Desperation and a change in demands made Shawn Chacon a New York Yankee on Thursday night.
The deal was finalized during the first inning of the Rockies’ game against the Phillies after a day of intense negotiations. Rockies manager Clint Hurdle informed Chacon of the deal as he sat on the bench, at which point Chacon retreated to the clubhouse.
Urgency ruled the talks. Chacon was scheduled to face the Phillies today at 3:05 p.m., and the Yankees need him to start Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium.
“I heard that things have picked up, but I can’t think about the Yankees – or any other team for that matter – until somebody tells me it’s time to go,” said Chacon before the game. “My focus is helping the team I am on.”
New York almost acquired Chacon two weeks ago, but talks halted when the Rockies requested promising Triple-A Columbus pitcher Sean Henn, currently on the disabled list. The Rockies sent out signals they were prepared to back off Henn for a good baseball trade.
While pieces were still falling into place, the Rockies are believed to have acquired promising Double-A reliever Eduardo Sierra and another minor leaguer, possibly Ramon Ramirez. The Rockies remain sensitive to any move that appears a salary dump, wanting to acquire young players – similar to Omar Quintanilla in the Joe Kennedy deal – as they build for the future.
It looked like Chacon, a homegrown product from Greeley Central High School, would remain a Rockie earlier this week, even after a strong outing at Pittsburgh in front of a Yankees scout.
The Rockies, believing the Yankees might revisit talks, sent Zach Day to Triple-A Colorado Springs and matched his schedule to Chacon’s, thus leaving him available to start if necessary.
With Kevin Brown back on the disabled list with a back injury and the recently signed Hideo Nomo not ready to pitch Saturday, the Yankees found themselves in a bind.
Said Chacon of Yankee Stadium: “I’ve only been there one time. It was an unbelievable experience. This is a great opportunity to go to a contender.”
Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd could not be reached for comment.
