Yankees Grab Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte from Pirates

Not content to simply beat the Red Sox in a 1-0 shutout at Fenway Friday night, the Yankees agreed to a deal with the Pirates that will send outfielder Xavier Nady and lefty pitcher Damaso Marte to the Bronx in exchange for minor-league outfielder Jose Tabata and pitchers Ross Ohlendorf, George Kontos, and Phil Coke. Both teams did quite well. Nady should provide some stability to the depleted Yankees outfield and help balance the lefty-heavy Bombers lineup. While he played right field for the Pirates, he can play a slightly below average left field, as well. Nady is enjoying his best season in the majors, posting a line of .330/.383/.535 this year. This is unlikely to continue, since his BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play) is an insane .363, an absolutely unsustainable number (his career BABIP is .317). Regardless, he should be a good substitute for the injured Hideki Matsui, and is not eligible for arbitration until the end of 2009. Damaso Marte will immediately become the Yankees' lefty ... [link]