiring a full-time designated hitter, the Yankees could look to use the position in order to rest its players.
Stark also touched on a pair of conspiracy theories that have been floating around the rumor mill since last weekend’s trade that sent Pineda to New York in exchange for Montero. Apparently some executives aren’t willing to take the swap at face value, but instead they’ve searched for interior motives.
One such executive had a hard time believing a team would trade a “front-line starter for a DH”. The same executive hinted that Pineda was dealt because there were concerns surrounding his arm and drop in velocity as the season wore on.
You could also argue that it was Pineda’s rookie campaign and he’d thrown 30 more innings than ever before against the highest level of competition, but that might make too much sense.
Conspiracy theory number two involved Montero. Again executives have reasoned that there must be something wrong with a young play for a team to want to trade him.
With Pineda it was his arm. With Montero it was his head.
Stark says that some believe mental makeup issues are what caused the Yankees to shop Montero over the last year and a half. One scout Stark spoke to said he wasn’t sure about Montero’s makeup and that it bothered him that the 21-year-old looked bored at Triple-A last season before his major league call-up.
We’ll see if either of these ‘issues’ crop up in the near future, but for now they will remain just what they are; conspiracy theories.
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