Yankees Get Something for Nothing, Swap Nuno for McCarthy

The New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks worked out a deal today, exchanging pitchers Vidal Nuno and Brandon McCarthy. Buster Olney of ESPN first reported the news. Arizona will eat half of the $4.1 million owed to McCarthy over the rest of the season.

His contract expires after the season. Nuno, a 26 year old left-hander who was a 48th round pick of the Cleveland Indians in 2009, made his major league debut for the Yankees last season.

The Yankees picked him up from the Washington Wild Things of the Independent Frontier League after he was released by the Indians in 2010. After injuries to C.C. Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda, Nuno was pressed into the rotation. In 17 appearances and 14 starts, Nuno owns a 5.42 ERA. His advanced stats are marginally better, as he has a 5.15 FIP and 4.41 xFIP.

He features a fastball in the upper 80s and relies heavily on a slider while also utilizing a curveball and changeup. While most pitchers would be glad to move out of the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium, Chase Field hasn’t been much kinder to pitchers.

Nuno’s projections aren’t very favorable, as ZiPS and Steamer both forecast replacement level production. McCarthy has been plagued by the long ball this season, as he’s surrendered 15 home runs in 18 starts.

The main culprit has been a 20.0 percent HR/FB ratio which is twice his career rate. Though his 5.01 ERA isn’t pretty, he’s managing a career-best 20.0 percent strikeout rate and a 55.3 percent ground ball rate which is also a personal best.

Combine that with a 4.3 percent walk rate and you have a park-adjusted xFIP of 78, which is among the best in baseball. Going forward, McCarthy projects as a solid-average pitcher. He’s added two miles per hour to his fastball this year, which indicates that the improvements in his strikeout and ground ball rate aren’t a fluke.

While he’s only a rental, it’s surprising that the Diamondbacks would give him up for such a low return, especially with the Yankees being desperate for starting pitching.

The Diamondbacks sold low on McCarthy and his ugly ERA. Meanwhile, the Yankees are betting that the flyballs he allows won’t continue to leave the park at such a high rate. With the distressed state of their rotation, McCarthy should step in and be their third-best starting pitcher.