Yankees acquire third baseman James Nelson from Marlins

Yankees acquire third baseman James Nelson from Marlins

Jeffrey Gegler··3 min read

The Yankees announced today the trade of Stephen Tarpley for Marlins' minor league third-baseman, James Nelson, and cash considerations. For you Gio fans, there is no reason to worry, as Nelson played in high A ball in 2019 with a slash line of .228/.279/.296 with 36 runs and 36 RBIs. Over his four MiLB seasons, he slashed .259/.309/.354.

At first blush, it appears to be a one-sided trade in the Marlins favor. Tarpley was a third-round pick for the Orioles in 2013, eventually traded to the Yankees from the Pirates in 2016 as a "player to be named later" in the Ivan Nova deal. His MiLB numbers are 39-18, with a 2.94 ERA over 450.2 innings, and a 1.174 WHIP. He also has major league experience, pitching in 31 games for the Yankees with a 1-0 record, two saves, and a 5.88 ERA. He hurled one inning in game 3 of the 2018 ALDS, giving up three runs in one inning of work.

The Yankees DFA'd Tarpley on Jan. 11 as the corresponding 40-man roster move after re-signing Brett Gardner. The team then had seven days to give him his outright release or trade him, surely the reason a low-level third baseman and cash was all they could get in return.

Jeffrey Gegler

Training consultant who became a conservative as a child because of Ronald Reagan.

@jeffreygegler388714