The Yankees' trade for Ichiro Suzuki is interesting in the same way that Joe Namath playing for the Los Angeles Rams was interesting. Ichiro is an easy first-ballot Hall of Famer and has been an amalgam of hits, stolen bases, Gold Glove Awards and All-Star votes in his career, but it's unclear how he represents an upgrade for the New York Yankees, other than for their network.
Others ahead of him in his OPS neighborhood this year are Jeff Francoeur, Rickie Weeks and Drew Stubbs. DeWayne Wise, who the Yankees designated for assignment to make room for Ichiro, had a .778 OPS in 53 plate appearances with New York -- significantly higher than Suzuki's OPS in each of his last three full seasons.
Ichiro embraced this and essentially made it happen, and he has indicated a willingness to go along with whatever Yankees manager Joe Girardi wants. Ichiro could be energized, in theory, by shifting from an exhausted situation to something better. Think Kevin Youkilis going from the Boston Red Sox to the Chicago White Sox. If Suzuki is surrounded by better players in a ballpark better-suited for hitters, this could create opportunities.
But is also has the chance to become something of an embarrassment.
If he doesn't play well -- and there is a lot of evidence that could be the case -- then Girardi will have a revered 10-time All-Star sitting on his roster.
There are other hitters who get on base more, who hit for more power, who are better-suited to take advantage of the dimensions in Yankee Stadium. Ichiro is still a good outfielder, and he can run. There are many other outfielders who have those two particular skills.
If it doesn't go well, Girardi is going to have to immediately feel comfortable with the idea of pinch-hitting for an all-time great. He will have to fight empathy in making his choices. He may feel compelled to play Ichiro purely out of a sense of deference to Ichiro's extraordinary history.
In 1973, Willie Mays was 42 years old, in the final season of his career, and he played 45 games in the outfield for the New York Mets -- all in center field. Nobody was ever going to tell Willie Mays he wasn't the center fielder -- a practice that continued through the World Series that year and went badly at the end.
Mays' OPS in that regrettable final season was .647. Ichiro Suzuki's OPS this morning is .640.
The acquisition of Ichiro made it a big day for the Yankees, Girardi said. The Yankees are hoping for the best, writes John Harper. Ichiro is a famous supplementary part for the Yankees, writes Joel Sherman.
In Seattle, there is relief that Ichiro is gone. This saves the Mariners from barreling headlong into a situation identical to the Ken Griffey Jr. debacle two years ago.
Fans are coping with Ichiro's departure.
Notes on the Ichiro trade
From ESPN Stats & Information
• The Yankees acquired Ichiro for 25-year-old right-handed pitchers D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar.
• Ichiro's $17 million salary this season gives him the fourth-highest salary on the Yankees (after Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia) and makes him the team's 12th $10M man this season (including $11.5M being paid to A.J. Burnett).
Highest career BA among active players (min. 3,000 PA)
Albert Pujols: .326
Joe Mauer: .324
Ichiro Suzuki: .322
Todd Helton: .320
• The Yankees now have three players with at least 2,500 career hits (Ichiro, Rodriguez and Derek Jeter).
From Elias Sports Bureau: Only two teams in MLB history have had three players with at least 2,500 career hits at the time they were together: A's in 1927 (Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Zack Wheat) and A's again in 1928 (Cobb, Collins, Tris Speaker).
• While Ichiro's bat is not what it once was, his glove is still golden. According to Fangraphs.com, Ichiro ranks second among all corner outfielders in defensive runs saved. According to that same metric, Ichiro joins a group that ranks second-worst in the American League.
Defensive runs saved in 2012 by Yankees corner outfielders
Ichiro Suzuki: 12
Andruw Jones: 2
Nick Swisher: minus-3
Raul Ibanez: minus-4
Ichiro's last four seasons (BA/OPS)
2012: .261/.640 (both would be career worsts)
2011: .272/.645
2010: .315/.754
2009: .352/.851
Comparing Ichiro to Wise, Ibanez and Jones trio (Ichiro/trio)
OPS: .640/.728
Slug pct.: .352/.429
Homers: 4/16
RBIs: 28/45
