Fansided

New York Yankees: The 10 biggest mistakes the Yankees ever made

By Ryan Morik

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 30: Jacoby Ellsbury #22 of the New York Yankees reacts in pain after hitting the ball off his foot in an MLB baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 30, 2017 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Yankees won 2-1. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 30: Jacoby Ellsbury #22 of the New York Yankees reacts in pain after hitting the ball off his foot in an MLB baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 30, 2017 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Yankees won 2-1. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – JUNE 10: Former Seattle Mariner Jay Buhner (L), presents Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees a chair from the Kingdome as part of ceremonies honoring Jeter in his final season prior to the game at Safeco Field on June 10, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. Jeter made his Major League debut in the Kingdome. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – JUNE 10: Former Seattle Mariner Jay Buhner (L), presents Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees a chair from the Kingdome as part of ceremonies honoring Jeter in his final season prior to the game at Safeco Field on June 10, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. Jeter made his Major League debut in the Kingdome. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

4. Trading Jay Buhner

Even though it’s one of the most famous Seinfeld jokes ever, this really was a horrible move for the Yankees.

After hitting just .198 in 32 games with the Yankees, he was shipped to Seattle for Ken Phelps.

As a Mariner, Buhner wound up hitting 307 home runs with an .857 OPS. Among players to play at least 600 games in Seattle, his OPS is the fifth-best in franchise history, trailing Alex Rodriguez, Edgar Martinez, Ken Griffey Jr., and Nelson Cruz. From 1995 to 1997, his 124 home runs were the third-most in baseball, behind Mark McGwire and Albert Belle. Buhner was inducted to the Mariners’ Hall of Fame in 2004.

Frank Costanza literally cared more about that trade eight years later than his son being dead.

Read. “What the hell did you trade Jay Buhner for?” – Remembering Jerry Stiller’s iconic role as a Yankees fan. light

Now, let’s look at Ken Phelps.

He stunk.

He played in just 131 games for the Yankees and slashed .240/.339/.442, hitting just 17 home runs and racking up 51 RBI.

Phelps, of course, was a great player fir the Mariners. He owned a .913 OPS in six seasons with the club. In his first five seasons there, he was putting up a 162-game pace of 32 homers.

But his Yankee tenure obviously didn’t touch that.

And Buhner had a rocket for an arm!

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