NEW YORK (AP) – Relievers Mike Stanton and Paul Quantrill became the first victims of the New York Yankees’ roster shakeup when they were cut Thursday.
The underperforming Yankees, just 39-38 despite a $200 million payroll, brought up left-hander Wayne Franklin from Triple-A Columbus, giving an old pitching staff three new relievers. Scott Proctor was recalled last week and Jason Anderson on Wednesday.
“As everybody knows, we just have not performed up to expectations, and it’s gone on for a long enough period of time where we’re looking to make changes now for change sake,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “We’re not afraid to try to and see what some young individuals can do, and maybe we can run into something.”
New York will fill the other open roster spot Friday by recalling outfielder Bubba Crosby from the Clippers.
Cashman met Tuesday in Tampa, Fla., with owner George Steinbrenner and the team’s top executives, and the group discussed how to jump-start a team that has struggled all season.
“Somewhere in April our team bus hit a black cat,” Cashman said. “We’re looking to shake things up and try to find some way to get this thing going in the right direction.” Quantrill, a 36-year-old right-hander, was 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA in 22 appearances this year. Stanton, a 38-year-old lefty in his second tour with the Yankees, was 1-2 with a 7.07 ERA in 28 games, allowing a game-ending homer to Brian Roberts on Tuesday night at Baltimore on his first pitch.
“Mike Stanton and Paul Quantrill are two of some of the best people I’ve met,” Cashman said. “They’re fighters and they stand for all the good stuff. But ultimately, the performance hasn’t come at the same time, and that’s what this is all about.”
Cashman had no problem with Gary Sheffield’s remarks Wednesday that he would be unhappy if traded to another team. The Yankees were approached by the Mets about a Sheffield-for-Mike Cameron swap and turned down their crosstown rival.
“Obviously, here’s a player who wants to stay here and wants to be here, and I appreciate that,” Cashman said.
Sheffield was suspended for two games and fined $2,000 Thursday by Bob Watson, baseball’s vice president for discipline, for “aggressive actions” in Sunday’s game against the Mets. Sheffield threw his helmet after he was called out by first base umpire C.B. Bucknor.
, then was ejected. Replays showed he appeared to beat the throw.
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