The Yankees get some much-needed middle infield depth by acquiring Dean Anna from the Padres.
The Yankees have acquired middle infielder Dean Anna from the San Diego Padres in exchange for right-handed reliever Ben Paullus, reports Andrew Marchand. Anna will be added to the Yankees' 40-man roster.
Anna, who turns 27 on the 24th, is a six-year minor leaguer who was drafted in the 26th round of the 2008 draft by the Friars and has yet to appear in the Major Leagues. In his minor league career, Anna is a .286/.386/.428 hitter and boasts solid walk (12.5%) and strikeout (13%) rates. 2013 was Anna's best season in the minors, hitting .331/.410/.482 in over 580 plate appearances in Triple-A, albeit in the offensively-favored Pacific Coast League. Anna, a left-handed batter, can play shortstop, second, third base, and some outfield, but mostly played second base (72 games) and shortstop (60 games) in 2013.
Paullus, the right-handed reliever the Yankees gave up to get Anna, appeared in 87 games in the Yankees' organization, and pitched to a 4.34 ERA and 3.52 FIP from 2011-2013. The 24-year-old Paullus also pitched to a 3.14 ERA and 3.23 FIP split between Low-A Charleston and High-A Tampa this past season.
I feel like this a good trade for the Yankees. They get a guy in Anna who will provide some much-needed middle infield depth down in Triple-A Scranton and gave up next to nothing in the process.