New York Yankees Trade Brian Bruney to Washington Nationals

The baseball winter meetings are underway and there is nothing to better help to kick off the meetings than a blockbuster trade.

Well, not exactly.

There was one trade today so far, but a blockbuster it is not.

Today, the New York Yankees traded relief pitcher Brian Bruney to the Washington Nationals for a Player To Be Named Later. This is probably a good thing for Bruney’s career.

Going to Washington is good for Bruney

Bruney, who is 28, strikes me as a guy who can’t pitch in a big market. Every single time the Yankees gave him an opportunity to do something in the Bronx, either Bruney got hurt or imploded.

Remember, it was Bruney who came into the 2009 season as the eighth inning set-up guy to Mariano Rivera.

But, of course Bruney struggled, got hurt, Phil Hughes took over in the eighth, and the rest is history.

Bruney will go to Washington and have a chance to be the eighth inning set-up to current closer Mike MacDougal.

There is an outside chance of Bruney getting a shot at being the closer in Washington if the Nationals non-tender MacDougal.

Bruney needs to limit his walks and, of course, stay healthy in order to be effective for the Nationals.

For a guy with decent stuff, Bruney walks way, way to many batters.

Bruney for his career has averaged 6.2 walks/9 innings.

It’s hard to rely on a guy who goes to a 3-2 count on every batter and almost walks as many as he strikes out (8.9 K’s/9 for his career).

Bruney has pitched six seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Yankees and will be under the Nationals’ control until after the 2011 season.

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