Maxwell had been designated for assignment last week when the Nationals needed to clear space on their 40-man roster. The club had 10 days to either release him, hope he passed through waivers unclaimed and then send him outright to the minor leagues or work out a trade with another club. The Yankees came calling, agreeing to acquire the 27-year-old Olney native and former University of Maryland star.A fourth-round pick in the 2005 draft, Maxwell struggled to produce with any consistency during several stints with the Nationals over the last two years. In 122 total games, he hit .201 with nine homers and 26 RBI, though he did hit three grand slams in six career plate appearances with the bases loaded.
Olbrychowski, 24, was the Yankees' fifth-round pick in the 2007 draft out of Pepperdine University. The 6-foot-3 right-hander struggled as a starter but posted strong numbers the last two seasons as a reliever. In 32 combined games with Class A Tampa and Class AA Trenton last
year, he went 3-2 with a 3.90 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched.
Meanwhile, right-hander Shairon Martis, who also was designated for assignment last week, cleared through waivers and was outrighted to Class AAA Syracuse. Martis, who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2009, will get a non-roster invitation to big-league camp this spring.
32 comments:
And here I was hoping that we could get Brett Gardner in return :)
So now it is finality. An end of another error. Glad the Nats got another name I can't pronounce.
Good luck to Maxwell, and welcome to Olbry...Olbrychow...Olbrychowski (if there was ever a guy in need of a nickname, it's him). :-)
Good for Maxwell, and good for the Nats. No more back and forth between Syracuse and Washington. No more temptation for Riggleman. And another pitcher? Good deal.
fpcsteve
Obie One--he throws with force.
Not bad, Anon. This should be played when he comes out of the 'pen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrBx6mAWYPU
He should go by Obie and wear number 8.
The new guy already has a nickname evolution on twitter: The Big Olbrychowski becomes 'The Dude'.
That's a nickname I can stand behind.
The pictures are very telling. One looks happy, the other one looks sad.
He looks like someone they just might convert back to a starter now that he has apparently mastered his command issues? Another job for the new Nats player development department. Doubtless JayB will not think they are up to the task. He is known for throwing with even more heat since the conversion to a reliever. The Yankees are said to have a logjam of relievers in the minors.
"After striking out just 20 in 41 innings for Pepperdine this spring, Olbrychowski dominated Clark Griffith hitters, going 4-2, 1.10 with a 56-17 strikeout-walk ratio in 49 innings. His physical 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame allows him to maintain his 89-92 mph velocity late into games, and his fastball has good movement. Olbrychowski didn't really need his secondary stuff to get hitters out this summer, but his mid-70s curveball seemed to get better as the summer progressed, and he flashed a few low-80s changeups as well."
I like this deal A LOT, we trade maxwell so no more back and forth, no temptation, no nothing to use a player that quite frankly can't hit. On top of that Rizzo gets a pitcher, maybe not a world beater but someone with a lot of upside and only 24!
Neither will be heard from again.
Good trade for the Nats, Maxwell and Olbrychowski. Don't know why the Yankees would want Maxwell. They already have two centerfielders why can hit. Why would they want one who can't hit?
I don't know about that. At first glance, this guy's stats make it look like we got the better part of this deal. There has been lots of discussion about how much we need pitching. We just got more by giving up a player who wasn't part of the Nats' plans going forward. I mean no disrespect to Maxwell (and wish him well), but you might say we got something for nothing.
fpcsteve
I also like this trade! Can never have enough pitching and Maxwell had used his 9 lives. I wish him well but he certainly proved he could not hit NL pitching. Like this guys size and he is what Rizzo likes in that he can bring it!! I don't understand why trades like this happen. Wasn't Maxwell going to be released or assigned to Syracuse? Why wouldn't the Yankees wait on that? I am guessing "The Dude" was not on their 40 man roster but have no proof of that.
Again, getting something for Maxwell is better then having him take a spot from someone in Syracuse.
go Nats!
The Yankees actually put Maxwell on their 40 man roster. What's wrong with this picture?
Reducing the luxury tax?
Since he was on the Nats 40-man, did the Yankees have to put him on theirs?
That's probably the case since they traded for him rather than hope he cleared everybody and then could market his services to everyone.
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Didn't we get Tyler Clippard in an earlier Yankees deal? Hopefully this works out in a similar way...
"The Yankees actually put Maxwell on their 40 man roster. What's wrong with this picture?"
If a team acquires a guy by trade who was on the other team's 40-man, he has to go on their 40-man. (Maxwell) But if a team trades for a guy who was not on the other team's 40-man, then he does not have to go on theirs. (Olbrychowski)
N. Cognito is probably right--we won't hear much of either of these guys again. But I can't help thinking that Maxwell will be tormenting my Red Sox shortly after the All Star Break. That would be just the justice I'd get for cheering this trade (which otherwise looks like a good pipeline stocking exercise for both teams).
Can't see Martis being better than the sixth or seventh pitcher at Syracuse. Waste of meal money.
We got a warm body for J-Maxx? Honest?
This is the greatest steal for a Washington franchise since the Skins got Sonny in 1964 for Norm Snead.
If the guy has two legs and walks upright, we got the better of this trade.
If anyone can fix JMax is Kevin Long of the Yankees. If he can't JMax might as well find another career.
@DFL: J-Max will be competing with Greg Golson for the 5th OF/Defensive replacement spot on the roster. Golson had one highlight from last season, getting a walk off assist on a 9-5 putout when Carl Crawford tried to advance to third on a deep fly to right: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Yankees-Golson-makes-play-of-life-with-great-th?urn=mlb-269795
I hope that the change of scenery does J-Max some good, and I'm delighted that the Nationals got anything more than a duffel bag for him.
Not only is Maxwell on their 40 man, I do believe he is out of options, so to move him to AAA he will have to pass through waivers. Not sure I get it for the Yankees.
Guess the Yankees really want a late-inning defensive sub? He's sure proven he can't hit in the majors.
I am an infrequent poster but I will say that I have always been a fan of Maxwell. Even with hsi abysmal hiting I believe he is a better centerfielder that either Morgan or Bernadina. I know his hitting has been MIA but I really do not think he was given sufficent time to prove himself. I know he was given several chances but he was never given enough time to get comfortable. If he was given the same amount time as say Morgan we may have seen a different player.
I really think Max is going to turns some heads for the Yankees. This was mistake on our part. I know I will get a push back on this but I think the Nat's made a mistake.
Great news for Martis, he can work in big league camp and get to an organization which appreciates him and will give him a real shot!
Bottom line is that Olbrychowski (I refuse to nickname him due to my own 10-letter special Polish last name, though I note for the record that a common nickname for guys with names like this is "Eye Chart") must have been expendable to the Yankees. This is essentially a trade of "What the hell, I'll take a shot on your guy, and I'll give you something we don't really need anyway." Which is actually a far more common type of trade than you might think. Maybe the Yanks think their superstar hitting coach can do something with J-Max, and maybe the Nats say, "Hey, power arm, let's get him in the system and let our coaches work their magic." But, at the end of the day, I doubt severely that either team has high hopes for either of these guys. If J-Max is out of options, this might well be a case of truly something for nothing if the Yanks cut him out of Spring Training (via the old DFA) and some other team picks him up.
Good trade, a AAAA OF for a power pitching prospect!
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