Chase Wright has his Yankee career end today, and was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for OF/C Eric Fryer. Wright is best known for allowing four consecutive home runs to the Boston Red Sox in a 2007 game. While Wright was sent down to Double A Trenton after that game, he did make it back to the Bronx and picked up the win during the final game of the 2007 season.

Interestingly, the losing pitcher in that September 30th game was Orioles lefty Brian Burres, who also joined a new team today. Burres was recently designated for assignment (DFA) in the same manner as Wright, but was claimed on waivers today by the Toronto Blue Jays.

I guess the Blue Jays are trying to compensate for the loss of AJ Burnett.

Fryer is a 6′2″ 215 lb, 23 year old right handed hitter who had the proverbial breakout year in 2008. In Low A West Virginia, Fryer hit .335/.407/.506 with 10 HR’s, 65 RBI’s in 365 at bats. He spent time in the outfield, first base and the second half of the season behind the plate. He already has been assigned to High A Tampa and is listed solely as an outfielder, a good move considering the Yankees have a half dozen quality minor league catchers, but very few power hitting corner outfielders.

The Yankees/Brewers trade was good move for both teams and for both players.

Despite losing both CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets this season, the Brewers have a serviceable starting major league five, but lack starting pitcher depth in the higher minor leagues. The Brewers traded young, highly touted starting pitchers Will Inman and Steve Garrison in 2007 to San Diego for reliever Scott Linebrink, hurting their upper level depth. They also traded Zach Jackson in the Sabathia trade last season, and Jackson ended the season in the Indians rotation.

Trading for Wright helps Milwaukee with depth. After the Boston 4 HR game Wright was looked upon as a major league bust. However, he was 10-3 with a 2.85 ERA in Double A Trenton and Triple A Scranton in 2008, and has a 45-15 record over the past four minor league seasons. And with pitch counts, innings limits and the need to get work for relievers, it is difficult to get wins in the minor leagues as a starting pitcher.

During the Winter Meetings, I spoke with a high ranking member of the Brewers front office who had admitted that the Brewers had interest in Kei Igawa. After Wright’s release last week I called this same exec to tell him I thought Wright would be a good fit for the Brewers. He said that the Brewers had no internal discussions about Wright, but seemed impressed when I ran off some of his minor league numbers.

What this trade does for Wright is gives him a real chance to make the major leagues. With the Yankee minor league depth in pitching at the highers levels (Hughes, Kennedy, Aceves, Coke, Eric Hacker, Christian Garcia, George Kontos) and some real good A ball pitchers (Dellin Betances, Zach McAllister) advancing, there wasn’t any room for Wright. According to the Brewers website, “Wright could get an opportunity to contribute if one of Milwaukee’s five scheduled starters suffers an injury and fellow left-hander Chris Capuano has a setback in his recovery from elbow surgery.”

Although he deserved it based upon his 2008 performance, Wright certainly wasn’t going to get another shot in the Bronx. Former Yankee pitchers Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf and Dan McCutchen found that out last year when they were shipped to Pittsburgh for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte. Both Karstens and Ohlendorf both pitched in the Pirates rotation after the trade. 

In Fryer, the Yankees are getting a young power hitting outfielder at a time when they are without any of those type of players. Although top prospect Austin Jackson is an outfielder, he is not a power threat. Last year, the Tampa hitters were underwhelming to say the least, and I particularly don’t see any of the 2008 Tampa outfielders moving up to Trenton this year. If he continues to hit, Fryer has an excellent chance at quickly moving up in the organization.

It was a good trade for both teams. The Yankees have excess pitching, and have little power while the Brewers have been very good at developing power hitters, but have little pitching.

With only so many rotation spots available in the Bronx and four spots guaranteed for a few years in Sabathia, Burnett, Joba and Wang, look for the Yankees to continue to produce pitching prospects for other organizations, and receiving position players in return.

It has happened twice with the Nady and Nick Swisher deals, and now in a smaller deal with Chase Wright.