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TAMPA — Vernon Wells is the Next Man Up for the Yankees in left field as their search for Curtis Granderson’s replacement continues.
The 34-year-old right-handed hitter will be a Yankee today when the defending AL East champs and the Angels complete a trade.
“It’s going to get done,’’ said a person familiar with the specifics of the deal.
Initially, Angels owner Arturo Moreno balked at swallowing a large portion of the $42 million owed to Wells this season and next. The Yankees will pay Wells almost all of the $13 million owed.
The Yankees felt more comfortable paying big money toward Wells this year because the World Baseball Classic pays Mark Teixeira’s insurance while he is on the disabled list (because he was hurt while with Team USA), which will be at least $7 million.
The Angels aren’t getting a player from the Yankees’ 40-man roster.
The sight of Angels clubhouse workers packing Wells’ equipment in Arizona yesterday was proof he was on the way out.
“There are a lot of I’s and T’s to cross when you finish something,’’ general manager Brian Cashman said following a 7-6 win over the Rays at Steinbrenner Field. “I am not in position to say anything official at this time.’’
When Granderson went down with a fractured forearm in the second exhibition game, Wells’ name immediately popped to the front of possible replacements because there was no room for him in the Angels’ outfield.
That it took a month to get Wells is an indication the Yankees wanted to see if there were better options.
They had Matt Diaz and Juan Rivera in camp, brought in Ben Francisco and Brennan Boesch. Diaz was released, Rivera has played more at first base than the outfield lately, Francisco has been OK at the plate and Boesch is hurt.
“We haven’t seen him a lot the last two years,’’ Joe Girardi said of Wells, who has been limited to 208 games because of injuries. “I know when he was in our division [with the Blue Jays] he was a very good player, a very good player.’’
That’s not the case today. In the past two seasons Wells has hit .218 and .230 and no longer has the outfield skills that led to three Gold Gloves in Toronto. Last year his OPS against lefties was lower (.671) than versus righties (.686).
Wells’ best years were as a Blue Jay. From 2002 when he became a regular until 2006, Wells averaged 27.8 homers and 97.4 RBIs per season. In two years with the Angels, Wells hit 36 homers and drove in 95 runs.
Following the 2006 season in which Wells hit 32 homers and drove in 106 runs, the Blue Jays dumped a seven-year deal worth $126 million on Wells. In 2011 they found the Angels willing to take the remaining $89 million left on the deal with the Blue Jays paying $5 million in 2011.
“Veteran leadership, good guy, he’s got power. He can play the outfield real well. I’ve always respected Vernon as a player. It would be great,’’ Kevin Youkilis said of Wells joining the Yankees. “I never complain about getting guys on teams. If he would come here I bet you he would do a good job of helping us trying to win.’’