In a surprise move, the New York Yankees acquired first ballot Hall of Famer Ichiro from the Seattle Mariners Monday night, in a trade for two pitching prospects. The Yankees are in Seattle to play the Mariners, and Ichiro will change clubhouses and start for the Pinstripes tonight.
Ichiro burst into the major leagues in 2001 at the age of 27 after a stellar career in Japan, and won the American League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in his first season in the States. He's got more than 2500 hits in his major league career, but is having the worst season this year, hitting just .261. He's in the last year of a 5-year, $90 million contract. The Mariners receive minor league pitching prospects D.J. Mitchell (Mitchell pitched 4.2 innings for the Yankees earlier this year) and Danny Farquhar in return. Neither is highly ranked in the Yankees farm system.
[via MLB]
