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Yanks get Swisher from White Sox, deal Betemit
The White Sox will receive infielder Wilson Betemit and minor leaguers Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez.
The Yankees view Swisher as a flexible, affordable option as they try to improve upon their third-place finish in the AL East last season, which marked the first time they missed the postseason since 1993.
Swisher, who turns 28 on Nov. 25, hit just .219 with 24 homers and 69 RBIs last season.
"He's selective," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "He's got power."
Still, Swisher's .332 on-base percentage was the lowest of his career.
"We felt it was a risk worth taking," Cashman said.
Swisher, a switch-hitter, likely will play first base for the Yankees, replacing free-agent Jason Giambi, but he also provides depth in left and center field.
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The Yankees are still looking for a center fielder, but as they are presently constituted, Xavier Nady could play left and Johnny Damon center.
If the Yankees sign free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira, they can further reconfigure their outfield, going with Swisher in left, Damon in center and Nady in right.
Hideki Matsui is coming off knee surgery and could figure in left, enabling Nady to move to right or serve as a designated hitter.
Swisher is signed for $5.3 million next season, $6.75 million in 2010 and $9 million in '11 with a $10.25 million club option for '12. His contract leaves the Yankees ample flexibility to pursue starting pitching on the free-agent market, and the team is expected to be a major player for virtually all of the top starters available — most notably, left-hander CC Sabathia and right-handers Derek Lowe and A.J. Burnett.
"Would it be a disappointment if we don't get Sabathia?" manager Joe Girardi said. "Obviously, for a deal to work it has to work on both sides."
After two injury-shortened seasons, Burnett had his best season with Toronto and went 18-10 with a 4.07 ERA. That included a 3-1 record and 1.64 ERA in five starts against the Yankees.
"Obviously, we saw the best of A.J." Girardi said. "But he has had some injury problems and those are things that you have to weigh in considering how you rate the free-agent pitchers out there, and we do weigh those things. I mean, obviously when you sign a pitcher and you sign him to a long-term deal and give him a substantial amount of money, you want him to make 32 starts during the course of the year."
For the White Sox, the acquisition of Betemit, a switch-hitter, gives the team an additional option at third base, where Josh Fields is expected to replace departing free agent Joe Crede.
Betemit earned $1.165 million last season in his first year of arbitration eligibility, so the White Sox will gain financial flexibility with this move, perhaps freeing them up for other pursuits.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Member Comments
In one article speaking about this, it stated that Swisher was a patient hitter...Patient hitters don't hit .219! The Yankees need pitching help (starting) not a hitter who can't even hit a beach ball! Go get CC and AJ.
broblog11/17/2008 13:27:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
yo rfrobby aka moron, the redsox will never and i repeat never have the great history the Yankees have, you will die one day, and the Yankees will still have numerous more WS wins then the redsox, yankess ahve won 25% of all the world series ever played, redsox got 2 ws wins WOW!! lol, and with all the redosx nation, its called " bandwagon " fans, the redsox will never be close to the greatest team in sports history, the Yankees!!! 26 total rings ....BLING BLING
yankslakesniner11/17/2008 13:09:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
3 championships in the last 90 years, even a blind hog will find an acorn every now and then.
matsui4411/17/2008 11:37:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
A .219 hitter with 24 dingers in '08 gets paid over $5MM for the first year and $9MM in 2011. What non-sense. The guy does not even belong in professional baseball. Steinbrener's have lost their minds again. Yanks will embarase again in '09. Ruth & Gehrig must be turning over in their graves.
ViperRoom11/16/2008 7:39:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Swisher is one of the many guys drafted by Beane that didnt work out afterall. <br /><br />A's were smart to dump Swisher for the load they got from the Whitesox and now the Whitesox are dumping him for garbage. <br />This trade now looks really bad for the Whitesox as I bet they wish they didnt trade their farm for him.
Jcpsr211/15/2008 22:48:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
bdean: Swisher started 70 games because the Sox had no place else to put him on a very bad team. He was and is going to make a lot of money and 1st base is the only position he is half way decent. By the way I did read your statement and do not put a twist to it when you obviously did not know what you were talking about. You stated, not me, that Swisher was quote "a viable candidate to be the starting CF." So, before you ? reading abilities ? what you are writing about.
tomaso11/15/2008 16:02:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
RFROBBY YOUR A IDIOT OF EPIC PROPORTIONS!!! WE'VE MADE THE PLAYOFFS EVERY YEAR UNTIL THIS ONE SINCE 1993!!! THATS 15 YEARS NUT SACK!!!! ANCIENT HISTORY. YOU ARE THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE LESS PATHETIC AND ACTUALLY THINK ABBOUT WHAT YOUR GONNA SAY BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND MAKE AN ARSE OFYOURSELF ARSE LOL YOU ARE SO GAY
Aliennsexfiend11/15/2008 15:04:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
CF-Johnny Damon<br />SS-Derek Jeter<br />3B-Alex Rodriguez<br />LF-Manny Ramirez<br />1B-Mark Teixeira<br />DH-Hideki Matsui<br />C-Jorge Posada<br />2B-Robinson Cano<br /><br />1. Jake Peavy<br />2. CC Sabathia<br />3. Chien-Ming Wang<br />4. Mike Mussina<br />5. Joba Chamberlain<br /><br />This the Yankees' 2009 potential starting lineup and rotation. That would put them around $250 - $300 million in salary. They would be able to pull it off because of the new ballpark. They could win the world series, or they could be even more of an embarrasment than the last time they tried to buy a championship (last year).
Gigantes_de_San_Francisco11/15/2008 10:10:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
its like the Yankees get average players you bash them, they get big stars you bash them, it is a lose lose. You sound like Obama voters who now want unity with the president.
secretfish11/14/2008 20:04:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
FINE ! TO ALL YOU GOOD MEN OUT THERE IN BLOGVILLE......GOOD NIT LADIES ! SEE YA IN THE WORLD SERIES.. GO INDIANS !
tonebalone6311/14/2008 19:05:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
.................................................................................................................................................................................................HELLO ! DOES ANYBODY WANNA PLAY WIT ME ?
tonebalone6311/14/2008 19:02:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
GO TRIBE !!!!!!!! BRING IT MY EAST DIVISON GIRL-FRIENDS !
tonebalone6311/14/2008 19:00:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
P.S. REDSOX NATION, YOU CAN KISS ALL OF AMERICAS BIG WHITE, BLACK, AND EVERYONE IN BETWEENS A..S..S..
tonebalone6311/14/2008 18:58:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
HEY..... Stop the presses !!!!!!!! The Yanks signed Ricky Ledee...I mean Nick Swisher .....WOH.....get ready to order your World Series tickets Yankee fan ! You were better off with Macho Mustach Man Giambi ! Go Tribe !
tonebalone6311/14/2008 18:53:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
well Tomaso, i didn't comment on how good of a fielder i thought swisher was, i just stated the fact that he started 70 games in CF for Chicago last year so he is obviously able to do it, and my 12 year old brother has a better arm than Damon does these days so i doubt he has a better arm than Swisher, but i could be wrong i didn't watch too many white sox games last year, the only point i was trying to make was that he either needs to be in CF or LF, not the everyday answer for 1B that the Yankees really need, if youd have paid attention to what i was saying you would have realized i wasnt annointing him as a grand centerfielder but moreso moving him out of teixeira's way at 1B, i could care less if he plays CF and damon plays LF or the otherway around as long as Cashman doesn't parade around the fact that he got the yankees firstbasemen of the future unless that 1B's name is Mark Teixeira
bdean14111/14/2008 17:17:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Swisher is a 'no factor' player. Could not hit his way out of the proverbial "paper bag"!
Liquid_Peace11/14/2008 15:12:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
NYY<br /><br />And you wonder why you git stalkers talking all that ______ to you with what you post? <br /><br />Naw, it aint me always bringing it up wit the 26 rings, that just seems to be the pre-programmed response from people who aint gut much else to talk about. I mean, what else do Yankme fans have to talk about recently?<br /><br />Fool? <br /><br />If you wanna put your money where your mouth is, keep spouting, I'd be happy to have a personal chat, otherwise, sling your 24/7 hate towards others as ignorant as yourself...it aint my fault you aren't happy dawg!<br /><br />Have you looked at your blog entries over the past months?<br /><br />Gut anger?<br /><br />You are right, Tek is abyssmal, but I aint touting him as the 1st big deal of the offseason either.<br /><br />Teach me how to be a real fan? <br /><br />I would love fer you to meet me halfway and try...we'd see just how big that mouth really is FOO-EL!<br /><br />So wuzzzzzup?<br /><br />-Blood
bloodredsox11/14/2008 14:53:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Damon has a gun compared to Meesta two-twinny?<br /><br />Good gawd!<br /><br />Why would they do this and think this is a BIG pick up?<br /><br />I didn't think anyone could have a worse arm than rubber arm....if a ball is hit in the gap, how many cut off men will it take?<br /><br />-Blood
bloodredsox11/14/2008 14:28:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
bdean141: I do no know were you got info, but you obviously have not seen Swisher play center. Yogi Berra could do a better job. Unless of course your counting on mis reading fly balls,bad breaks on the ball, bad decisions and a poor throwing arm. Johnny Damon has a gun compared to his arm.
tomaso11/14/2008 13:42:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
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