Credit: New York Post

 

The Yankees' pitching staff is going to get a lot thinner today.

 

David Wells, the big lefty with an appetite for big games, will sign with his hometown Padres, The Post has learned. The Yankees had been in heavy negotiations with Wells, but Mr. Perfect I'm Not has decided to go home where he is wanted by a young, improving ballclub that needs him to lead its rotation in a new ballpark as Boomer's career comes full circle.

 

Wells, like fellow lefty Andy Pettitte, has told the Yankees to stuff it and has decided to go home.

 

The Padres, according to sources in San Diego, have agreed to give Wells a major league contract with no restrictions such as weight clauses, upon which the Yankees were insisting. The Bombers had only been offering a minor-league deal. It's believed Wells will sign with the Padres for a $1.5 to $1.75 million base with the chance to double that through incentives.

 

Wells, who will turn 41 in May, is coming off back surgery and his rehab is three weeks ahead of schedule. For the Yankees, this is another difficult left-handed, hometown setback since they already have lost free agent Pettitte, who blew off their offer to go home to Houston. Losing winners such as Pettitte and Wells leaves two gigantic holes in the rotation, especially come October.

 

 

 

As of now, the Yankees have no lefty starters in a ballpark where left-handed pitching is a must. The projected starting five lines up this way: Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown, Javier Vazquez, Jose Contreras and Jon Lieber.

 

This is a move that makes a lot of sense for Wells. Padres manager Bruce Bochy and GM Kevin Towers have been trying to sign him since he became a free agent. Wells grew up in Ocean Beach and went to Pt. Loma High School in San Diego and was a classmate of Towers' wife Kelley.

 

Wells loved his days in Ocean Beach, writing in his book Perfect I'm Not, "Even as a kid I can remember feeling that an unwritten class distinction would always separate us Ocean Beachers from our more affluent neighbors. It was a fact of life. It was unavoidable, but being from the 'wrong side of the tracks' actually strengthened our friendships, bonding us 'OB rats' with a very real 'us against the world' sensibility."

 

That kind of toughness has enabled Wells to become only the 99th pitcher and 23rd lefty in major league history to reach 200 victories. In his two stints and four seasons with the Yankees, Wells produced a 68-28 record and a .708 winning percentage, the highest all time among Yankee lefthanders. He was 15-7 last season with a 4.41 ERA and was 2-1 in the post-season before coming up lame in pivotal Game 5 of the World Series.

 

And, of course, there was that perfect day on May 17, 1998. Whether he was half-drunk or not, Wells did not issue a walk and struck out 11 in the 4-0 victory over the Twins as he fired the first perfect game in Yankee regular-season history (David Cone duplicated the feat the following July 18 in a 6-0 victory over the Expos).

 

Despite all that Yankee history, it appears that not even George Steinbrenner, who coaxed Wells back to Pinstripes two years ago after Wells had already agreed to a handshake deal with the Diamondbacks, will be able to step in and save the day, although you can be sure the Boss will make one last desperate try to keep Wells in The Bronx.

 

When reached yesterday, Wells' agent Gregg Clifton said no deal has been finalized but did admit, "The Padres have shown a great deal of interest in David."

 

As Wells walked out of the Stadium for the last time after the Series, his final words as a Yankee were delivered to reporters in this fashion. Wells was asked how his back was responding to treatment. He didn't break stride. He didn't stop to offer a long goodbye. He merely said, "I'm walking."

 

As it turns out, walking right out of the Yankee rotation and following his heart back to his hometown of San Diego.

Wow, that's a shocker.

I want wells, but that's pretty damn lazy to take less money so you can have a contract where you can stay out of shape...

Wells is one of the coolest/funniest guys in The ML, a lot of you won't admit because of what he said about Miami but David Wells is awesome.

 

If he's going home seems to be his last year although he said in his auto he never liked The Padre's, always a yankees fan.

I'll never forget the quote by Wells in the world series, "I don't need to stay in shape, I've got a rubber arm." and next thing you know he hurts his back and has to come out of the game. :lol

I'll never forget the quote by Wells in the world series, "I don't need to stay in shape, I've got a rubber arm." and next thing you know he hurts his back and has to come out of the game. :lol

he never said "rubber back"

I'll never forget the quote by Wells in the world series, "I don't need to stay in shape, I've got a rubber arm." and next thing you know he hurts his back and has to come out of the game. :lol

he never said "rubber back" That rubber arm didn't help him when he had to watch the game from the bench.

I'll never forget the quote by Wells in the world series, "I don't need to stay in shape, I've got a rubber arm." and next thing you know he hurts his back and has to come out of the game. :lol

he never said "rubber back" That rubber arm didn't help him when he had to watch the game from the bench. your point is?

Update on the signing:

Wells, Padres agree to deal

By BERNIE WILSON, AP Sports Writer

December 31, 2003

 

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Left-hander David Wells spurned the New York Yankees and agreed to a one-year contract with his hometown San Diego Padres on Wednesday.

 

Wells, a 40-year-old starter coming off arthroscopic back surgery, is expected to lead the Padres' rotation in the club's first year in its new $458 million downtown ballpark.

 

``He's a big-game pitcher, and the perfect guy to head our staff,'' general manager Kevin Towers said. ``We think our staff is pretty strong right now.''

 

Wells will make $1.25 million in base pay, with incentives that could make the deal worth $7 million if he is healthy and pitches all season.

 

Wells' agent, Gregg Clifton, had been talking with the Yankees about the pitcher's remaining with the defending AL champions, but New York was offering only a minor league deal and wanted to include a weight clause.

 

``We were involved in discussions, but nothing had been finalized,'' Clifton said.

 

Then Towers called, offering Wells a chance to finish his career at home.

 

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he learned that Wells was having second thoughts on Monday when he talked with Clifton.

 

``David agreed verbally to a deal,'' Cashman said. ``There was one component to be completed, a weigh-in. We didn't get it finalized, but we had the financials in place.

 

``Right now, we're waiting to find out if Boomer honors his commitment. If not, we get two draft picks. He knows how I feel. The ball's in David's court.''

 

Two years ago, Wells had a handshake deal to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks when the Yankees swooped in to sign him at the last minute.

 

``I'm not complaining,'' Cashman said. ``This can happen when you're negotiating with David.''

 

Towers said the Padres felt all along that Wells would end up in New York, so they didn't pursue him that strongly. But when they found out they couldn't afford Greg Maddux, they learned Wells wanted to pitch in San Diego and worked out a deal in less than a week.

 

``We're ecstatic to have the guy,'' Towers said.

 

``I think there was a realization that he wanted to spend his final year in baseball in San Diego,'' Clifton said.

 

``When he was growing up in San Diego, he had two dreams. One was to pitch for the Yankees and one was to pitch for the Padres. Having fulfilled one dream, when Kevin Towers reached out, that was his way to fulfill both dreams.''

 

The Yankees declined Wells' $6 million option for 2004, and the pitcher, who had back surgery in early December, rejected the Yankees' arbitration offer.

 

Yankees manager Joe Torre and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre were angered when Wells stopped throwing between starts last summer and went winless in seven starts.

 

Wells went 15-7 with a 4.14 ERA last season, increasing his career record to 200-128. But he left Game 5 of the World Series against Florida after one inning because of the back injury.

 

Wells graduated in 1982 from Point Loma High, the same school that produced Don Larsen. Larsen pitched a perfect game for the Yankees in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, and Wells pitched a perfect game for the Yankees against Minnesota on May 17, 1998.

 

Also in 1998, Wells beat the Padres in Game 1 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium.

as a padres fan, I gotta admit is pretty sad. Sure the guy may have a decent season and have more cost-benefit than Maddux, but I've never liked him (Wells).

 

Eaton, Lawrence and Peavy should do fine in the rotation with the improved offense (which was abysmal in 2003), Sterling Hitchcock could actually become a decent #5, Ismael Valdes was also signed but I dont have much hopes for him. And now Wells fills a spot... I dont know, I guess I just expected something a little bit better,

as a padres fan, I gotta admit is pretty sad. Sure the guy may have a decent season and have more cost-benefit than Maddux, but I've never liked him (Wells).

 

Eaton, Lawrence and Peavy should do fine in the rotation with the improved offense (which was abysmal in 2003), Sterling Hitchcock could actually become a decent #5, Ismael Valdes was also signed but I dont have much hopes for him. And now Wells fills a spot... I dont know, I guess I just expected something a little bit better,

Sadly you and the rockies are probably going to battle for 4th. I like the padres because I like Gwynn (though he's gone now), but Nevin, Klesko and Giles won't be able to carry this team, though I hope you guys do well. The only other team I like in the west is the rockies.

 

hitchcock is great in the postseason and strikes guys out, but he has no stamina and he's mediocre when good...

I'll never forget the quote by Wells in the world series, "I don't need to stay in shape, I've got a rubber arm." and next thing you know he hurts his back and has to come out of the game. :lol

he never said "rubber back" That rubber arm didn't help him when he had to watch the game from the bench. your point is? Thats hes rubber arm still couldnt cover the fact thats hes out shape. Because if he would have being in shape maybe just maybe the world series champs would be the Yanks.

yeah...and? I was obviously joking around by saying "he didn't say he had a rubber back..."

 

it just seems like a sore winner shoving it in my face that my team lost. Well, I could live with that, but people should know how to conduct themselves properly...some people should take my suggestion, like barry bonds.