Goodbye to Nick Rumbelow and hello to JP Sears and Juan Then. Let’s take a look at what the New York Yankees got in this minor trade.
The first move of the offseason for the New York Yankees may not have been headline-worthy but it was a strategic move.
The Yankees traded right hander Nick Rumbelow across the country to the Seattle Mariners. In return, the Bombers received left hander JP Sears and righty Juan Then.
Let’s take a look at what the Yankees have received and just what they’re losing in Rumbelow.
What they’re gaining:
A 21-year-old from Sumter, SC, JP Sears was drafted by Seattle in the 11th round of the 2017 MLB draft.
Currently relying on his four-seam fastball, it seems to be working for him. This season, he spent time with the short-season Everett AquaSox and the Single-A Clinton LumberKings, showcasing his powerful fastball.
The thing is…his velocity is not yet to Major League level. He is throwing in the low-90s but is still striking out batters at an alarming rate.
In his 27.2 innings pitched this season, he struck out a staggering 51 batters. And as a reliever, that’s exactly what you want to see. As a lefty, that’s even more impressive.
A young strikeout machine and still developing? The Yankees picked up a good one.
Also involved in this trade was right hander Juan Then, a 17-year-old Dominican prospect. Then pitched in the Dominican Summer League, posting a 2-2 record with a 2.64 ERA.
In 61.1 innings pitched, Then struck out 56 batters but only allowed three home runs, an impressive stat for a youngster. His BB/9 ratio is only 2.2, while his HR/9 ratio is a stellar 0.4.
Not much else is known about the Dominican prospect but I’m certain we’ll get to see a whole lot of this incredible prospect as he makes his move to the Yankees’ minor league system.
What they’re losing:
Nick Rumbelow, who has been in the Yankees’ farm system since 2013, will be heading to Seattle. Spending more time in the minors than the majors, Rumbelow made his main appearance in pinstripes in 2015.
The 26-year-old pitched in 17 major league games and posted a 4.02 ERA. He spent much of the last two season with the Triple-A Scranton Railriders. In 17 games with the Railriders last season, he came through in the clutch, he went 5-1 with a 0.62 ERA.
While they are losing Rumbelow, they are also gaining a spot on the 40-man roster, which is huge for the Yankees this season. Now we just have to wait and see what young prospect can fill that void.
Overall, it seems like a pretty good gain for the Yankees in terms of what they are losing. And this is just the first move during the offseason. Hopefully some more exciting moves are coming down the line.
