New York Yankees: top 3 trades with the Montreal Expos
New York Yankees: Top 3 trades with the Montreal Expos
- Yankees get Jake Westbrook, Ted Lilly, Christian Parker
- Expos get Hideki Irabu
Hideki Irabu was the crowned jewel of the Orient when his negotiating rights were offered in 1997 to the teams in Major League Baseball. The San Diego Padres won the rights to negotiate with him, but he refused to play for San Diego, stating he only wanted to play for the New York Yankees.
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The Yankees finally got their man four months after the Padres secured him and the rocky marriage began. Irabu came in overweight in the eyes of Yankee management and had a poor work ethic in the eyes of Yankee coaches. Owner George Steinbrenner famously referred to Irabu as a “fat toad”, when he failed to cover first base on a ground ball to the right side of the infield.
That was the beginning of the end, of a partnership that really didn’t work from the get-go. Prior to the 2000 season, Irabu was moved to the Expos for three young pitchers. The Expos were trying to bring in a big-name player on a team-friendly contract (and the $4M Irabu would make was considered a big payday for a cash-strapped Expos team).
Irabu struggled in Montreal just like he did in New York, only fewer people noticed. In two years, he made 14 starts and was 2-7 with a 6.69 ERA. He played one season for the Texas Rangers afterward saving 16 games as the part-time closer, then was out of the league the following year.
The return the Yankees netted had mixed results as well. Jake Westbrook was flipped for two years of David Justice (who hit 38 home runs and helped the Yankees win a World Series in 2000). Westbrook was an All-Star in Cleveland and won over 100 games in a 13-year career.
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Ted Lilly won eight games over two years for the Bronx Bombers then was flipped in a multi-team deal which landed the Yankees Jeff Weaver.
Christian Parker made one start in the majors and was shelled, then spent two years in the Yankees minor league system.
The immediate results in player productivity may not have been stellar, though the use of trading chips benefited the Yankees. They also got salary relief for Irabu and found someone to put up with his shenanigans.