Kontos traded, Cervelli optioned
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Apr 04, 2012 
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George Kontos has been traded to the Giants for catcher Chris Stewart who will be the backup in New York.
Francisco Cervelli has been optioned to Triple-A.
The move was made to add depth in the wake of the Austin Romine injury.
Kontos been one of my fave prospects, forever. Basically lot of bad luck.
best of luck to you George.
Depth to the Yankees or Cervelli is adding AAA depth???
Bewildering and sad news for the PFOFs.
Perhaps it was a block of Stewart going to Boston too.
They think that little of Cervelli?
Why wouldn’t they just stick with Cervy since he knows the staff?…plus Cervelli can hit at least a little
Cervy has to be furious over this.
Perhaps it was a block of Stewart going to Boston too.
They think that little of Cervelli?
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First comment.
Theres no reason to do that.
Second comment.
I don’t get it, I’m sure they could have found a catcher to play AAA ball until Romine was healthy. Bringing in a new catcher to be the backup at the end of spring is weird. Didn’t we have Gustavo Molina in camp?
What about Francisco’s dreamy eyes? Damn you Cashman.
Sounds like Girardi finally found his dream offensive catcher in Stewart.
blake April 4th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
I don’t even know who Chris Stewart is sadly….should I be excite?
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I don’t know about you, but his career .200 avg and .592 OPS is bound to make the manager giddy.
ouch cervelli!
i guess theyre going w milina and martin?? weird…..
blake April 4th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Why wouldn’t they want to just keep Cervelli since he at least knows the staff?
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He hit a 2-run homer today. Obviously, he doesn’t take the catching part of his job seriously enough.
Cashman did say he would be searching around the league last minute to find anything from other teams that might make sense…
Apparently, the photo’s Cervelli and Mitre had of Girardi posing topless as a sad clown at adult parties have been destroyed.
After Buster Posey went down, Stewart was part of the catching tandem that helped them score zero runs for most of the season…
He has a cannon of an arm and a quick release, as I recall, so there’s that for sure.
I thought acquiring Tatum from the D Backs was suppossed to be the depth needed at the catcher position due to Romine’s injury.
Now Cash went out and got another catcher. Overkill??
Maybe the yankees are down on Cervelli’s defense? Not sure how good Stewart is though…
Cervelli doesn’t like this one bit!…..says Cervelli
Chris Stewart did hit well a few years ago. Cervelli is shaky as a BU IMO.
Stewart did throw out 39% last year which is far better than Cervelli.
It does make me wonder if Romine’s injury is worse than we thought. If he is going to be back shortly, this move makes no sense.
I’m trying to uncover the logic in this deal unless Cervelli is on the move other than AAA….Stewart is all defense and as Nick in SF mentioned, he doesn’t really have a stick
Chris Stewart did hit well a few years ago. Cervelli is shaky as a BU IMO.
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No he didn’t.
Ha, “as long as nothing surprising happens.”
MarcCarig
Cervelli = red-eyed and stunned.
Perhaps the Yankees want Cervelli to play full-time rather than sit on bench. He can be brought back at any time. There could also be other deals in the works before the 5PM deadline for setting rosters.
I’ll just leave this here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?f.....86mckPrcwI
Yea I really don’t get this at all unless Cervelli is being traded…why would you bring in a BUC 2 days before opening day that doesn’t know the staff at all unless they are a clear upgrade over what you have?
Jerkface April 4th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
I was thinking of another catcher named Chris! Sorry!
Yea I really don’t get this at all unless Cervelli is being traded…why would you bring in a BUC 2 days before opening day that doesn’t know the staff at all unless they are a clear upgrade over what you have?
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Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense…
And they didnt even bring him in off waivers/free agent scrapheap, they traded a potentially servicable right handed reliever for him.
Weird. weird. weird.
It’s been explained as a depth move. Stewart is out of options, unlike Cervelli, so Cervelli goes down.
Maxwell just dfa
@BloggingBombers
Justin Maxwell has been designated for assignment by the Yankees.
They must be trading Cervelli for Choo….only explanation.
Never been a big fan of Cervelli but I don’t see how this improves the team
Cervelli is human and he needs to be loved
just like everbody else does
Maxwell DFA too? lame.
Chris Stewart was at SWB in 2008 and 2009.
Strong arm and weak bat, a Girardi protege.
Wow, that is horrendous. Kontos had a good enough arm to end up in the bullpen at some point if he was healthy. For another backup catcher, one of how many they keep signing??? Sucks.
2 lame moves in a row – DFA Maxwell and sending Cervelli down for a guy that is even worse and trading a decent pitcher in Kontos to get him
Stewart types are available on the waiver wire every day. No need to give up anything decent.
Nick in SF April 4th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
Cervelli is human and he needs to be loved
just like everbody else does
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lol, The Smiths on a baseball blog?
Pat M. April 4th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
I’m trying to uncover the logic in this deal unless Cervelli is on the move other than AAA….Stewart is all defense and as Nick in SF mentioned, he doesn’t really have a stick
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Can’t see Cervelli going in a trade, not even as a piece. Other than Gil, there aren’t any catchers ready above Tampa except for the hangers on type players. I’m sure they’ll take a lot of time with Romine to get him right. Don’t know of any serious injury.
I’d think the real reason to this deal was getting another emergency catcher for the top levels. I think they’ll wait about 3 weeks and try to sneak Stewart through waivers and recall Cervelli. They have a lot of kids that can catch, but, almost all need serious work on their defense.
BloggingBombers Cervelli was furious about going back to Triple-A. “What can I say, bro? It’s not my decision. That’s it. I’m disappointed.”
The only way to understand this is Montero was their only plan to be the BU catcher. So now they have to try to catch lightning in a bottle with some obscure BU Catcher.
YankeesWFAN
Stewart is out of options, Cervelli is not RT @NUHF: @YankeesWFAN Why Stewart over Cervelli?
Kontos is hardly the only other arm we could put in the pen. Argue the use of resources if you want, but we shall weather this storm.
Stewart had like a 39% CS percentage last season…He has a wicked arm.
The more I think about it the more I don’t get this. Kontos is going to be one of those guys who ends up being a decent reliever in the NL and Stewart will be designated in a month.
YankeesWFAN Stewart is out of options, Cervelli is not
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That’s a good excuse.
Once Joe sees that 40% CS arm though, it’s all over.
Hated to see Maxwell be cut loose, but, who gets cut to give him a spot on the 25 man roster?
Bryan Hoch?
“If they want me to prove that I can catch in the big leagues, I’ll go there and I’ll prove that I have to be here.” – Cervelli
GB….Good point….
looking at Cervelli tweets on the right side of this page poor guy
I feel bad for Cervelli ….he’s not great nut he’s a good back up and as I’ve said he knows the staff…..unless the pitchers have said they don’t like throwing to him or something we don’t know about…..this doesn’t make much sense at all.
GreenBeret7 April 4th, 2012 at 3:57 pm
I’m with you GB! Perhaps if they carried 11 pitchers he makes it. Does Dickerson still have options?
Kontos is hardly the only other arm we could put in the pen.
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In terms of righties near the majors, he kind of is…
Cashman’s whole evaluations of catchers and catching is horrendous
Girardi on WFAN now
This just proves that the Yankees have the most respect for for their hardcore fanbase than any organization in baseball.
Fans needed a largely inconsequential transaction to be confused, outraged and indignant about today, and the Yankees delivered!
No other franchise in sports looks out for their fans like this one does.
Romine could be out a few months with a back situation per Girardi
Romine, St Judes Memorial catcher of the future.
Losing Kontos was not a killer. There are plenty in the upper two levels that can do a better job than him. He was returned as a Rule 5 a couple of years ago by the Padres. Girardi just said that Romine could be out about 2 months.
Deal doesn’t make a ton of sense, but if this was any other team… this kind of trade wouldn’t even get noticed.
Not gonna make or break much – but seems clear the Yanks (Girardi) REALLY value D at the catching position and Cervelli hasn’t gotten that job done I guess.
GreenBeret7 April 4th, 2012 at 3:57 pm
Hated to see Maxwell be cut loose, but, who gets cut to give him a spot on the 25 man roster?
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Exactly, what did fans want the Yankees exactly to do with Maxwell. Really the only option is to DFA
Ray,
NYYs got Dickerson through waivers earlier this year so he’s just another minor league player.
Losing Kontos was not a killer. There are plenty in the upper two levels that can do a better job than him.
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Just like losing Boone Logan is not a killer, but the manner in which they lost him is a little killer. Its a bad trade. There aren’t really much upper level relief pitchers that can fill in.
They DFA’d Whelan and now traded Kontos.
Cervelli hasn’t gotten that job done I guess.
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No, he really hasn’t. I’m not hating on Cervelli, but he’s not very good behind the plate.
Buster Posey just knocked in emergency catcher Pablo Sandoval to commemorate stuckey’s contempt for this discussion.
i feel terrible for cervelli.
c. stewart is a career .200 hitter. nothing to brag about.
yankees had c. stewart in 2008. no wonder the name is familiar.
i hope cervelli understands the move was made based on a need in the minors, and not
a reflection on his play. not that it matters much, but that’s putting a spin on the situation.
zero chance c. stewart can play well enough to hang on for a month or more.
They DFA’d Whelan and now traded Kontos.
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When did they DFA Whelan? They could bring him back in.
Interesting note about Chris Stewart; To my knowledge, Brett has not yet proposed a trade for him.
Thanks GB!
They could have plucked any run of the mill catcher from AAA and he’d be comparable to Stewart. They way way overpaid for a guy who is going to be released in a month
Who is our RH reliever in the upper minors who can come and step in if there is an injury? Well, knowing the Yankees, they’ll make Nova or Pineda a replacement, but who is left?
To me this makes zero sense. When you compare the 2 players numbers, Cervelli is by far the better player, overall. Stewart does have a much better C/S number, 39% vs. 20%, but if you look at the rest of the numbers, giving up any player for Stewart was a wate, IMO.
Stewart: BA .200, OBP .273, SLG .290, OPS .563, OPS+ 57
Cervelli: BA .272, OBP .338, SLG .354, OPS .692, OPS+ 84
Please tell me once more why we gave up Kontos for this!
BryanHoch profile
BryanHoch Brian Cashman said there’s a possibility of more Yankees trades today. “We’re scanning,” he said.
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Big moves coming guys jk
Dumb move, if Cash is bored he should just go rapel down the side of another building.
And I like Cashman, but cmon.
BryanHoch
Brian Cashman said there’s a possibility of more Yankees trades today. “We’re scanning,” he said.
If Cervelli had not been upset about this “demotion” then that would be a huge red flag.
I feel bad for the kid because he did nothing wrong. Just a simple numbers game.
C. Stewart might have been the only choice for the Yankees, and since he no longer has any options, the choice was fairly easy to make.
BIG AL April 4th, 2012 at 4:10 pm
Kontos had no place to go. The Yanks didn’t see him in the picture. Evidently, Stewart is the best available warm body with experience to catch. So in essence the Yanks end up with 2 Cervelli’s only one is Cervelli Light with great D.
So if Martin gets hurt & goes on DL, then Yanks have Cervelli to start & Stewart to fill in.
There’s a Hell of a lot of difference between Kontos and Logan, beyond Logan being the better pitcher. He’s also left handed.
Romine could be out a few months with a back situation per Girardi
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Should’ve traded him.
Yankees – Kontos = Worst Bullpen in the AL.
Mountains out of mole hills, people.
I sometimes think that Cashman has an inability to stay still for too long and goes crazy if he isn’t making some kind of move – that’s why you get unnecessary trades like he has been making.
Real smart to bring in a below average catcher who hasn’t even caught any of these guys because you are afraid of injury – they can find ANY below average catcher if and when the need arises. They didn’t get Jose Molina here, they got a guy who is not even an AAA player.
Cervy is furious speaking on WFAN right now. Says oh yeah I was suprised, to wait until the last day…
Keep in mind, Cervelli is always one hard foul tip off the dome away from the DL……I hadn’t really thought it out until GB brought this to light……
So, how is he going to learn all these pitchers? And did they really have to give up a pretty decent RHP to get him?
Maybe if they didn’t trade Montero, their catching depth would be fine.
BTX April 4th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
I sometimes think that Cashman has an inability to stay still for too long and goes crazy if he isn’t making some kind of move – that’s why you get unnecessary trades like he has been making.
Real smart to bring in a below average catcher who hasn’t even caught any of these guys because you are afraid of injury – they can find ANY below average catcher if and when the need arises. They didn’t get Jose Molina here, they got a guy who is not even an AAA player.
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You are under the assumption that Cashman was able to find ANY catcher out there, but who’s to say there were more available. C. Stewart was on the team in 2008, so there is small positive right there.
Unfair to say Cashman could have done a better job given the circumstances.
If we had just held on to Sal Fasano for dear life, none of this would’ve ever happened.
They didn’t get Jose Molina here, they got a guy who is not even an AAA player.
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The catching market is so weak that Jose Molina is now the every day catcher for The Rays, actually.
Whelan was moved off of the 40 man roster and still in Scranton because he cleared waivers.
Maybe if they didn’t trade Montero, their catching depth would be fine.
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Yes, because they had a lot of faith in Montero’s catching abilities.
The silver lining is that Cervelli still has some good pals in the Scranton area.
Oh wait…
Kontos had no place to go.
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AAA, he had options.
So I get the needed depth at the Catcher position and why Cervy gets sent down, because he has options and Stewart doesn’t. BUT, what about Tatum. That’s why they got him is it not.
RadioKev April 4th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
They didn’t get Jose Molina here, they got a guy who is not even an AAA player.
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The catching market is so weak that Jose Molina is now the every day catcher for The Rays, actually.
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If anybody here thinks the Yankees have problems behind the plate, just look at the rays.
They are going into the season with Jose Molina as the starter. That is awful. He won’t catch 100 games and if he does, he won’t be any good.
BTX April 4th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
I sometimes think that Cashman has an inability to stay still for too long and goes crazy if he isn’t making some kind of move – that’s why you get unnecessary trades like he has been making.
Real smart to bring in a below average catcher who hasn’t even caught any of these guys because you are afraid of injury – they can find ANY below average catcher if and when the need arises. They didn’t get Jose Molina here, they got a guy who is not even an AAA player.
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He has caught Nova in the minors, and is familiar with Hughes, Pettitte and Sabathia. he was a Yankee in 2010.
I think additional trades are planned . Hopefully it will make more sense when all of the dust has settled.
Maybe they truly beleive that adding a good defensivecatcher fills a need but I think there is probably more to it than that.
Stewart was a Yankee for a few games during “the dark season” no?
Kontos had no options. NYYs had him on the roster in 2011 and he was a Rule 5 return from San Diego in 2010.
AndrewMarchand
As we said the other day, Romine’s back is the big story. It could end up being serious, which makes you wonder about ’13. Martin is a FA.
C. Stewart was on the team in 2008.
Had 3 at bats. Zero hits
Nick in SF April 4th, 2012 at 4:20 pm
The silver lining is that Cervelli still has some good pals in the Scranton area.
Oh wait…
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He didn’t have very many in LoHudville….until he was sent to AAA about an hour ago.
Kontos had no options. NYYs had him on the roster in 2011 and he was a Rule 5 return from San Diego in 2010.
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Thats not how options work.
With Martin’s pending free agency and Romine’s back, I predict we’ll have a Montero catching for the Yankees next season.
Is it possible that Cervelli was sent down because he is the most familiar with the AAA pitchers?
Or is this his reward for hitting a homerun today?
DaveD April 4th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
AndrewMarchand
As we said the other day, Romine’s back is the big story. It could end up being serious, which makes you wonder about ’13. Martin is a FA.
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just great
I’m sorry unless there’s a trade brewing this is a curious move at best.
Bringing in a catcher unfamiliar to the staff will likely mean Joe G will not play him much if any.
Therefore, Russell Thurman Martin will catch virtually every game in April and the Yankees will succeed at driving Martin into the dirt and then be able to justify his .230 average is acceptable because he will have had to play nearly every inning of every game. Smart move. Not.
I agree they will then try to sneak Stewart through waivers after a few weeks and Cervelli will be recalled. Gustavo Molina has got to be bummed too. He must be thinking, what about me? I know the names of a few Yankee pitchers, I can hit .200 and peg out some runners some times?? Where’s the love for Gustavo??
He was in Scranton in 2008 and 2009. I missed on this time in NY.
Bruce Bochy just described the Giants’ choice as backup catcher Hector Sanchez as a guy who won’t need to be pinch-hit for because he’s “a switch-hitter who bats from both sides.”
Kontos has, at the very least, 1 option remaining.
“With Martin’s pending free agency and Romine’s back, I predict we’ll have a Montero catching for the Yankees next season.”
The budget
Jerkface April 4th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
Kontos had no options. NYYs had him on the roster in 2011 and he was a Rule 5 return from San Diego in 2010.
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Thats not how options work.
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He is out of ML options. He doesn’t get to restart with a new load of options just because he switched teams..
Stewart had 3 plate appearances for the Yankees in 2008.
New Post——>
So, all it does is cements Martin’s spot for the immediate future. Montero and Napoli are going to cost more than Martin. If I recall, he’s no good anywhere.
As far as Kontos goes, he’s not going to be missed.
He is out of ML options. He doesn’t get to restart with a new load of options just because he switched teams..
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You do not understand how options work. Or the rule 5 apparently. You get 3 of them by default. In 2010 if the padres selected him and returned him the Yankees The Yankees do not have to add a returned player to the 40 man.
They put him on the 40 man in 2011 to protect him from the rule 5. They used 1 option in 2011. He has 2 left. Minimum of 1. Because he has only been on the 40 man for a maximum of 2 years. And being optioned from the 25 man to the 40 is what uses an option.
Amazing you watch so much minor league baseball and do not know how options work.
The Yankees optioned Kontos to AAA this spring, as reported by Chad.
Some moves make you say “meh”, some make you say “WTF”, some make you say “is Cashman drunk or being black mailed by another mistress?”. I think this one is clearly under the WTF category. Not a lot of sense, but not in the Buhner for Phelps travesty.