Branch Rickey always said it was better to trade a player a year early than a year late -- you might miss out on one more great season from said player, but at least his trade value would still be pretty high. The Mariners' trade of Ichiro Suzuki to the Yankees may be an example of this -- perhaps the finest pure hitter in Mariners history netted Seattle only two minor league pitchers. That might be commensurate with his current value, as he's a shadow of the player he used to be, but it's one more strange sight in a night that had Ichiro wearing an "NY" logo on his cap.
Too late?
Ichiro is hitting only .261 this season with an OBP below .300 and 16 stolen bases.
Haul for the Mariners?
Seattle will receive reliever D.J. Mitchell and minor league right-hander Danny Farquhar in the Ichiro Suzuki deal.
Outfield help?
Though the trade was a surprise, it's easy to see why the Yankees picked Ichiro up -- their outfield is hurting with Brett Gardner out for the remainder of the season.
