Yankees trade Voit to Padres
The New York Yankees traded first baseman Luke Voit to the San Diego Padres for minor-league right-hander Justin Lange, the Yankees announced Friday.
"I'm excited not only about the organization, but they've got a team ready to win," Voit said, according to NJ.com's Randy Miller. "I'm super excited. I get to play with my college teammate (Padres reliever) Pierce Johnson. I can't wait. It's 75 F every day. I don't have to deal with New York in April now. I'm really happy. It's a good thing for my career. It's a fresh start with a new team."
Voit joins a formidable Padres offense after an injury-plagued 2021 campaign that saw him produce a .239/.328/.437 slash line with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs over 68 games.
The 31-year-old posted a .948 OPS and led the majors with 22 home runs in 2020. He's projected to earn $5.25 million through salary arbitration.
He became expendable after the Yankees re-signed Anthony Rizzo on Tuesday.
Bob Melvin said Luke Voit is expected to DH and play some first base against left-handers. He added he already spoke with Eric Hosmer and that Hosmer is “all in.”
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) March 18, 2022
The Padres selected Lange 34th overall in the 2020 MLB Draft. The 20-year-old appeared in nine rookie-ball games in 2021, authoring a 6.95 ERA in 22 innings.
Lange can touch 100 mph with his fastball.
The Padres placed right-hander Michael Baez on the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster for Voit.