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.
