TAMPA — There is enough pedestrian pitching in the big leagues that will allow Vernon Wells to hit balls over walls. Yet, if Wells homers this year for the Yankees, it won’t be because he is trying to send baseballs into the upper deck.
Wells, 34, spent the offseason restructuring his mental approach as well as his swing in a batting cage at his Texas home with the belief that foregoing the long ball will improve his numbers from a year ago, when he batted a disappointing .230 with 11 homers and 29 RBIs in 77 games for the Angels. He missed 58 games because of a right thumb injury.
PHOTOS: YANKEES SPRING TRAINING
The Yankees’ trade with the Angels became official yesterday when Wells passed a physical and MLB approved the money exchange. The Angels are eating $28.5 million of the $42 million left on Wells’ contract. The Yankees will pay Wells $11.5 million this season and $2 million next season.
Wells was 0-for-3 last night against the Astros.
The Yankees sent minor league outfielder Exircado Cayones and minor league lefty Kramer Sneed to the Angels.
“My goal is to get back to basics, to put the barrel on the ball as many times as I can, shortening my swing and using the other field,” the new left fielder said before hitting sixth against the Astros last night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. “I had forgotten what [hitting to] right field was like for a couple of years. You get caught up in hitting home runs and seeing how far you can hit them, and your swing changes. I was able to take some time this offseason and looked at a lot of video of when I was younger spraying the ball all over the field. When I got to spring training that was my goal, and so far so good.”
Veteran players who make major adjustments with their swing are dancing with danger because a change late in the career does not always doesn’t work. Last season, Mark Teixeira attempted not to be as much of a pull hitter and abandoned the approach in May.
“Anytime you make changes, you are talking about doing something you aren’t accustomed to, and that takes time and effort,” hitting coach Kevin Long said. “Obviously, [Wells] feels he is at a point in his career that it’s a must.”
Wells said even when he was homering in recent seasons, he wasn’t wild about the swing.
“I am getting back to being short and quick,” Wells said. “As long as the ball is jumping off my bat and my hands are still as quick when I was younger. So it’s just a matter of trusting myself.”
Wells believes the obsession with hitting majestic homers has been a problem for a while.
“It’s been over the last four or five years to be honest,” Wells said. “You get away with it at Toronto because you hit a ball well and it will go out. You start trying to hit fourth and fifth decks instead of just of just getting hits.”
With Curtis Granderson not due back until mid-May, Wells has a chance to play regularly.
“He has a big opportunity here,” manager Joe Girardi said of Wells, who has 259 career homers and is a .273 career hitter. “I still think there is a lot of good baseball left.”
In order to not disrespect the Angels brass, Wells said he suppressed a smile when told Sunday he was being dealt to the Yankees. Fourteen years ago, the bug to play for the club was planted in Wells’ mind.
“I remember the first time I played a Triple-A game, and [Darryl] Strawberry was on that [Yankees] team. I was 20 years old, and it was the first time I actually got goose bumps playing against another team,” Wells recalled. “From that day, I have quietly been a Yankee fan. This is a dream come true.”
YANKEES TRAINING DAY
GOOD AS NEW
Using his cut fastball at 89-90 mph, Mariano Rivera retired all three batters he faced in the sixth inning. In six spring games the 43-year-old has worked six scoreless innings, allowed three hits and fanned eight.
BOOT CAMP
After making two errors last night, the Yankees have committed 42 errors in 30 games.
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
Phil Hughes starts for a second time in a minor league game. It is possible Hughes opens the season on the DL and is activated April 6 in Detroit, the first time the Yankees will need a fifth starter. David Phelps pitches against the Orioles in Sarasota and Ivan Nova works a minor league game.
CAUGHT MY EYE
In his final spring start, CC Sabathia battled a flat cutter in the first inning of last night’s 4-4 tie with the Astros when he gave up three runs. In five innings Sabathia gave up four runs, six hits and walked three.
george.king@nypost.com