Chien-Ming Wang opts out of contract with Yankees, latches on with Blue Jays
Chien-Ming Wang #40 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch against the Boston Red Sox on April 16, 2008 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
SEATTLE -- Chien-Ming Wang's second act with the Yankees never quite got to the stage he most desired.
Wang, a Yankee from 2005-09 who signed with them in late March, exercised the opt-out clause in his contract Friday morning and came to terms with the Blue Jays, for whom he is expected to start Tuesday night against the White Sox.
Wang was 4-4 with a 2.33 ERA in nine starts for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. But Vidal Nuño and Ivan Nova were blocking him, and the Yankees believe his stuff is not where it needs to be.
"His velocity was down a little bit," Joe Girardi said. "We had a lot of 87s and 88s, and at this time, we just didn't really have the [rotation] space for him. Our rotation has been pretty good and we have some depth there. We'll see how he does."
Following Uncle Paulie
Among the eight players the Yankees drafted Friday was University of Michigan centerfielder Michael O'Neill, Paul O'Neill's nephew. Said Girardi, "I haven't talked to Paul today but it's got to be an exciting time for the O'Neill family."
Wisdom of Mo
Mariano Rivera, during a Q&A with a dozen local high school and college students hoping to have careers in baseball, called George Steinbrenner a "special" man and responded to a question about recovering from blown saves by saying "we're all going to fail" and that it's how one reacts to it that is the key. He also provided some insight into why he never shows up an opponent.
"There's nothing wrong with being humble," said Rivera, who has been holding such get-togethers in opposing ballparks all season as part of his farewell tour. "It's not a weakness."
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