Mike Myers signs with Yankees

[Pierzynski 12]

DALLAS -- The Yankees bolstered their bullpen before leaving the Winter Meetings, agreeing to a two-year deal with left-hander Mike Myers.

Myers told MLB.com in a phone interview that he had agreed to terms on a two-year contract with New York, filling the much-needed role of left-handed specialist.

 

"I'm jacked up for it," Myers said of pitching in the Bronx. "It's going to be a lot of fun. The Yankees are a team I have wanted to play with for quite a while. I'm glad the deal was able to come to fruition."

 

The deal, which is contingent upon Myers passing a physical, was not officially announced.

 

Myers, a 36-year-old submariner, said that he agreed to the deal late Wednesday night, just hours after the Red Sox declined to offer him arbitration.

 

He went 3-1 with a 3.13 ERA in 65 games for the Red Sox last season, holding left-handed hitters to a .158 average and a .198 on-base percentage in 95 at-bats.

 

Myers said that while he wasn't surprised at Boston's decision, he found it odd that the Sox never made him a formal offer. For Myers, getting a two-year deal was important.

 

"The way the market was set up, combined with the year that I had and what I've done," Myers said, "I thought that there was a multi-year deal out there that I had earned."

 

General manager Brian Cashman declined to say whether the Yankees had come to terms with any relievers, saying only, "We've got our lines out."

 

The Yankees have several imposing left-handed bats to contend with in the American League, most notably David Ortiz, Boston's biggest Yankee-killer. Before Myers joined the Red Sox in 2004, Ortiz said that the lefty's sidearm delivery made it difficult to pick up the ball out of his hand.

 

"That guy is funky," Ortiz said after striking out against Myers in May 2004. "I don't know, his ball looks like it's going to hit the ground ... every pitch from him goes to the black."

 

Since 2002, the Yankees have used a number of lefties in the bullpen, including Buddy Groom, Wayne Franklin, Alan Embree, Felix Heredia, C.J. Nitkowski, Gabe White, Chris Hammond, Randy Choate and Jesse Orosco. They even tried to bring back Mike Stanton last season, but he was unable to replicate the success he had in his first tenure with the Yankees from 1997-2002.

 

"Mike Stanton did a phenomenal job for them during the run of World Series championships," Myers said. "I know they have gone through about 15 different left-handers in the past few years, so I'm looking forward to filling that role and helping bring a World Series title back to New York."

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article...e2005&fext=.jsp

[Yoda]

Wow. Now I’m pretty much speechless. Hopefully KW knows who to go to since Marte is no longer with us.

[jenksd]

**** **** ****** piece of ****. *** ******

[Balta1701]

Wow. Now I’m pretty much speechless. Hopefully KW knows who to go to since Marte is no longer with us.

The piece @ Whitesox.com alleges that KW has his eye on some other young lefty somewhere. No idea who.

[Punch and Judy Garland]

Bullpens don't need tow lefties, they are a luxury. We have righties who get lefties out anyways. The Marlins and Angels won championships without left-handed relievers and we still have Cotts.