My Thoughts on the Jesus Trade

By now you have all probably heard about last night’s trade — the Yanks sent Jesus and Hector Noesi to the Mariners for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos.

I think this was a great trade for a number of reasons. First, the Yanks needed pitching and Mike Pineda will make an immediate impact. He’s not arbitration eligible until 2014 and won’t become a free agent until 2017; he’s going to be dirt cheap and is capable of being a 2-3 starter, and he’s only 22 years old (will be 23 next week). Plus, Campos put up great numbers in Single-A last year for a 19-year-old. He may not reach the bigs for a couple of seasons, but he should become a great pitcher.

Next, Jesus was never projected to be a great catcher. Sure, he could’ve been a damn good DH, but that spot is going to be used for the older guys who need a day off in the coming years. There was really no spot for Jesus. Also, the Yanks have Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez — two catching prospects who are better defensive backstops than Jesus. With this logic dealing Jesus for a young stud pitcher is a no brainer.

Noesi showed some promise and was fun to root for, but he’s a small price to pay for getting a great pitcher.

As I said before, this was a steal of a trade for the Yanks — they’d have been stupid not to pull the trigger — but I will miss Jesus. He’s really the first position player whose career I followed all the way through the minors. I hope he continues to rake — just not against the Yanks — and has a great career. Here’s why:

I took these pictures at the Yanks-Sox game massacre on September 24 this past season. Jesus went 3-for-4 with 4 RBI, 2 runs scored and saw 19 pitches while missing the cycle by a triple. He also chased Lester in the third with a two-run double. I’m not saying that he was going to be the next Babe Ruth, but it’s games like this that endear you to a player forever.

And, for good measure, here are some pics I took at the game where he hit his first and second career taters. I must warn you though, they were taken with my phone and are from much worse seats.

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