MINNEAPOLIS _ The Yankees don't seem inclined to wait for 2018 after all.
Late Tuesday night, the Yankees traded for third baseman Todd Frazier and relief pitchers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle from the White Sox in exchange for Tyler Clippard, pitching prospect Ian Clarkin and outfield prospects Blake Rutherford _ their first-round draft pick in 2016 _ and Tito Polo.
WSCR-AM in Chicago was the first to report the Yankees were close to acquiring the three.
The deal had the dual benefit, from the Yankees' perspective, of denying the Red Sox a coveted piece as Boston had been going hard to land Frazier.
For weeks the Yankees have been in the market for help at first base as they've been operating under the notion they would not get Greg Bird back this season. Bird underwent surgery Tuesday to remove a bone from his troubled right foot and was given a recovery time of six weeks before he can begin baseball activities.
Frazier, a 31-year-old native of Point Pleasant, N.J., has played the vast majority of his career at third, starting 719 games there, but he's played first as well, starting 82 times there. Frazier has a .207/.328/.432 slash line with 16 homers and 44 RBI.
The Yankees have also been looking for bullpen help as they've suffered 18 blown saves to this point of the season after blowing 16 all of last year. They are more than familiar, of course, with Robertson, who came up with the Bombers and pitched well for them from 2008-14 before leaving as a free agent.
Robertson, 32, took over for the retired Mariano Rivera in 2014 and saved 39 games. He signed a four-year, $46-million deal with the White Sox before the 2015 season. Robertson is 4-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 31 games this season with 13 saves. The 27-year-old Kahnle, whom the Yankees lost in the Rule 5 draft in 2013, has a 2.50 ERA in 37 games, with 60 strikeouts and seven walks.
