YANKS, TIGERS, D'BACKS MAKE 3-TEAM SWAP
In a three-team swap, the New York Yankees acquired infielder Didi Gregorius from the Arizona Diamondbacks; the Detroit Tigers acquired pitcher Shane Greene from the Yankees; and Arizona acquired pitcher Robbie Ray and infielder Domingo Leyba from the Tigers.
What does it give the New York Yankees
In Gregorius, the Yankees get an infielder they have long envisioned as the eventual successor to {P Derek Jeter} at shortstop. No pressure there, right? While Gregorius played both shortstop and second base in Arizona, he's expected to take over for Jeter on an everyday basis. He's also a left-handed hitter with better power than the average glove man at short, so he may find the the short porch at Yankee Stadium much to his liking. This is a very solid move by New York.
What does it give the Detroit Tigers
For their part, the Tigers are looking for Greene to build upon his surprising 2014 campaign with the Bronx Bombers. The 26-year-old right-hander made 14 starts in the bigs and won five games--while striking out 81 batters in 78.2 innings in the process. With Detroit, he should compete for the No. 5 starter job in spring training (barring more additions to the rotation this winter). He essentially replaces Ray, who would have been a candidate for the same role had he not been moved.
What does it give the
In dealing Gregorius, the D'backs alleviated a bit of a logjam in their middle infield. {P Aaron Hill} will likely man second base in 2015, with {P Chris Owings} moving back to shortstop from second base. Arizona also has veteran {P Cliff Pennington} and prospect {P Nick Ahmed} in reserve, though Leyba now becomes a definite candidate for the future at either shortstop or second base. As for Ray, he'll compete for a spot in either the rotation or bullpen--maybe both--in spring training.
Fantasy impact
The big winner here is Gregorius, whose swing should be tailor-made for Yankee Stadium. That said, he must also deal with the constant pressure that will come with being Jeter's replacement in the Bronx. Still, his fantasy value is now on the rise. Greene's value may also see a bit of a spike, provided he wins a spot in the Tigers rotation (that's not a guarantee). Ray's value, meanwhile, appears to be trending in the wrong direction. Leyba has definite keeper-league value and is now squarely on the fantasy radar, but is still several years away.
