NEW YORK (AP) -- Pitcher Javy Vazquez was traded back to the Yankees by the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday for outfielder Melky Cabrera, a move that pushed New York's payroll for next season over $200 million.
New York also got left-hander Boone Logan as part of the deal, and the Braves obtained a pair of pitching prospects, left-hander Mike Dunn and right-hander Arodys Vizcaino, along with about $500,000.
The trade leaves New York with an opening in left field, allowing the Yankees to perhaps pursue Mark DeRosa. New York does not appear interested in re-signing Johnny Damon or going after free agents Matt Holliday and Jason Bay.
Atlanta had six starting pitchers and felt free to deal Vazquez, who was 14-10 for the Yankees in 2004. He started 10-5 with a 3.56 ERA that year and made his only All-Star team but faded to a 4-5 record and 6.92 ERA after the break.
His first stint in New York ended miserably, when he relieved Kevin Brown trailing 2-0 in Game 7 of the AL championship series against Boston and allowed a first-pitch grand slam to Damon, then gave up a two-run homer to Damon in the fourth.
Vazquez was dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks after the season in the trade that brought Randy Johnson to New York. He spent one year with Arizona, then went to the Chicago White Sox for three seasons.
Now 33, the right-hander was 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA and 238 strikeouts this year for the Braves, and finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting. Vazquez, whose career record is 142-139 in 12 seasons, will make $11.5 million next year and can become a free agent after the season.
He joins a pitching rotation that includes CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte. New York's top four starters will combine for $64 million in payroll -- more than four teams paid their entire rosters last season.
With the trade and including the still-unfinalized signing of free-agent designated hitter Nick Johnson, the Yankees payroll for next season stands at $200.9 million for 16 signed players. That includes two not expected to make the opening-day roster: pitcher Andrew Brackman and infielder Juan Miranda.
Cabrera had been the Yankees' starting center fielder for most of the last three seasons. After losing the job to Brett Gardner during spring training this year, he quickly regained it and hit .274 with 13 homers and 68 RBIs, helping the Yankees win the World Series for the first time since 2000. He made $1,425,000 last season and is eligible for free agency after the 2012 season.
Logan, acquired by the Braves from the White Sox in the Vazquez trade last December, was 1-1 with a 5.19 ERA in 20 relief appearances. He held left-handers to a .231 average and figures to fill the hole created by the departure of Phil Coke, who was sent to Detroit in a deal that brought New York center fielder Curtis Granderson.
Atlanta had a surplus of starting pitching after giving Tim Hudson a $28 million, three-year contract in November. The trade left the Braves with a rotation that includes Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami.
The 24-year-old Dunn had a combined 99 strikeouts in 73 1-3 innings at Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre and Double-A Trenton, going 4-3 with a 3.31 ERA in 38 relief appearances. He made his major league debut on Sept. 4 and had a 6.75 ERA in four appearances.
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THANKS RUSTY! :]
Favorite Teams:
MLB#1RED SOCKS#2YANKEES#3RANGERS
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wahhhh I tried too I wrote like ten thousand pages,:(
go yankees
YEAH MAN!!!!!
why would the yankees trade melky cabrera? he hit for the cycle, has speed and can hit. They are taking all the good free agents like CC Sabathia and now they are going after Holliday and Bay? They're just showing off how much money they have
they are not. they have curtis granderson to back up melky.
i would have kept melky too. he is better than thoose 2 pitchers
Great deal yanks, great deal!
The Yankees ,as I said earlier, are just showing off how much money they have. They could build a whole other stadium with that money. And then some.
Don't the Yankees have enough players. They don't need more. I think they're just showing off how much money they have.
stop talking abouut how there bragging how there bragging there money. I've read both of your messages. ur just jealious that u don't have that much money.
This is sad. A terrible trade by the yankees. They won't get Jason Bay or Matt Holiday. So why trade your only good center fielder. It was just a bad trade both ways.
good deal for yanks.
This way they upgrade their rotation and lose a backup outfielder that Granderson will make up for and improve upon.
The braves also did good on this deal because they dropped some salary and gained a good outfielder that will build toward the future.
the yanks now have 4 aces if they sign aroldis chapman the guy from cuba that may be the best rotation ever
jason marquis isnt news hurry up write something mlb.com is wwwwaaaayyyy faster than you
jason marquis signed with the nationals who wants to go to the nationals???
The only way the Yankees win is because they have money.
melky? he hit 4 cycle!!!
Ya see, the Yankees did not need Javy there just being greedy and trying to get attention. Im starting to wonder if I should be a Yankees fan
anymore. I think the Rangers have a pretty good chance of atleast making it to the playoffs this year [sorry if that was random]. They now are getting Mike Lowell and Darren Oliver. Darren will add some experience to the Rangers rotaion. Same for Mike.
Post what you think about this post;] THANKS SO MUCH!
If you would like 2 be my SIKIDS friend just say the numbers 32145;]
PLEASE BE MY FRIEND I ONLY HAVE 1 :[ Rustybaseball will you be my friend?
i agree with you but not on the rangers part. lowell has injury problems. oh yeah don't be a yanks fan go red sox
32145
the phillies are the best team in the majors we have hallday happ moyer hamels and blanton and we have the best offense in the majors soo yeah yankees stink
FinalCrunch. THE YANKS HAVE CC, AJ, PETTITE,JAVEY, AND PHILL THATS ONLY THERE STARTERS THEY ALSO HAVE MARIANO AND THE BEST OFFENCE IN THE MLB SO
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
BEST OFFENCE: DJ, A-ROD, CURTIS, SWISHER,ROBY CANO,POSADA!
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!
baseball playmaker 87 - the red sox have beckett, lackey, lester, dice-k, wakefield, and bucholz... and those are just our starters! there is also papelbon, delcarmen, okajima and a bunch of prospects- daniel bard throws in the upper 90's. So HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Red Sox are better
who won the world series against the phillies.. THE YANKEES what now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
no they dont yankees rule
i agree that the Phill's rock and Yank's are a pile of dirt, but the trade was a good move i'm not a Yankees fan i'm a Seattle, Boston, and Phillies fan but you gott'a say it's a good trade
DUDE... YANKEES ROCK!!!
phillies lost to the yankees so whose better now??????? YANKEES!!!!