From MLBTR, we learn that the Pirates have claimed Anthony Claggett off waivers from the Yankees. Claggett was designated for assignment on the 14th in order to free up a roster spot on the 40-man for speedster Freddy Guzman. The Pirates already have Ross Ohlendorf, Daniel McCutchen, and Jeff Karstens pitching for them, so why not bring in another Yankee arm (or two, or three)?

From Chad Jennings:

In a move that seemed to catch every player in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees clubhouse offguard, the New York Yankees called up speedy outfielder Freddy Guzman this morning. To make room for Guzman on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Anthony Claggett (right) was designated for assignment.

The move makes Claggett ineligible for the Triple-A playoff roster. He’s going home tomorrow and he’ll wait there to find out whether he clears waivers, gets picked up or is traded for the second time in his career.

Guzman was acquired at the end of August and looks to serve the team as a pinch runner upon his arrival. Since joining Scranton, he has stolen 7 bases in 6 games (this season, he has stolen 45 bases while being caught 9 times). Though it is a strange move since they had to DFA Claggett in order to make room for Guzman—a nobody—I like the speed that they’re adding off the bench. He’s got no bat, but the wheels can be useful down the stretch.

Well, I guess it’s 5 starts after today’s game against Texas.

From George King III (NY Post):

Joba Chamberlain isn’t wild about the innings limit on his right arm and how it has led to long stretches of inactivity in the second half. But he admits his arm is in very good shape.

“I feel great,” said Chamberlain, who starts tomorrow night against the Rangers at Yankee Stadium. “I feel a lot better at the beginning of the year. It’s a win-win situation for everybody.”

Chamberlain last worked Aug. 16 at Seattle and will be going on eight days rest tomorrow. Chamberlain says he will get six more starts this year and if he averages the 5 2/3innings per start he has in 23 games so far that will get him to 160 2/3 innings for the season. That’s more than the 140-innings set in spring training but a total the Yankees wouldn’t be uncomfortable with.

If the Yankees truly cement their AL East lead as the regular season comes to a close, maybe Joba’s final few starts can be given to someone else so that the team can limit his innings total as much as possible, prior to the playoffs. Perhaps we’ll see Chad Gaudin or Anthony Claggett get a start in, instead. That would seem like a wise decision given that the Yankees face teams like Baltimore, Toronto, Seattle and Kansas City in September (they also face Tampa Bay and Boston). Joba’s cap is influenced by the way the team plays, though, down the stretch.

Peter Abraham has the news, reporting that Pena is up for Claggett. This gives the Yankees incredible flexibility on the bench, with Jerry Hairston Jr. and Pena both being able to play multiple positions adequately. When Brett Gardner returns, I would expect that Pena be sent back down.

In regard to the pitching staff, Chad Gaudin will join the club on Sunday, and one of Mark Melancon and David Robertson is likely to go down to Scranton. I think the Yankees have seemed intent on keeping Melancon with the big club, and he will stay. However, whichever of the two the Yankees choose to send down may not be gone for long. If Gaudin takes Sergio Mitre’s rotation spot, we may see Mitre jettisoned in favor of the previously discarded reliever. It should be interesting to keep an eye on.

Per Peter Abraham, the Yankees have promoted Alfredo Aceves to the bigs today, sending down Anthony Claggett.  Much has been made about the Yankees’ lack of a long reliever on the roster this season, and Aceves will certainly fill that role.  I think promoting Aceves at this time makes sense given the possibility of a rain delay today (which could cause the Yankees to pull Hughes after a long delay, even if it’s only a few innings in), and he could be nice to have while the Yankee rotation is pitching inconsistently.  However, I think the importance of a long reliever in general is overrated, but it could be helpful in a rotation with 2 young pitchers in Joba and Hughes starting back to back.

Aceves is coming off an excellent start, pitching 8 shutout innings and striking out 6 while allowing just 3 hits and a walk.  On the season, he is 2-0 with a 3.80 ERA, and 18 strikeouts against 5 walks in 23 2/3 innings.  Opposing hitters are batting just .202 against the Mexican Gangster.

Peter Abraham is reporting that Damaso Marte has been put on the DL and Anthony Claggett has been brought up. I guess some people owe Joe Girardi an apology. So far, the Yankees have lost their #2 starter, their 3B-man and cleanup hitter, their starting RF, and both of their 8th inning guys. It is a wonder that they are above .500.

According to MLBTR, the Tigers released Gary Sheffield today, eating the 14 million dollars he is owed for 2009 rather than have him remain on the roster. This got me to thinking about the trade that the Yankees made with the Tigers after the 2006 season, in which the Yankees sent Sheff to Detroit for Humberto Sanchez, Kevin Whelan, and Anthony Claggett.

The Yankees had traded for Bobby Abreu close to the trade deadline in 2006, a season in which Sheff played 39 games. This made Sheffield a spare part, and many believed the Yankees would decline the 13M dollar option that they had on Gary. Instead, Brian Cashman picked up the option so as to get something for a proven commodity like Sheffield. One week later, the deal with the Tigers was done. Here is what Keith Law had to say at the time about the three guys the Yankees got:

In exchange for Sheffield, the Yankees get some much-needed pitching depth in their farm system, acquiring three power arms who all rank among the hardest throwers in the Yankee organization. Humberto Sanchez was considered the Tigers’ most tradeable young asset back in July, but elbow inflammation ended his season a few days before the trading deadline. He’d been throwing at the Tigers’ complex in Lakeland, and the Yankees are satisfied that he’s healthy. At the Futures Game, Sanchez showed a solid-average fastball touching plus at 91-94 and an average slider at 80-82, throwing one split at 84. He’s a heavyset guy with some effort in his delivery, although part of what boosted his stock this year was a newfound commitment to staying in shape (word is that the rapid ascension of his buddy Joel Zumaya lit a fire under him). He’s worked as a starter so far, but it’s more likely that he’ll at least start his major league career in the bullpen.

Kevin Whelan is the potential diamond in the rough for the Yanks, although that’s no slight to Sanchez. Whelan is a converted catcher who has only been pitching since 2003, but he’s got two things that converted guys often don’t have: great feel and a quality offspeed pitch. He pairs a mid-90s fastball (touching 95-96) with a filthy splitter, 84-86 mph with a sharp tumble and great bottom to it. He still has below-average control, but that’s not a surprise in a kid with so little pitching experience, and he won’t advance quickly until he throws more strikes.

The third pitcher in the deal, Anthony Claggett, is another converted position player, this one a shortstop, and he shares Whelan’s characteristic of an above-average secondary pitch, this one a hard slider, to go with a low-90s fastball. He’s also given up just one home run in 82 pro innings. He’s a long way off and is a low-probability prospect, but he has upside and the Yanks just didn’t have a lot of upside in their farm system before this trade.

The trade has not worked out very well for either team. Sheffield did not play more than 133 games in either of his seasons with the Tigers, and did more talking off the field than producing on it. For the Yankees, while they did get something for a player they were going to let leave, the prospects they obtained have struggled. Sanchez has fought injuries and ineffectiveness, while Whelan still shows an inability to hit the strike zone with his awesome stuff. Claggett is probably the best prospect of the three at this point, as he projects to be a solid reliever. You would typically hope for a better return on a player like Gary Sheffield.

What do you think about the trade?