MINNEAPOLIS — The Yankees believe they improved a suspect starting rotation Sunday by acquiring right-hander Brandon McCarthy and cash from the Diamondbacks for struggling left-hander Vidal Nuno on the same day they said so long to slumping outfielder Alfonso Soriano for the second time.
McCarthy makes $9 million this season and the Diamondbacks gave the Yankees $2.1 million, leaving the Yankees on the hook for roughly $2.4 million for a pitcher they believe is better than his 3-10 record and 5.01 ERA.
“We expect him to pitch well for us and give us distance,’’ Joe Girardi said of McCarthy, who turns 31 Monday. “I know he has had struggles, but he seemed to have turned it around. His last two starts have been pretty good and he has good stuff.’’
Girardi didn’t say when McCarthy, who has a career record of 45-60 with a 4.21 ERA, would make his Yankees debut, but it won’t be Monday in Cleveland where Nuno was slated to start.
That will go to Shane Greene, who is pitching well at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and would be working on regular rest. In his last two outings, Greene has thrown 13 shutout innings.
Nuno, who was 2-5 with a 5.42 ERA in 17 games (14 starts), will start Tuesday for the Diamondbacks.
“Quality stuff, he pounds the strike zone,’’ general manager Brian Cashman said of McCarthy. “Lots of ground balls which helps in our stadium.’’
McCarthy has pitched for the White Sox, Rangers, A’s and Diamondbacks in nine seasons. In September 2012, he was struck in the head by a line drive, suffering a skull fracture and needing a two-hour surgery to relieve cranial pressure. Last June, he suffered a seizure related to his brain injury.
An avid tweeter, McCarthy took to Twitter after the deal, posting “Yankee pinstripes, awesome. Very slimming but awesome.”
As for Soriano being designated for assignment, the Yankees have 10 days to trade or release the veteran outfielder who never adjusted to a right-field platoon with Ichiro Suzuki.
“He never made excuses. I know he wanted to play every day in the outfield,’’ Girardi said of Soriano, who hit .221 with six homers and 23 RBIs in 67 games. He hadn’t homered since May 17 and was in a 5-for-32 (.156) slide when let go.
Soriano started the season as the DH and struggled against right-handed pitching for most of the year, hitting .204 (28-for-137) with three homers and 11 RBIs against righties.
Letting Soriano, 38, go has risks attached because if he lands with a team that can offer regular playing time, the streaky Soriano could get hot like he did last season when acquired from the Cubs.
The Yankees discussed giving Soriano an extended look hoping he would get going, but the production against right-handers trumped the hope he could carry a team that is almost devoid of power hitters with Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran scuffling.
“That was talked about too, but his struggles against right-handers have been pretty evident,’’ Girardi said. “And defensively, Ichiro is better.’’
Cashman pointed to Soriano being ice cold lately against all pitchers.
“He was struggling on offense, even against lefties recently,’’ Cashman said. “And struggling on defense. It had been half a season.’’
Additional reporting by Joel Sherman