Ichiro Traded to the Yankees

In a move that came out of nowhere, the New York Yankees have acquired outfielder Ichiro Suzuki from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for minor league pitchers DJ Mitchell and Danny Farquhar.

Ichiro, in his 12th season in Major League Baseball, is a career .322 hitter who has amassed over 2,500 hits in that span. He is a 10 time all-star, 10 time Gold Glove winner, three time Silver Slugger award winner, two time American League batting champion, along with his 2001 season in which he won both Most Valuable Player and AL Rookie of the Year.

Suzuki, in the final year of a five year, $90 million contract, is batting .261 with 4 home runs and 28 RBI. Despite those lackluster numbers, he brings defensive prowess and speed, two things that the Yankees have sorely lacked without left fielder Brett Gardner, who is unavailable for the season. Those factors, and the low risk it took to acquire him, make it a great move for the Yankees.