Jack Curry of YES Network reported late Monday afternoon the Yankees have acquired Japanese and MLB legend Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners. The team confirmed the news soon after.
The Yankees will send pitchers D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar in return for the left fielder. The Yankees will also receive some cash as Ichiro is making $17 million this season. Curry reports the Yankees will pay about $2 million. He’ll be a free agent after this season.
Ichiro is a 10-time All-Star — he made the team every year in the majors except for the last two seasons — but he is struggling this year. He is batting just .261 with a .288 on-base percentage and 49 runs scored. He finished last year batting .272, far and away the lowest of his MLB career and the only time he’s batted under .300.
Ichiro set the all-time MLB hits record in 2004 with 262 when he hit an astounding .372 in 702 at-bats.
He has 3,811 hits between the Japanese professional league and MLB, with 2,533 in the United States. He won the AL Rookie of the Year and MVP in 2001 and has won 10 Gold Gloves playing in right field and center field.
The Yankees had been using Andruw Jones and Raul Ibanez in an effective platoon in left. But when news of Brett Garnder being out for the season with an elbow injury emerged earlier this week the Yankees set about to finding a bat to replace him.
The Yankees are playing at Seattle in a three-game series starting tonight.
Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.
