Chase Headley trade to the Yankees is ROTTEN!

After the 2012 season just about everybody wanted the Padres to sign Chase Headley to a long-term deal or wanted him traded.  Personally I wanted him traded.  I'm a self admitted fairweather Headley fan.  I'd seen him play enough to know that the last two months of 2012 would never be repeated and his value was at an all-time high.  The Padres couldn't seem to reach an agreement with Headley and fan pressure played at least some part in their failing to trade him.

Headley played coy, the fanbase bitched, the Padres made at least a couple offers in secret. Nothing was accomplished.  Headley passed up on the team's offers of guaranteed money and the promise of making him the highest paid Padre ever for the allure of future free agent money.

Headley for his part hasn't played particularly well since 2012 and the fanbase, at least those we polled, soured on him and 77% said they no longer wanted him on the team.

Now we see on Twitter the sadness of Headley's departure  and the 20/20 hindsight that says he should have been traded long ago for a much greater haul. I'm just happy the Padres received something in return for him, because if they waited another 63 games he would have been worth nothing.  Trading him was the right thing to do, it just happened waaaay too late.  I wish the circumstances were different, but I like the trade for what it is.

Here's the opinions of the media and bloggers that I've found in my initial sweep of the internet.  I'll add more as I (or you) find them.

This transaction is the A Million Ways To Die In The West of trades.

Apologies to RottenTomatoes.com

@619Sports
Quick flash: Solarte is an Amarista+eye, but DePaula is the guy who could be a stud here. For 2 mos of Headley this is a good trade IMO.

@MickeyKoke
The fact that the #Padres received a prospect along with Solarte is a nobrainer win. Not impact, but very solid return value.

@Steve_Adler
Terrible trade. Just terrible. Well 1-2 isn't bad, I guess.

Yankees Acquire Chase Headley – MLB Trade Rumors
For the Padres, it’s tough to describe the outcome as anything but disappointing.  [SNIP]   At this point, however, it has to be considered a silver lining for the Friars that they weren’t able to extend Headley — either with the reported franchise-record deal they were weighing last spring or the three-year, $33-39MM deal they offered over the winter.

@CJanes15
Yanks got a STEAL.

@dustinparkes
We kill San Diego for the Headley deal, but DePaula and Solarte have what it takes to remain Padres for life: Low salary, middling talent.

@BackTheBrownSD
Coooooooool, prospects. Just what we needed. In short supply of those.

Yankees acquire Chase Headley: Brian Cashman made another good deal - Pinstripe Alley
The real reason this is a good deal, is because the Yankees gave up relatively nothing to get him. It was Yangervis Solarte and Rafael De Paula. That was it. While Headley isn't amazing or anything, giving up relatively little, like with how they acquired McCarthy, should keep Yankees fans from demanding Cashman's blood.

@PadresJagoff
For a 2 month rental of Headley, this deal is as good as we could hope for and gives the team options other than just moving Gyorko to 3B

MLB trade deadline 2014: Yankees acquire Headley, bet on improved bat - Beyond the Box Score
Like with Brandon McCarthy, the Yankees didn't only acquire a piece without relinquishing much, they got one that advanced stats seem to indicate could improve over the early-2014 returns. [SNIP] For Padres fans, this move is disappointing. It is a reminder of what waiting too long to trade a valuable asset can cost. Headley produced a near-MVP season in 2012, when his value skyrocketed.

Chase Headley trade possibly anticlimactic for Yankees and Padres - SBNation.com
As for the Padres, they've dealt Headley and Huston Street, Joaquin Benoit will probably go next, and there have been rumors about Chris Denorfia, another guy who almost certainly should have been dealt after 2012. He's 33 now and he too seems to have hit a wall. If they can, they'll trade the office furniture, although the lease on that is probably past due.

@JesseAgler
Headley to the Yanks. Maybe change of scenery what he needs. Makes sense for Pads, didn't seem that he'd be here longterm. Good dude.