From Keith Law:
The Yankees are overhauling their bullpen the right way. They've only spent money on one outside reliever, Andrew Miller, a high-risk guy due to lack of track record but who was among the best in baseball in 2014, and are building the rest of their bullpen with cheaper guys to create more depth from the right and left sides. Yesterday's trade of Manny Banuelos for David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve adds to that depth.
Carpenter was one of many shrewd waiver claims by Atlanta over the last few years, coming off a terrible year in 2012 with the Blue Jays, only to provide Atlanta with two great years of relief work, 126 innings with a 2.88 FIP/2.63 ERA, for about $1 million total. Carpenter sits around 95-96 mph with an above-average slider and is particularly deadly against right-handed batters. He's now eligible for arbitration for the first time, making it the right moment for Atlanta to move him and for the Yankees to pick him up.
The more intriguing name coming to the Bronx is Shreve, who now gives the Yanks three power lefties in their bullpen along with Miller and Justin Wilson. Shreve reached the majors last year and works with an average fastball (90-93 mph) and slider, fringe-average split-change and outstanding control. He changed his approach in 2014, airing it out rather than trying to hit his spots, with much better results across the board, including better strike throwing. He's got a chance for three average pitches, and a lefty who can do that and fill up the strike zone is going to have a long career in the majors.
This trade has the Harlem River overflowing its banks with relievers, and the Yankees could try to stretch out someone like Wilson or maybe Adam Warren as a starter, although Warren's stuff as a starter never missed enough bats across his two years in Triple-A. It also frees up the team to trade some of its other relievers who might be squeezed out of major league roster spots, like Bryan Mitchell or the human eggshell Jose Ramirez, who's very talented but hits the disabled list if someone looks at him funny.
In return for two relievers they didn't need, Atlanta gets back Banuelos, a former top prospect whose stock has dropped after he missed two years due to elbow surgery and other arm issues. Banuelos did pitch in 2014 but with slightly reduced stuff, just 90-92 mph when I saw him in June, with an above-average to plus changeup, fringy curveball and inconsistent cutter. He'll turn 24 in March, and the Yankees handled him very carefully in 2014, keeping his pitch counts low, allowing him to make almost every start for five months without a serious setback. Atlanta should roll him back out there again as a starter in Triple-A and see if he regains any more velocity as he gets stronger and further away from the surgery. Right now, however, he looks like a fourth or fifth starter, and I think the deal works for Atlanta only if he returns to something like his pre-injury form.
