NEW YORK — Despite what a lot of people probably think, the Yankees absolutely did not give up four of their best prospects this summer to pry All-Star slugging outfielder Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers.
This was a 4-for-2 deal, announced one day before the July 30 trade deadline, included the Yankees acquiring reliever Joely Rodriguez.
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The way the Yankees viewed things, they wanted Rodriguez to fill a situational left-handed role in their bullpen almost as much as they craved adding tremendous left-handed power to a lineup that was too right-handed.
At the time, it was easy to assume Rodriguez may turn out to be nothing special and/or pitch his way to the minors. All you had to do was look at how the 29-year-old Dominican fared with the Rangers this season: 31 games, 5.93 ERA.
Sometimes the Yankees get it right, and this might be one of those times because Rodriguez has been exactly what they’ve hoped for pitching to a 2.30 ERA and holding lefties to a .190 average over 19 appearances since the trade.
The Yankees’ bullpen was the saving grace in Monday night’s 4-3 win over the Rangers at Yankee Stadium with 4 2/3 shutout innings, and the one out provided by Rodriguez was among the biggest.
With the Yanks up a run, Rodriguez entered in the eighth inning with two down and the tying run on first to face lefty Nathaniel Lowe.
Rodriguez got ahead 0-2, then had some bad luck when a weakly hit ball near the mound turned into an infield single. Suddenly the Rangers had the tying run on second base and go-ahead run at first in a game that the Yankees needed in the worst way. By rule, Rodriguez had to stay in to face righty-hitting Nick Solak.
Piece of cake.
Rodriguez got ahead in the count 1-2, then threw a changeup in the dirt that Solak swung and missed at.
Inning over, and the Yanks went on to win.
“He gives up a nubber to Lowe, but then I thought did a really good job with Solak with his fastball and his changeup,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He got him to expand.”
Boone has become a big fan of Rodriguez, who is among three Yankees lefty relievers along with closer Aroldis Chapman and Wandy Peralta.
“He’s a problem for lefties,” the skipper said of Rodriguez. “Of all our lefties down there … he’s that one guy that we’d like against their toughest lefties. If we can get him in that situation, he’s got the stuff. Just his delivery that creates a real problem for left-handed hitters.
“He’s an important guy down there, and he’s unique to everyone else that we have.”
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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.
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