Not only that, the Yankees are willing to eat $13 million dollars of the remaining two years of Wells' contract.
Yes -- the Yankees, who let go of Russell Martin for two years and $17 million to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and are looking to stay under the $189 luxury tax threshold, decided to say: 'Sure, we'll eat $13 million of Wells' contract whose been relevant for five years, now.
Why? Why get Wells? For what? And I don't care about the money; I'm the last person to ever care what the Yankees spend or eat up -- but how stingy they've been through this entire offseason and letting go so many key players, they're gonna, now, eat $13 million dollars of Wells contract for two years? HUH!?
For that, they should've just let Ronnier Mustelier play the outfield; or be the fourth outfielder.
Although, I can look at it from a positive perspective, where the Yankees may have something planned. Meaning: They didn't want to play their young prospects like Mustelier, Melky Mesa, Slade Heathcott this season, because they didn't want to expose them, or rather play them everyday in the minors, with a potential of the Yankees making a trade for a major player in the middle of the season. They prefer to eat up a Vernon Wells contract now, where they won't have to give up and save prospects for a major player later this season.
I'm just speculating here: But the Yankees might be planning to send a package of prospects to San Diego Padres for Chase Headley, in the middle of the season. He's not making any money, and the Padres and Headley extension talkd hit a snag in the offseason.
During the season, if Mark Teixeira can't return, you can see Headley at third base, and Kevin Youkilis at first.
Or don't rule out Justin Morneau.
Yankees have to be planning a trade down the line, because getting Wells and doing nothing after that, is useless. Yankees make sense, when they do something. Eating a washed player's $13 million dollar contract for two years, when you're trying to stay under the $189 payroll, doesn't make sense. There's got to be a catch somewhere.
This spring, Wells is hitting .361, 4 homers, 11 rbi. He is having a good spring. Is it going to translate into the season -- who knows?
But for now, just take it. Because I know this isn't the answer. Yankees will make another move.
