Trying to trade Javier Vazquez

Today, we heard that the Yankees have been actively kicking the tires on Cliff Lee. What's more is that the Yankees believe that they could trade for Lee if they wanted to, by offering a package built around one of their young catchers such as Austin Romine or Jesus Montero.

But wait, the Yankees have five very good, if not great, starters. How could they possibly acquire Lee if there is no room in the rotation?

The Answer? Trade someone.

CC Sabathia? Not going anywhere. A.J. Burnett? Iffy, but no. Andy Pettitte? Absolutely not. Phil Hughes? Fuhgetabatit.

Javier Vazquez?

Vazquez, who pitched for the Yankees previously in 2004, was acquired from the Atlanta Braves before 2010 in a trade that sent OF Melky Cabrera, RHP Arodys Vizcaino and LHP Mike Dunn from New York to Atlanta. Vazquez, who started the season as the team's fourth starter, struggled early, going 3-5 with an ERA in the 8.00's through April and May. Fans called for Vazquez's and GM Brian Cashman's heads, demanding the pitcher be traded and Cashman fired. However, the durable righty turned around in June and, in his last seven starts, is 4-2 with a 2.93 ERA, totaling a 7-7 record with a 4.81 ERA on the campaign.

Vazquez, 33, who makes $11.5 million this season, is a free agent at the end of the season. Many believe that the Yankees will not re-sign Vazquez, who qualifies as a Type-A free agent (meaning they get two first round draft picks) because the man they want, Lee, is also a free agent.

However, we heard today as mentioned above, that the Yankees are interested in Lee and believe that they have a package that could land them the ace left-hander. Lee is 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA and has 89 strikeouts while giving up just six (!!!) walks. He makes $9 million this season. But, trading for Lee means trading one of the current starters, and the four mentioned above are going nowhere, leaving Vazquez the lone odd pitcher out.

From Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:
"The source, however, estimates that the Yankees’ chances of landing Lee are “less than 50 percent,” and says that such a move likely would require the team to spin right-hander Javier Vazquez to another club."

There lies the problem. What team, with Lee on the block, would trade for Vazquez, who is not having as good a year? Could the Yankees encourage a team to join them in a possible three-team trade for Lee? What would the Yankees have to give up?

Due to Vazquez's recent hot streak (4-2 with a 2.93 in seven starts) and his qualification as a Type-A free agent, the Yankees could value Vazquez higher in order to get a top prospect in return since they would be giving up a top prospect for Lee.

I've narrowed down some possible destinations for Vazquez if the Yankees were to trade him if they acquired Lee:

• Seattle Mariners - They're going to get rid of one of their best pitchers in Lee, so wouldn't the want a big league ready pitcher in return? Perhaps they'd take Vazquez from the Yankees with a prospect like Romine or Montero. That way the Mariners would get a pitcher that they could bring back next season for a cheaper salary as well as the prospects.
  

• Minnesota Twins - Have already made an offer to Seattle for Lee which includes top prospects Aaron Hicks and Wilson Ramos. Vazquez would be a good fallback option along with Dan Haren since they'll be battling with the Tigers and ChiSox for the division title.
  

• Detroit Tigers - Very shaky rotation outside of Justin Verlander, need a stable #2, but what do they have that the Yankees would want? Austin Jackson? Sure to be battling with Twins and ChiSox for division title.
  

• Chicago White Sox - Same as Tigers: shaky rotation, battling with Tigers and Twins all year, what do they have?
  

• New York Mets - They've been heavily interested in Lee, so if they feel that they can acquire him, they'll push for it and give up the prospects. If they're unable to get Lee because he goes to the Yankees, expect them to be interested in Vazquez when he becomes available. But would the Mets really want to see a top prospect, which it would most likely cost for Javy, flourish with their crosstown rival?
  

• Philadelphia Phillies - They must really regret trading Lee over the off-season. The Phillies are in third place in the NL East, four games behind the second place Mets. They're interested in Lee to backup Roy Halladay. They've been rumored as interested in re-trading for Lee. If they can't acquire Lee, they'll go for Haren, who they've been reported as scouting recently. If not Haren, expect them to call the Yankees about Vazquez. Their Farm system was rich with talent before they traded for Roy Halladay and isn't so great now outside of Domonic Brown. The Phillies are in desperation mode right now and it's getting late early for them if they want to make the playoffs. They'd probably be in a rush to trade for Vazquez if they can't get Lee.
  

• Cincinnati Reds - Interested in Lee, but questions about what they have to give up outside of first baseman Yonder Alonso that's valuable. They could look to Vazquez as back-up option, but what could they give the Yankees? Alonso would be a good guy to start with since he can also catch. The Yankees would most likely have to give up Romine or Montero for Lee, so acquiring another top prospect who can catch in Alonso would easily replace the pain of losing Montero or Romine. Acquiring Vazquez could help the Reds solidify the NL Central title.
  

• St. Louis Cardinals - Rumored to be willing to part with 2009 first round pick LHP Shelby Miller, but no one knows how serious they are. They'd probably call for Vazquez if they really need him, especially since their only two games from first place.
  

• San Francisco Giants - They're not interested in Lee according to reports, but are more interested in acquiring a bat. However, the rotation needs help outside of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez. Question is still what they would have to give up.
  

• Los Angeles Dodgers - They've been scouting Lee according to reports, but some are skeptical if they can take on Lee's contract at $9 million, meaning a trade for Vazquez, who makes $11.5 million, would be unlikely.
  

• Texas Rangers - Ditto that for the Rangers. They're having problems with ownership and have declared bankruptcy.
  

Again, these teams would only be interested if Lee ends up with the Yankees. Vazquez makes more money, is older (33 to 31), and is not having as good a season as Lee. Javy has proved to be a dominant National League pitcher in inter-league play as well as his season last year with Atlanta, which could make him more attractive to an NL team. However, he would not cost as much, in prospects, as Lee would. Therefore, the team that could be most interested in acquiring Javier Vazquez is:

The Cincinnati Reds.

Why the Reds?

Like I said before, the Reds are fighting, fighting, to hold on to first place in the NL Central from the St. Louis Cardinals. Acquiring a front-of-the-line starter like Lee would make them possible division champs. However, the Reds may not have enough money to sign Lee to extension in the off-season, thus losing him to another team, such as the Yankees. That'd mean that Lee was a rental, and that the team traded premium prospect talent for a half a year's worth of Lee, despite gaining a first round draft pick if he's let go. You can't imagine that Reds' RHP Mike Leake will continue to get lucky all season, so acquiring an ace like Lee to bolster their rotation would be critical to make the playoffs. In a trade for Lee, Cincy would most certainly have to give up 1B prospect Yonder Alonso, who is blocked by Joey Votto, LHP Travis Wood, 3B Juan Francisco and another player.

Let's say in this scenario that the Yankees trade Jesus Montero/Austin Romine with 2B David Adams and a throw-in, and acquire Lee and then make Javier Vazquez available. The Reds need a pitcher now to make a playoff push. Something tells me that the Reds would be interested in acquiring a pitcher who a) they wouldn't have to give up as many prospects for and b) dominates in the NL. Sliding Vazquez in front of Leake, Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang would make for a great rotation in Cincinnati. As I mentioned above, if the Reds were to trade with the Yankees for Vazquez, starting the deal with Alonso, 23, would be good place to begin. Alonso has been said to be a power hitting, left handed batting first baseman/catcher. He's slumping in his first go around in Triple-AAA hitting just .253 with 5 home runs. Jesus Montero and Austin Romine are two of the game's best catching prospects and are ranked #1-#2 on the Yankees' top prospects list. Alonso, the Reds' #2 prospect, has played first base and catcher in the minor leagues.

If the Yankees give up Montero or Romine for Lee, which they most certainly would have to, acquiring Alonso for Vazquez straight-up, one for one, would ease the pain of losing one of them. Alonso could move behind the plate and take the place of Romine or Montero as one of the Yankees' top prospects. There are questions if Alonso could stay behind the plate, but if not, he could move to third base or a corner outfield slot.

So why should the Reds give up a top prospect? For starters, Vazquez is still a great pitcher and could surely help an NL team out. Secondly, he's a Type-A free agent, meaning the Yankees could simply keep Vazquez (unlikely, but who knows) and take the first round draft pick at the end of the year. Finally, the Yankees gave up a top prospect in Vizcaino for Vazquez, so they should expect a top prospect in return if they were to trade him. It'd be an extremely fair trade for both sides if the trade was just Vazquez for Alonso. Alonso is blocked by superstar Joey Votto at first base. Not only is Alonso blocked by Votto, but it doesn't seem as though the Reds plan to move the former first round pick from UMiami behind the plate anytime soon, due to questions if he can stay behind the plate. The Reds drafted catcher Yasmani Grandal, who also went to UMiami, in the first round with the 12th overall pick this year. Grandal is a more polished hitter, is younger, and is a better defensive player. The Reds may simply look to move Alonso because they have no place for him, making him even more attractive for the Yankees in a trade for Vazquez. For the Reds, Vazquez would jump immediately into Cincinnati's rotation and make them a more powerful team, most likely division champs. Vazquez is a free agent at the end of the season, but he'd probably be more signable for Cincinnati than Lee, seeing as he'd cost less and the Reds would not have to sign him to a long-term contract, maybe three or four years at the most. The Yankees would most likely have to eat some cash off Vazquez's contract to get the top prospect. This would be a great trade for both sides and makes the most sense.

The Phillies could also be interested, but I don't see what they could give up outside of Domonic Brown and Kyle Drabek, who are untouchable, since the Halladay trade depleted their system.

The Yankees should try to get a top prospect for Javy, especially since they're losing Romine or Montero. I wouldn't be surprised if they had to settle for a reasonable price though, such as a B-level prospect. Perhaps the Yankees could include Javy in the trade for Lee. Would a trade of Vazquez and Montero/Romine get a deal done for Lee?

Am I ready to write Javy off the ship so quickly? Not exactly. He's been hot recently, but he's had a shaky season and I wouldn't exactly trust him much more than Burnett in a one game playoff series. Also, the Yankees aren't going to trade CC, A.J., Andy or Phil. That being said, Javy's value is at an all-time high right now, so the Yankees could net a top prospect. It'd be the only way that Lee would fit on the team.

It seems like the Yankees could trade for Lee whenever they want to, the only difficulty is moving Javier Vazquez. A rotation featuring Sabathia, Lee, Burnett, Pettitte and Hughes is just wild. While it's not set in stone that this is to happen, it's pure speculation and only matters if Lee is acquired by New York. If the Yankees want to make the best of a trade for Lee then they would have to sign him to an extension. The next few weeks are going to be very interesting.

Update 11:03 PM: Just heard on SNY's SportsNite that the Yankees were talking a trade with the Mariners for Lee and that Vazquez would be traded to Seattle along with a prospect or two. Talks are surely heating up!