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With today’s birthday boy, we have an interesting, hurtful, and often controversial character to delve into. Michael Pineda, once acquired by the Yankees in a high-profile deal, looked like a big part of New York’s rotation in the early to mid-2010s.<\/p>\n
It didn’t work out that way, as injuries and trouble on and off the field plagued the big right-hander repeatedly. He had his moments in pinstripes and elsewhere, but his career never panned out the way he or his clubs had hoped.<\/p>\n
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Michael Francisco Pineda<\/strong> Born in the Dominican Republic and signed for $35,000 with the Seattle Mariners at just 16 years old, Pineda was a formidable presence on the mound from the get-go. At 6-foot-7 and 280 pounds, the pitcher signed his first contract in late 2005 and was full of upside.<\/p>\n The man known as “Big Mike” made his MLB debut with Seattle in April 2011. He had just placed 16th American baseball<\/em>The pre-season Top 100 list, when it comes out notes:<\/p>\n Pineda has the size, stuff and control to pitch at the top of the rotation. He throws a fastball that sits at 93-97 mph and tops out at 101 with explosive life and an occasional heavy sinker. He tightened up and added more slant to his quality slider this year, though he still managed to get under it at times, causing it to flatten out. He also does a better job of selling his upper-80s changeup with the same arm speed as his fastball, which keeps it low and gets hitters to chase. Pineda threw all three pitches from the same spot in the third quarter. With his speed, high effort delivery and extraordinary arm action, it’s surprising how well he throws strikes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n Pineda pitched six frames of solid ball in his first outing, starting a strong rookie campaign. That year, he threw 171 innings in 28 starts with a respectable 3.74 ERA and 3.42 FIP. His first half was even better, as he completed at least six innings in 15 of his first 17 starts, carrying a 2.58 ERA along the way. He was awarded an All-Star selection in his first campaign, and received the love of voting down the ballot for the Rookie of the Year Award.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Expectations were high, and Pineda delivered a rookie season to prove it.<\/p>\n When Pineda was doing his thing, the Yankees had a young catcher who looked the part of a rising star. Jes\u00fas Montero is considered one of MLB’s best prospects, just behind the likes of Mike Trout and Bryce. Then in 18 games at the end of 2011, he had a 163 OPS+, hit the majors, and seemed to be part of the team’s future. Shortly after the 2011 campaign, the Yankees sent Montero and outfielder Hector Noes\u00ed to Seattle, with the main return being Pineda. It was a potential deal with the youth, the kind of deals that are not so rare. It’s safe to say that neither team played the way the clubs might have expected in the end, but Pineda was officially a Yankee.<\/p>\n Unfortunately for the striker and his new team, trouble started soon. At the end of his first spring training with New York, Pineda complained of shoulder stiffness, beginning the long road back to the big league mound. What started as a tendinitis diagnosis turned into a torn labrum and season-ending surgery for the Yankees’ new pitcher.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Pineda was not ready for the start of the 2013 season, but the Yankees hoped he would be part of their season. After a major rehab assignment, Pineda appeared to be close, before being ejected from the game with a heavy shoulder tackle. Once again, it turned into another completely lost season for the righteous.<\/p>\n Finally, after spending two entire years on the shelf, Pineda appeared ready to start the 2014 campaign. He won a spot in the rotation, and actually did a pretty good job in 76.1 innings. He posted a 1.89 ERA (204 ERA+) in another baseball best of his career, but couldn’t help but find himself in injury trouble (and more). The drama began against the Red Sox in April, his second against this historic rival. After the suspicions in the first, Boston manager John Farrell informed the coaching staff about the possible pine tar on Pineda. It was smeared on his neck – not the most subtle mud in the world – and Pineda was immediately ejected from that game.<\/p>\n
Born: <\/em>January 18, 1989 (Yaguate, Dominican Republic)
Yankees Tenure: <\/em>2012-17<\/p>\n\n