Yankee Fans Don't Worry - Vernon Wells To The Rescue

USA Today – Vernon Wells certainly is having a terrific spring, but his pending trade to the New York Yankees has precious little to do with his baseball skills. It’s all about the money. The Los Angeles Angels, desperately trying to trade Wells for the last year, finally have found someone desperate enough to take him off their hands. Surprise, surprise, it’s the New York Yankees who opened up their checkbook. The Yankees, ravaged by injuries, are on the verge of acquiring Wells, who still is owed $42 million over the next two seasons. The Yankees and Angels, who confirmed that Wells waived his no-trade clause to accept the trade, still are waiting approval from Major League Baseball. The Angels will pay $28 million to $29 million of Wells’ remaining salary, according to a baseball executive with direct knowledge of the trade. The official spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the trade isn’t finalized. The Yankees will be paying most of the $13 million difference to this year’s payroll, according to the baseball executive, which will aid their quest to bring their under the $189 million luxury tax threshold in 2014.

Well its just about as desperate as desperate gets. Willingly taking the 2nd most immovable contract in the history of baseball to solve your injury problems – “The Vernon Wells Contract” joins “The Arod Contract” in a move that seems low even by Yankee standards. I wonder where Vernon fits in to the new “small ball and defense” mantra the Yankees fans have been preaching about? Nobody in Yankee world seems to care they’ve lost about 75% of their home run production this off season because apparently the organization is going to completely change its approach from the last 20 seasons and all that production its gonna be offset with manufacturing runs and air tight defense. With Brett Gardner! And…ah fuck it, thats about it. Everyone else is old and injured lets just sign Vernon Wells and pray to God he slugs. Hey! He had 4 home runs this spring! It could happen.

Bottom line is after the Yankees refusing to open their checkbooks all winter the decision to drop 14 mil on one of the most washed up, overrated, disappointing player of the past 10 years is a bizarre and rather pointless move. You could get the same production from a Quadruple A life long minor leaguer. Just no rhyme or reason to a move like this. Unless he heads to the Bronx with some HGH and juice from his 2003 season, just a glorious waste of money.