Yesterday, the Yankees sent OF-R Marcus Thames to Texas for OF-S Ruben Sierra. The DL trips of 1B-L Nick Johnson and OF-S Bernie Williams sent New York in search of a left-handed or switch-hitting bat. Sierra was splitting time between left field and DH for the Rangers, but CR-S Mark Teixeira's recent progress and OF-R Doug Glanville's pending return from the disabled list made Sierra expendable, facilitating a release of OF-R Kevin Mench from his AAA exile.

At the time of the trade, Sierra was hitting .263 with a .333 OBP and .398 SLG on 35 H, 9 2B, and 3 HR with a 14:27 BB:K and 1/2 SB% in 133 AB. He should be an upgrade over CI-R Todd Zeile, who inherited most of the playing time created by Johnson's injury.

We looked at Thames when he found his way to the majors last year. Like most Yankee prospects, he's long been considered trade bait. In his second season at AAA Columbus, the 26-year-old was hitting .278 with a .332 OBP and .407 SLG on 54 H, 15 2B, 2 3B, and 2 HR with a 17:48 BB:K and 3/7 SB% in 194 AB at the time of the trade. Thames looks likely to develop into a solid fourth outfielder with the potential to perhaps start for a season or two if he's on a team with an opening during his peak.

At first glance, the Rangers appear to be an odd organization for Thames to join, as they currently possess an abundance of outfield talent. However, Glanville, Of-R Juan Gonzalez, and OF-S Carl Everett are all pending free agents, while OF-L Laynce Nix should spend 2004 at AAA. OF-L Rusty Greer is under contract next year, but given the number of serious surgeries he's undergone in the past year, we shouldn't expect him to be prepared to play. OF-R Ryan Ludwick should be starting in the majors next year, however his hip condition is a concern and probably limits him to the corners of the outfield. 1B-L Rafael Palmeiro is also a pending free agent, but they should re-sign him, leaving Teixeira available to share time at first base, DH, and help in the outfield. Mench is the only Ranger that seems a lock to start in the outfield in 2004. Consequently, although they will almost certainly sign at least one free agent, there appears to be more than enough room for Thames, and he could be asked to stretch to cover the starting centerfield job.

However, Thames really isn't the important part of this deal for the Rangers. He was the player the Yankees were willing to deal for Sierra, and he could be useful, but Texas benefits merely from having Sierra's playing time available for younger guys.

The Yankees placed Nick Johnson on the disabled list May 17th with a stress fracture in the third metacarpal of his right hand. He reportedly first felt a problem in the hand when he fouled off a pitch during a ninth inning at-bat in New York's May 14th game against Anaheim, though the Yankees believe the problem was likely present before that plate appearance. Original projections estimated he would be able to rejoin the Yankees four to six weeks after hitting the DL. A Thursday bone scan revealed that the fracture has not yet fully healed, so his hand will remain splinted for another couple of weeks. Consequently, he's not expected to be ready to rejoin the team before early July, as he'll need to strengthen the hand and spend time on a rehab assignment.

Williams hit the disabled list on May 23rd. His right knee had been bothering him for a couple weeks, and while he was only out of the lineup a day before heading to the DL, he didn't have a hit in the five games he played after the knee began really bothering him. An MRI uncovered a sprained and torn medial meniscus, which he underwent surgery to repair on the 27th. The Yankees expected Williams to miss between four and six weeks after surgery, and like Johnson, he currently appears on track to rejoin the team in early July.

In order to make room for Sierra on the roster, the Yankees demoted RHP Jason Anderson, who had been called up to fill Johnson's roster spot. Anderson failed to strike out a batter and walked five in the 6.1 innings he pitched during his last stint in the majors. Consequently, I expect the Yankees to look outside the organization before trying Anderson again.

New York promoted OF-R Juan Rivera to fill Williams' roster spot and start in left field while OF-L Hideki Matsui shifts to center. Rivera was hitting .327 with a .371 OBP and .420 SLG on 53 H, 9 2B, and 2 HR with a 12:19 BB:K and 0/2 SB% in 162 AB at AAA Columbus at the time of his promotion. Last year's knee injury created a hiccup in Rivera's development, as he missed an opportunity for substantial skill growth. New York has expressed concerns about his power potential, though he still seems capable of eventually posting a steady 20-25 homers a year if given a full-time roll. The 24-year-old should perform adequately while Williams is out, but he doesn't seem prepared to excel. I wouldn't be surprised to see him packaged for an upgrade, especially if Williams experiences any kind of a setback.