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Yankees Gift to Alex Rodriguez is Bobby Abreu

(8/01/06)

Watching today's Yankees 5-1 winner over the Toronto Blue Jays made me realize that this Bobby Abreu trade deal the Yankees made had more to do with A. Rod than it did Bobby Abreu. The Yankees are in a heated playoff hunt. One in which they are now tied for AL East and in a 3-way tie for the Wild Card with the Red Sox and White Sox.

The Yankees want to get better. They are a storied franchise and they expect nothing less than the World Series every year. For them not to make the playoffs would be an embarrassment.

But is Abreu really going to make that much of a difference? I mean the dude had only 8 HRs in 100 games. That is only like a 13 HR season. And his average this season is a career worst 0.277. Either the dude is over the hill or he is suffering the effects of not having steroids. At least he plays 150+ games every year. For that reason alone, we feel that he is a good pickup.

Wilson Betemit was available and has better numbers than Abreu. Not only that, but he would come cheaper. Much cheaper. Sure it will be near impossible to find a spot for another 3B/SS on the Yankees but in a league that has the DH, they could have figured something out.

The point was not to get value, the point was making the team better and they felt the dynamics of getting an Abreu would help make A. Rod better. Alex Rodriguez had been batting 4th in the lineup with nobody to back him up. He never saw good pitches at critical points in the game (like a David Ortiz would). But now that he is sandwiched between two formidable power hitters, his season should improve.

A better A. Rod means a better Yankees. Abreu is just a pawn to help the Pinstripes achieve that.