The Yankees sure are making a lot of noise for a team that just won a World Series. Today they again stole headlines, acquiring Javier Vazquez from the Atlanta Braves for Melky Cabrera and minor leaguers Mike Dunn and Arodys Vizcaino. Nifty move, I say.

Vazquez, who pitched in the Bronx in 2004 and has the unfortunate distinction of giving up that home run to Johnny Damon in Game 7 of the ALCS that year, enjoyed a big 2009 where he went 15-8 with a 2.87 ERA. Since leaving the Yankees, Vazquez has posted at least 11 wins and thrown 200 innings in each of the five seasons since he left. He's also struck out 200 batters each of his last three seasons. Not bad for a number four starter.


Seriously, stop trading me. I'm better than you think.

Trade skeptics point to Vazquez's struggles in the second half of his season as a Yankee and coming back to the tougher American League. I don't buy either of these arguments.

First off, Vazquez had a bum shoulder during the second half of the 2004 season (he was an All-Star in the first half before getting hurt). Don't forget, he was brought in with a lot more expected out of him that season; he had just signed a four-year contract extension, he was coming off three consecutive excellent seasons with Montreal, and he was brought in from French-Canadian obscurity to be a number two starter for the increasingly desperate Yankees in '04. This year, he's only being asked to be a number four guy with the sole expectation of giving the Yankees a stabilizing workhorse in the back of the rotation.

Secondly, yes, his numbers overall aren't as good in the AL as they were in the NL, but he had a great year in 2007 with the White Sox (15-8, 3.74 ERA) and he's got a lifetime 4.52 AL ERA, only half a run higher than his NL ERA. The Yankees don't need Vazquez to post sub-4 ERAs and win 20 games for them (though he almost certainly will win 15 pitching out of the Yankees' fourth spot), they just need him to eat up innings, keep his team in games and let their lineup do the winning. That's not asking much at all of a guy who had a 2.87 ERA last year.

Again, Vazquez is being asked to be a number four starter. He's been around the block. He's durable. He's played for the Yankees before, and with significantly higher expectations. This is the ideal situation for a very good but not great starting pitcher. I think he'll flourish; mark it down: 17+ wins and a 4.00 ERA for Vazquez, barring injury.

Plus, if it doesn't work out, he's a free agent at the end of the year. It's not like the Yankees gave up any big time prospects or players. Cabrera had some memorable moments in pinstripes for sure, but he was never consistent enough to be an everyday guy. Mike Dunn might be a decent lefty reliever one day. Nothing that $10 million can't fix. And finally, Vizcaino supposedly has a nice arm, but he's at Class A and a long way off.

This trade was a no-brainer for the Yankees. They needed someone to stabilize the back of the rotation, and they got it with very little risk. Hello, Mr. Minaya?