The latest twist in the trade that nobody has won occurred on Thursday with the Seattle Mariners' demotion of Jesus Montero to Triple-A Tacoma. Montero was hitting just .208 (21-for-101) with five extra base hits, nine RBIs, 21 strikeouts, a .264 on-base percentage and a .327 slugging percentage.
What was a blockbuster, Friday-the-13th deal for the Mariners and New York Yankees in January of 2012 has fizzled faster than a wet firecracker. Pineda has yet to pitch in a Major League game for the Yankees due to a torn labrum. Jose Campos sat out most of last season with an elbow injury and is pitching for the Yankees' Class-A affiliate in Charleston. Hector Noesi went 2-12 with a 5.82 ERA last season and after a brief return to the Mariners is back in Tacoma.
Many Yankees fans expressed outrage once Pineda was shut down last spring over how Brian Cashman dealt Montero, his best trading chip, for damaged goods. And while it appears as if the tide is turning with Montero in Triple-A and Pineda throwing near 93 mph while pitching five innings on Thursday in an extended spring training game, fair is fair. This is going to take years for observers to fairly and fully evaluate.
Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC
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