Yankees acquire OF Swisher from White Sox

Nov 13, 2008 - 9:34 PM BRONX, New York -- The New York Yankees acquired outfielder Nick Swisher from the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

The Yankees dealt infielder Wilson Betemit and minor-league pitchers Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez to the White Sox, who also sent righthander Kaneoka Texeira to New York.

"We're excited with the addition of Nick Swisher," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We feel he has a ton of upside. He's a patient switch-hitter, adds versatility at a number of defensive positions, including first base and the outfield, and will be a positive presence inside the clubhouse."

The White Sox picked up Swisher in a trade with the Oakland Athletics in January, but he struggled often during his one season in Chicago. He hit just .219 with 24 homers and 69 RBI, though he still finished eighth in the American League with 82 walks. By the time the playoffs came around, he was no longer a regular part of the starting lineup.

The Yankees acquired Betemit in a midseason trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2007 and hit .253 in 124 games with the club, hitting 10 homers and driving in 49 runs. The versatile veteran can play all infield positions and has even found occasional spot duty in the outfield over the last few years.

Marquez, the 41st overall pick of the 2004 draft, went 6-7 with a 4.69 ERA for Class AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre of the International League last season, while Nunez spent most of 2008 with Class A Potomac of the Carolina League. He was just 2-8 with a 5.22 ERA while being used mostly as a starter. However, he spent parts of the season in the bullpen for Class AA Trenton and Harrisburg and performed markedly better, registering a combined 1.65 ERA over 27 1/3 innings between the two stints.

Texeira collected 20 saves for Class A Winston Salem last season, posting a 0.93 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings. He also had 15 appearances for Class AA Birmingham, going 3-2 with a 2.01 ERA.