The New York Yankees are acquiring Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa in a massive deal that will send catcher Gary Sanchez to the wheeling and dealing Minnesota Twins.
The teams announced that the Yankees will send Sanchez and third baseman Gio Urshela to Minnesota for a package that will remake the left side of their infield in one swoop. Donaldson, the veteran slugger and former MVP, will be joined by defense-focused shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa — who the Twins acquired just this weekend from the Texas Rangers — and catcher Ben Rortvedt.
The Twins have created a tangled web of moves since the lockout ended. They send away two big infield pieces in the same day they acquired Sonny Gray to bolster their rotation. Reports indicate that the Yankees are taking on all of the $50 million of guaranteed money that remain on Donaldson’s deal.
Donaldson joins a crowded corner infield and designated hitter picture that currently includes DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit.
The deal may also have wider ripple effects. A former catching prospect who has since become a smooth defender at shortstop, Kiner-Falefa could fill the Yankees’ needs and signal that they are out of the Carlos Correa sweepstakes.
Urshela, who had started at third for the Yankees, joins the Twins as a readymade replacement, assuming their carousel of moves slows down.
