It looks like they added another bat for the Red Sox series, who will be throwing three lefties out there. They already added him to the 40 man, and could send down Phelps, since they won't need a fifth starter until July 17 (and CC should be back by then).

It seems like either the Yankees or Red Sox claim a bad member of the other team before big series every year. I maintain (mostly truthfully) that they just want to know what the signs are.

Mark my words, Sox fans: This is the start of the Curse of the Darnellino.

3. willcarrolldoesnotsuk Posted: July 05, 2012 at 11:51 AM (#4173531)

Mark my words, Sox fans: This is the start of the Curse of the Darnellino.

Is the same kind of reverse jinx that is in your handle?

I believe the existence of the darnellino was nailed down by CERN this past week.

I don't know which team Neyer's been watching, but the Yankees have been short one right-handed bat all season. Their current regular line-up against lefties has been to DH Jeter or A-Rod and play Jayson Nix.

This might be the leader at the All-Star break for Strangest Move of the Season…

It's not even the strangest Yankee move of the past week, which has to go to trading for Chad Qualls.

It's not even the strangest Yankee move of the past week, which has to go to trading for Chad Qualls.

It's pretty obvious they did it to lock down the team scrabble competition. Same reason they traded for Xaiver Nady a few years ago.

Yeah, Mcdonald isn't even a good Scrabble word. Consonant clusters are always awkward.

Bill Belichick will commence debriefing.

It seems like either the Yankees or Red Sox claim a bad member of the other team before big series every year. I maintain (mostly truthfully) that they just want to know what the signs are.

That was exactly my reaction, even though when you think about it, signs are easily changed. The only other possibility is trying see if McDonald might recognize patterns of batting or pitching behavior that the scouts may have missed, but that also seems like kind of a long shot.

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This might be the leader at the All-Star break for Strangest Move of the Season…

It's not even the strangest Yankee move of the past week, which has to go to trading for Chad Qualls.

I've got to think this is part of the wily Cashman's master plan to keep everyone off their guard. No other explanation for these two acquisitions makes sense.

I'm not all that familiar with the Yankees' roster, but the Sox have already re-jiggered the rotation (starting Cook yesterday and pushing Morales back to the weekend) to throw more lefties at them. Isn't it possible this is just a move to get a handily available RHB and the possibility that he may be able to shed some light on Boston just gravy?

It seems like either the Yankees or Red Sox claim a bad member of the other team before big series every year.

When else has this happened?

When else has this happened?

I think that maybe TVerik is remembering the Mike Stanton experience, when the Sox acquired Stanton to pitch for one game against the Yankees in 2005. But Stanton had spent almost 3 months in Washington after the Yankees got rid of him, and it was a trade, not a waiver claim.

Vaguely similar things also in 2005 that don't exactly count: Mark Bellhorn's 5th game for the Yankees was against the Sox. Alan Embree had been with the Yankees for over a month when he first faced Boston.

BBRef's multi-franchise tool tells us that the Yankees released Joe Oliver on June 20, 2001, the Sox signed him on July 2, and his next MLB game was September 2 against the Yankees. This also doesn't really count, and few people outside of Joe Oliver's immediate family remember that he played for both the Yankees and Red Sox in 2001.

McDonald is better than Wise, and an extra semi-useful right handed batter. I don't think there needs to be any more reason than this. This move makes the Yankees better. It doesn't make them a lot better unless they have a couple more injuries to outfielders and have to start McDonald, but McDonald won't be available as free talent if the Yankees wait until they need him.

Yaz is the best baseball Scrabble name, AFAICT. Saltalamacchia has too many common letters.

McDonald is better than Wise

Do you feel good about this claim?

Just out of curiosity, what was the [sic] supposed to be [siccing]?

Now that I read it again, I guess there's a "him" missing in there.

The signing of McDonald is not such a mystery. Andruw Jones has not hit well, Ibanez is a nightmare defensively in left, and Wise is strictly a backup. I'd expect the Yankees will use McDonald in left and DH Jones against the three Red Sox left-handers.

Best Scrabble name is Javier Vazquez.