DALLAS -- The New York Yankees traded Tony Womack to the Cincinnati Reds for a pair of 24-year-old prospects on Thursday, getting rid of the second baseman-turned-outfielder just one season after signing him.
New York received infielder Kevin Howard and outfielder Ben Himes in the trade, and will send $900,000 to the Reds to offset part of Womack's $2 million salary next season.
Womack hit .307 to help St. Louis win the NL pennant in 2004, then became a free agent and signed a $4 million, two-year contract
with the Yankees.
He was their starting second baseman for the first month of the season, but lost his job when the Yankees brought up rookie Robinson Cano. Womack wound up playing just 24 games at second and
was shifted to the outfield, where he appeared 40 times in left, 22
in center and four in right.
Womack wound up batting just .249 with 15 RBI and 27 steals. He
didn't get an at-bat during New York's five-game loss to the Los
Angeles Angels in the first round of the playoffs.
Howard hit .296 with 70 RBI for Double-A Chatanooga last season
and led the Arizona Fall League with a .409 batting average. Himes
had a combined .300 batting average for Class-A Sarasota and
Dayton.