New York Yankees’ Trade for Justin Wilson Could be a Steal
By Christopher Gamble
@chriswgamble
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The New York Yankees had catching depth and decided to use that depth to acquire some pitching depth. Backup catcher Francisco Cervelli was shipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates in return for left-handed reliever Justin Wilson. In late October, I wrote about how the Pirates would be a perfect destination for Cervelli as they protect against losing Russell Martin in free agency.
With Martin reportedly set to make a lot more money than the Pirates are willing to spend, adding a catcher with promise like Cervelli makes sense. For the Yankees this deal makes sense because they needed the pitching depth, especially form the left-handed side in the bullpen.
Wilson, 27, still has two options left which gives the Yankees roster flexibility if needed. He throws a cutter, two-seam fastball and fastball that sites in the mid-90s. His cutter and two-seamer also sit in the low-90s. Last season, Wilson posted a 4.20 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts in 60 innings. Control was a bit of an issue as he allowed 30 walks but he only allowed 49 hits. In 2013, Wilson posted a 2.08 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 73.2 innings covering 58 games.
Interestingly, Wilson has been better against right-handed batters in his career than against lefties. Righties have hit just .206/.312/.297 in 384 plate appearances. Against lefties, Wilson has allowed a .234/.297/.320 line in 193 plate appearances.
Cervelli has always been an intriguing player but he has had trouble staying healthy, especially with concussions. He is out of options, as is fellow catcher Austin Romine so one of them had to go. Cervelli should get a shot to win the starting job in Pittsburgh if Martin isn’t brought back. Former Yankees’ catcher Chris Stewart is currently penciled in as the starter.
The fact is Wilson is a hard-throwing lefty who can face both left-handed and right-handed batters which could give Joe Girardi plenty of flexibility in the bullpen. Giving up Cervelli for a young left-hander with plenty of team control and two options makes a ton of sense for the Yankees. If Wilson can overcome some of the control problems he faced last season he could be a steal. Until then, Wilson is a nice depth piece at a premium position but he has plenty of upside.
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