Yanks get Eovaldi; Marlins get Prado
NEW YORK -- The Yankees traded starting second baseman Martin Prado to the Miami Marlins for starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi as part of a five-player deal, the teams announced Friday.
The trade is Prado and pitcher David Phelps going to the Marlins in exchange for the 24-year-old Eovaldi, first baseman/outfielder Garrett Jones and minor league pitching prospect Domingo German. The Yankees will also send a total of $6 million to the Marlins, GM Brian Cashman said.
With the trade, the Yankees appear as if they will let prospects Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela fight it out to be the team's second baseman. Scouts believe in both of their bats, but there are questions about their gloves. The Yanks have also picked up Cole Figueroa and Nick Noonan as possibilities this winter. Cashman said he still could add another second baseman before February.
"Clearly, if spring training were starting today, that is the competition," Cashman said.
With the Marlins in 2014, Eovaldi threw nearly 200 innings, finishing 6-14 with a 4.37 ERA. His 223 hits allowed were the most in the National League. His fastball has been clocked in the upper 90s.
"He has a good arm and he is young," said Cashman, who first asked the Marlins for Eovaldi a month ago and talks progressed from there.
He will slot into the Yankees rotation along with Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Chris Capuano and Ivan Nova.
The group enters with questions regarding Tanaka's and Nova's elbows, as well as Sabathia's knee. Coming off Tommy John surgery, Nova will not be available until late May. The Yankees may need Eovaldi to approach 200 innings again.
The Yankees have been in contact with Hiroki Kuroda as a starting option. Kuroda is still deciding if he will pitch in the majors, Japan or retire. It is unclear how much money the Yankees have left in their budget to sign Kuroda. He made $16 million in 2014.
Cashman declined, but reiterated that the team has no plans to enter the high end pitching market, which still includes Max Scherzer and James Shields.
The Yankees acquired another arm Friday, sending cash to the Mets in exchange for reliever Gonzalez Germen. Preston Claiborne was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Germen.
In Prado, the Marlins receive a versatile player who can play second or third base.
Prado, 31, played well for the Yankees, hitting .316 with seven homers in 37 games. His season ended early because of an appendectomy. He has said there is no lingering issue.
He is owed $11 million for each of the next two seasons. The Yankees will send $3 million to the Marlins each of the next two years. Jones is owed $5 million in 2015, which made the monetary portion of the trade closer to even for '15. Phelps made $541,000 in '14 and is arbitration eligible.
Phelps will provide the Marlins with either a starter or a reliever. In his three-year career, Phelps, 28, is 15-14 with a 4.21 ERA.
The arrival of Jones to the Yankees could further diminish the role of Alex Rodriguez. Jones plays first base and the outfield.
The Yankees have already displaced A-Rod from starting at third with Chase Headley but had talked about Rodriguez possibly backing up at third and first. With Jones on board, it seems doubtful Rodriguez will need to learn first base in the spring. Having a backup first baseman could help New York, as the Yankees lacked a true backup last season, which hurt them when Mark Teixeira was injured on multiple occasions.
Jones also could challenge Rodriguez for at-bats as designated hitter.
"His left-handed bat is made for our ballpark," Cashman said of Jones.
ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin contributed to this report.
