Watching Pat Neshek pitch in the All Star Game made me ponder how Michael Pineda could have changed the course of history had he grown a beard.
Pineda hasn't pitched since late April when he was suspended for 10 games after not so inconspicuously hiding pine tar on his neck. While serving his time, he suffered a back strain and the ripple effect began.
At the time of his short ban, Pineda was worth 0.6 Wins Above Replacement per our friends at Fangraphs. Assuming no improvement, simply a steady hold of production, he'd be worth more than a full win to the Yankees at this point. He'd also be worth those wins to another club. Maybe a reach to assume he would be in a deadline deal, but hardly impossible.
Independent of the value of a healthy, thriving and contractually controlled Pineda, there's no question that the bushy beard is the new neck. The darker the better, of course.
