Pudge heads East

Jul 30 2008 5:25PM

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez has been traded by the Detroit Tigers to the New York Yankees in exchange for pitcher Kyle Farnsworth.

This move will impact his card values, even if only slightly. Pudge Rodriguez is a future Hall of Famer with an already solid collector following. But now, by joining the Yankees, the interest in Pudge should increase, or at least be rekindled among other collectors.

"It'll be tough for any of his seven 1991 RCs to get a significant bump up [in value]. None of them are particularly scarce, as they were produced in the era of massive over-production. His 1991 Ultra Update is valued at $8, while the rest of his RCs are valued in the $2-$4 range. However, a one-level bump on the Ultra Update RC wouldn't be out of the question if he goes to the Bronx and contributes," says Brian Fleischer, Beckett Baseball Senior Market Analyst.

Items such as his certified autograph cards may garner a little more interest now that he's a Yankee, but what should really sell well are the first cards picturing him as a Yankee. It's a longshot, but perhaps Topps or Upper Deck can get a photo of him in pinstripes for their late season releases.

There is now less than 24 hours left before the trading deadline. By tomorrow evening we will know if any other big names are switching uniforms, and what that could mean to collectors. Stay tuned!