Mike Myers agrees to sign with Yankees

[Beckett95]

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."

From MLB.COM

[26 to 6]

works for me

 

"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."

hmm...so maybe every person to ever put on a glove and throw a baseball doesnt prefer the SOx over the Yanks :dunno:

 

lol, j/p with you guys

[yankeessuck013]

works for me

 

 

hmm...so maybe every person to ever put on a glove and throw a baseball doesnt prefer the SOx over the Yanks :/

 

what do you expect him to say?

[26 to 6]

If it wasnt true he could have said "I am really looking forward to playing for a team such as the Yankees......................."

 

He didnt have to say "I've wanted to play for the Yankees for a while" of ot wasnt true.

 

lol, I was j/p anyway

[riverside sluggers]

Some stats on Myers

 

Career against Boston in 24 games, 1-0 record with a 1.80 ERA

63 games pitched at Fenway Park, 3-0 record with a 2.82 ERA

17 games pitched at Yankee Stadium, 0-1 record & 2 saves with a 4.66 ERA

 

Sox batters vs Myers

*Johnny Damon, 2 for 10 (.200 avg) Walk, 4 Ks

*Tony Graffanino, 0 for 1

*Gabe Kapler, 0 for 1, RBI, Walk

Mike Lowell, 2 for 2 (1.000 avg) Double, Walk

Trot Nixon, 0 for 1, K

David Ortiz, 0 for 2, K

Manny Ramirez, 1 for 1

[whereisnomar]

OK, this team is going crazy, you want to try to KEEP players who are really good....

[schillingouttheks]

Wow, this one actually hurts....

[whereisnomar]

Watch them use him against Ortiz, and then Ortiz hits a grandslam! (just dreaming.... it would probably be a pop out to the infield)

[ahhchon]

i'm surprised they didn't sign myers, he was really a trooper for us. he should have been resigned.

 

john

[Sizzlin22]

This is good for the Yankees but not huge, they had a pretty good bullpen last year. They got Farnsworth too but lost Gordon so that's pretty much a wash, the Yankees really havn't done that much this off seaosn which surprises me, I heard they re-signed Bernie though, WHY would they do that?

[Optimist]

I heard they re-signed Bernie though, WHY would they do that?

 

I don't beleive he's been resigned, just offered arbitration so negotiations could be expanded.

 

We're losing Ruben Sierra, so we need someone to take that role...Bernie's a great candidate.

[26 to 6]

I don't beleive he's been resigned, just offered arbitration so negotiations could be expanded.

 

We're losing Ruben Sierra, so we need someone to take that role...Bernie's a great candidate.

Absolutely a great candidate. I would rather have a proven Yankee in the role rather than some Free Agent bum. Unlike the Sox we treat our great players well j.p

[schillingouttheks]

Maybe to keep him for the fans to see too? Like especially at the end of this season there will be a whole 'nother "Thank you Bernie!" fiasco.

[Optimist]

Like especially at the end of this season there will be a whole 'nother "Thank you Bernie!" fiasco.

 

Yup, there will be.

[yeszir]

Now we have to change our signs! Damn!

[Optimist]

http://www.nomaas.org/images/mikemyers.jpg

[26 to 6]

http://www.nomaas.org/images/mikemyers.jpg

lol, whenever I hear Mike Myers' name I always think of Michael Myers from the Halloween Movies.

[Optimist]

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_119624.jpg

[26 to 6]

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_119624.jpg

His eyes are extremely bright. I almost went blind looking at them. He needs to get some color contacts or I wont be able to stand him all year long.

[GabeKaplerluver19]

His eyes are extremely bright. I almost went blind looking at them. He needs to get some color contacts or I wont be able to stand him all year long.

 

i noticed that last season. it drove me nuts. i hated when they did close ups on him.