Dogs And Cats Living Together? Yankees Acquire Drew From Red Sox
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Well, you don't see this every day -- the Yankees and Red Sox making a trade.
But on a day Boston completely remade its franchise for 2015 it reportedly had little problem sending New York a piece it can use as it tries to fight its way into the playoffs.
The Yankees beat the 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline on Thursday, announcing they had acquired infielder Stephen Drew from the Red Sox for infielder/outfielder Kelly Johnson.
The trade was the first between the archrivals since 1997, when the Yankees acquired catcher Mike Stanley from the Red Sox for starting pitcher Tony Armas Jr. and reliever Jim Mecir.
By getting Drew, who is a shortstop by trade but can play several positions, the Yankees now have a way to fix their hole at second base, something they tried to do with the signings of Brian Roberts and Johnson during the offseason after Robinson Cano spurned their $175 million offer for more than $200 million from the Seattle Mariners.
General manager Brian Cashman later announced that Roberts would be designated for assignment.
Drew was thought to be one of the better free agents on the market over the winter, but he never found a deal he liked. He eventually signed a one-year, $14 million pro-rated contract with the Red Sox on June 1.
He has since hit .176 with four home runs and 11 RBI in 39 games. Over nine professional seasons, with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics and Red Sox, Drew is hitting .261 with 94 homers and 427 RBI.
Johnson never really got going during his lone season in the Bronx, batting .219 with six homers and 22 RBI in 77 games.
The Yankees and Drew open a weekend series in Boston on Friday.
The Drew trade wasn't the only move the Yankees made as they also acquired Martin Prado from the Diamondbacks for catching prospect Peter O'Brien.
Prado, who is hitting .270 with five homers and 42 RBI this season, could be used at third base and in right field, where the Yankees have struggled to generate offense this season.
The 30-year-old utilityman, who is a career .290 hitter in nine major league seasons, is in the midst of a four-year, $40 million contract that runs through 2016.
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