Officially official: Outfielder Vernon Wells is now a Yankee. The Yanks on Tuesday announced that the much-discussed trade with the Angels has been finalized. The 34-year-old Wells is still owed a total of $42 million over the next two seasons, and, as CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman reported, the Yankees will be picking up between $13-14 million of that obligation.
In return, the Angels receive 21-year-old minor-league outfielder Exicardo Cayones (.730 OPS across parts of four seasons) and 24-year-old minor-league lefty Kramer Sneed (4.39 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 2.69 K/BB ratio across parts of three seasons).
Wells is coming off a season in which he batted just .230/.279/403 in 77 games for the Angels. He hasn't been both healthy and productive since 2010, when he was still a Blue Jay. If Wells were a left-handed fly-ball hitter -- like, say, Raul Ibanez or Brennan Bosch -- then you could see the Yankees' logic, what with their absurdly accommodating right-field porch. But Wells, of course, bats right-handed. As such, it's hard to find the upside here.
Unless you're the Angels, in which case getting Wells off the roster and defraying some of what he's owed is nothing but win.
