TAMPA — Making the right trade can be a work of art.
The injury-ravaged Yankees believe they have collected a valuable piece in outfielder Vernon Wells.
Wells’ father, Vernon Wells Jr., 58, is an accomplished artist whose paintings are well known in the sports world. When Vernon III told his dad he had accepted a trade from the Angels to the Yankees, the father said to the son: “Well, I guess I’m going to die soon.’’
Wells’ dad grew up a Mickey Mantle fan and always wanted pinstripes for his son.
“I’ve told Vernon there are two things I want from him in baseball,’’ Wells’ father told The Post yesterday on the phone from Arizona. “I wanted to witness him hitting a home run in the old Yankee Stadium and someday I wanted to see him in pinstripes. He hit the home run the only time I went [to the old Stadium] and now he’s a Yankee, so I’m probably out of here soon.’’
The father laughed. He is convinced his son has plenty of good baseball left in him, despite hitting a combined .222 the past two seasons with the Angels.
“I think he tried too hard to live up to that big contract and tried to hit too many home runs,’’ he said of the monster seven-year, $126 million contract his son signed with the Blue Jays before the 2008 season. “He’s just trying to square it up now.’’
The father, who goes by V Wells as an artist, was in the Yankees clubhouse early in spring training to present Robinson Cano with a painting featuring the Yankees’ infield and Mariano Rivera.
“It’s beautiful,’’ Cano said of the art work. “I love it. He gave it to me right before I left for the WBC.’’
Cano said he loves the acquisition of Vernon Wells, too.
“You know how successful he was with the Blue Jays,’’ Cano said. “He was one of the best players in the game.’’
Kevin Youkilis just made the switch to the Yankees and sees the move as a good one for Wells.
“It’s how you take it, and coming to a team that won 95 games always helps,’’ Youkilis explained. “That was the reason I chose here. If you are a competitor and you want to win, this is great place.’’
Wells, 34, could not be happier to be a Yankee.
“I am honored to be here,” he said before going 0-for-3 last night against the Astros. “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. From that day, I have quietly been a Yankee fan.
“Every time the Yankees were in the playoffs and I was sitting at home, I would change to the Yankees, so this is somewhat of a dream come true. The history, the names that are in this clubhouse, the guys that are in this clubhouse, this is special. This is baseball. This is the center of it all.
“It’s like I’m a kid again,’’ Wells added. “I got goose bumps kind of just driving down the road a couple of hours after they told me about the trade and you start thinking about the Roll Call. I won’t be the guy that gets picked on by the bleachers now, even though I enjoyed it. Hearing my name and being in pinstripes, it gives me chills. There’s great expectation, there’s great responsibility, but to have that and be in this uniform, I couldn’t ask for anything more.
“I know a lot of guys in here. I feel like I’m at home already.’’
Now Wells will be battling his old team, the Blue Jays, who many believe will win the AL East.
“They’ve done a great job of reloading,’’ Wells said, “but as we all know, nothing is in concrete until you step on that field. In baseball, some crazy things can happen.’’
Indeed, Vernon Wells just may turn into a baseball masterpiece again.
kevin.kernan@nypost.com