Around the Horn: A-Rod to the DL, Nova recalled…

There have been some interesting stories developing around the Yankee Universe lately, here’s a quick breakdown.

• A-Rod has become the most recent Yankee to hit the DL as he was placed on the 15-Day DL this afternoon according to Chad Jennings. A-Rod has been dealing with a calf injury, and after a few days of rest, the Yankees medical team decided he was ready to play yesterday. A-Rod did get the start at DH yesterday, but he had to leave the game early. The Yankees are claiming that A-Rod’s calf is in no worse shape than it was a few days ago, but it’s hard to believe that playing yesterday did not further aggravate it.
• Also coming from Jennings, Ivan Nova is being recalled and will get the start for the Yankees on Monday pushing the other starters back a day. Joel Sherman actually broke this news this morning, but now it’s official. I love the idea to plug Nova into the rotation because the extra rest for the rest of the rotation will be well welcomed. It shouldn’t hurt to get the struggling Javier Vazquez some extra rest time, and extra rest for Hughes means he may be able to pitch longer into the season before he hits his innings limit. Although Marc Carig has quoted Brian Cashman as saying that Hughes’ innings limit won’t play a factor in the playoffs and that it will be “all hands on deck”, for what it’s worth.
• Josh Norris has confirmed the rumors that Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances have been promoted to AA Trenton. Banuelos and Betances will join a rotation featuring Andrew Brackman, Adam Warren, and Hector Noesi. That’s a pretty fine rotation that Trenton has there.
• Via NPB Tracker on Twitter, we learn that the Yankees have sent Damon Oppenheimer and Billy Eppler to Japan to watch pitching sensation Yu Darvish. Darvish is only 24 years old, but he has really made a name for himself in Japan, and arguably in the U.S. as well. Darvish is not eligible to become an international free agent until after 2014, but his team, the Nippon Ham Fighters, have the opportunity to post him in which MLB teams would have the right to bid for the opportunity to negotiate a contract with Darvish. There seems to be no question of whether this will happen, it’s just a matter of when. And rest assured, once he is available, the Yankees will be in the Darvish sweepstakes.
• You may have heard the news already, but the Yankees announced yesterday that the Cleveland Indians have selected AAA starter Zach McAllister as the player to be named later in the deal for Austin Kearns. McAllister may seem like a lot to give up for Kearns, but McAllister has really struggled in AAA this season and may no longer have fit in with the Yankees future plans.
• 2010 HOPE Week ended yesterday with the Yankees helping out two sisters, Melida and Johanna Arias. I really enjoyed HOPE Week this year, along with last year, and I hope it has inspired others to help out the community.

Yankees lose out on Haren

"Dan Haren will not be wearing pinstripes anytime soon." Photo Credit: Getty Images via Yahoo Sports

Update 7/25/10

The Angels have just acquired Dan Haren in exchange for Joe Saunders and other prospects. I know nothing about the prospects so I can’t say for sure but it sounds like the D’backs were the losers in this trade.

Just two weeks ago the Yankees were in heavy talks with the Mariners regarding Cliff Lee. In fact, it seemed that the Yankees were just about ready to fit Lee into a Yankee uniform, however, it never came to be. The Mariners pulled out at the last-minute and traded Cliff Lee to the Texas Rangers. Now, with the Cliff Lee non-trade in the rearview mirror, the Yankees appear to be in serious discussions with the Arizona Diamondbacks for Dan Haren. Last night the news broke that the Yankees were rumored to be the front-runners in the Haren sweepstakes, and while things have quieted down, there is a good chance that the Yankees still are in the lead for Haren.

In return for Haren, the Diamondbacks are rumored to want pitching, pitching, and more pitching. I think it’s safe to say that Jesus Montero will not be a part of any possible trade for Haren, but last night we did get an idea of who the Yankees might send to Arizona. Last night, Frankie Piliere reported that Ivan Nova could very well be the centerpiece of the trade and that Joba Chamberlain could also be in the deal. However, this morning Bob Klapisch tweeted that the Yankees are not willing to include Joba in a potential trade for Haren and Jon Heyman said the same and added that the Yankees are willing to include Ivan Nova, Zach McAllister, and two other prospects. Heyman also said that the Yankees are willing to take on all of Haren’s contract but they have no interest in taking on anyone else from Arizona. Stay tuned for more updates.

If the Yankees can acquire Dan Haren for Ivan Nova, Zach McAllister, and two lesser prospects I would surely be in approval of the trade, but if the Diamondbacks demand that Joba be included in the trade, that’s when I get a bit uneasy. If the Yankees trade Joba they would be selling very low on him, which is usually not a good idea. Joba has run into a lot of back luck this season (I have a post planned about this and it should be up in the upcoming days) and is bound to see his numbers improve next season if not this season. However, Dan Haren has also experienced bad luck this season and the Diamondbacks would be selling low on him too. Still, Dan Haren doesn’t project to be a big part of the Diamondbacks’ future while Joba could very well play a key role in the Yankees future if they make him a starter. I really don’t know where I would stand on a trade for Haren which includes Joba.