The Yankees were buyers Monday, acquiring RHP Clay Holmes from Pittsburgh, but then turned around and dealt two from their bullpen on Tuesday night.
The team announced after Tuesday’s 4-3 win over Tampa Bay that they have dealt RHP Luis Cessa and LHP Justin Wilson to Cincinnati for a player to be named later.
From the Yankees’ release on the two traded players:
Cessa, 29, went 3-1 with a 2.82 ERA (38.1IP, 31H, 17R/12ER, 17BB, 31K, 2HR) in 29 relief appearances this season. In six Major League seasons with the Yankees (2016-21), the Córdoba, México, native went 10-13 with four saves and a 4.19 ERA (292.0IP, 277H, 153R/136ER, 99BB, 238K, 46HR) in 131 games (19 starts). The right-handed pitcher was originally acquired by the Yankees from the Detroit Tigers along with RHP Chad Green in exchange for LHP Justin Wilson on December 9, 2015. He was originally signed by the New York Mets as a non-drafted free agent on July 9, 2008.
Wilson, 33, went 1-1 with a 7.50 ERA (18.0IP, 18H, 17R/15ER, 9BB, 15K, 5HR) in 21 relief appearances this season. He missed a combined 34 team games over two stints on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation from March 29 – April 9 and a right hamstring strain from May 29 – June 30. Over 10 Major League seasons with the Pirates (2012-14), Yankees (2015, ’21), Tigers (2016-17), Cubs (2017-18) and Mets (2019-20), the left-handed pitcher has posted a 33-23 record with 18 saves and a 3.44 ERA (447.1IP, 373H, 182R/171ER, 203BB, 489K, 37HR) in 501 relief appearances. The Anaheim, Calif., native was signed by the Yankees to a one-year contract for the 2021 season with a player option for 2022 on February 23. He was originally selected by Pittsburgh in the fifth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.
Cessa and Wilson’s departures will save the Yankees about $1.4 million against this year’s luxury tax (Holmes’ acquisition added about $225K), and they lose a pitcher in Cessa who is arbitration-eligible for two more years and one in Wilson who had a complicated contract: his deal has a $2.3 million player option for 2022, and if he declines, the Reds now get a $7.15 million club option with a $1.15 million buyout.
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