Pudge to the Yankees

[bullets13]

The New York Yankees have found a replacement for Jorge Posada.

New York acquired catcher Ivan Rodriguez from the Tigers on Wednesday for right-handed pitcher Kyle Farnsworth.

Yanks Need Pudge Power

To date, the Yankees have used four different catchers for at least one game this season. The offensive results have hardly been impressive and New York must hope that Wednesday's trade for Pudge Rodriguez will add more punch to the catcher position. Here's a look at how Pudge fared this season compared to the Yanks' other catchers.

The deal was first reported by ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

"Honestly, I was shocked by this, but that's baseball," Rodriguez said. "Now, I'm just looking forward to playing for the Yankees and maybe I will play against Detroit again in the playoffs."

After New York's 13-3 rout of the Orioles on Wednesday, Yankees manager Joe Girardi expressed his satisfaction with the deal.

"He's hitting over .290 I believe and he's been hot so we're looking forward to having him," he said.

Rodriguez, who is in the final year of the contract he signed with the Tigers in 2004 that will ultimately pay him $50 million, waived his no-trade clause to join the Yankees.

"Pudge has always wanted to play in New York and Detroit felt it needed a relief pitcher, so both sides were able to get what they wanted to some degree," Rodriguez's agent Scott Boras told The Associated Press.

Rodriguez is batting .295 this season with five home runs and 32 RBIs in 82 games. In 18 seasons with the Rangers, Marlins and Tigers, he's hit .302 with 293 homers and 1,214 RBIs.

"It's going to be very exciting. They are in the race and I'm ready to do my job," Rodriguez said.

[KFDM COOP]

8) 8)

[AJ25]

and manny probably leavin the sox.. man this is a bad day

[Razor]

nice little replacement for Posada...one of the best catchers of this generation...good filler, yanks!