Bill James once wrote that it takes five years to properly evaluate a trade. “There are trades where this is misleading of course, “ he clarified, “but as a general rule five years is quite enough for the direction of the result to be well established.”
The five-year window on the Michael Pineda-Jesus Montero closes this week. On January 13, 2012, the Yankees and the Mariners agreed to a trade that still raises controversy and invites debate. While some trades come and go, filed away into the backgrounds of our collective subconscious, this one stands out.