In the last few weeks heading to tomorrow's trade deadline, there have been a few rumors swirling around that the Yankees are very interested in Seattle's Jarrod Washburn. Still, for the most part, everything that's been heard about this deal in recent days would lead us to believe it's dead.Why? I don't know. From what I can tell, there was nobody else besides the Yankees interested in Washburn, so I don't understand why Seattle doesn't give him up and shed the $14 million in salary. Still, a deal between the two teams seems unlikely, so that's got ESPN's Buster Olney wondering if another New York team may come calling.
Baseball executives love the mental challenge of piecing together the trade deadline puzzle, and I heard this interesting speculation -- and that's all it is, speculation -- from an executive with a team that is not involved in the Jarrod Washburn conversation: With the Mets now perhaps in need of a starting pitcher (in the aftermath of the MRI planned for John Maine), wouldn't Washburn be a great fit for the Mets?I have to agree with Buster and the anonymous executive. Washburn would be a good fit for the Mets. His overall numbers on the season aren't that great (5-9, 4.50 ERA, 1.43 WHIP), but the last two months he's been very effective. Since Jarrod's regained control of his changeup, he's gone 3-2 and has allowed more than two earned runs only once in his last ten starts.
Washburn is a gritty pitcher, he usually gives six tough innings and he'd be pitching in a big ballpark. And because he's under contract for 2009, he would give the Mets some depth protection; Pedro Martinez and Oliver Perez are eligible for free agency after this season.
Adding him to their rotation could help the Mets win the NL East, and they probably won't have to give up much at all to get him.
