Yankees Release Phil Niekro and Trade Baylor for Easler

The New York Yankees waived veteran pitcher Phil Niekro, a 300-game winner, and traded designated hitter Don Baylor to the Boston Red Sox for designated hitter Mike Easler Friday.

Easler, 35, a left-handed batter, hit .262 for Boston last season, with 16 home runs and 74 runs batted in. He had three of the Red Sox’s 10 home runs this spring, including one Friday off Dwight Gooden, the New York Mets’ National League Cy Young Award winner. The Yankees plan to platoon Easler at DH with Gary Roenicke.

Baylor, 36, hit .231 in 142 games for the Yankees last season but had 23 home runs and 91 runs batted in. Baylor, a right-handed batter who had balked earlier at a trade to the Chicago White Sox, will play regularly in Fenway Park, where the left-field wall is 315 feet away.

“Going to the Red Sox is where I always wanted to go, but I never thought it would work out,” said Baylor, who previously played for Boston Manager John McNamara with the Angels. “I’ll wind up playing every day there, and I know it’s a great organization.”

Niekro, who will turn 47 Tuesday, was not on the Yankee roster and had been in camp trying to earn a job. But the knuckleballer was ineffective in four exhibition games, going 1-1 with a 5.40 earned-run average. He had allowed 14 hits in 13 innings.

Niekro had a 16-12 record and a 4.09 ERA for the Yankees last season. His final victory of the year, on the last day of the season against Toronto, was his 300th. That final win was a shutout, making Niekro the oldest pitcher in major league history to pitch one.

Niekro would have earned $350,000 had he made the Yankees’ opening-day roster and a $50,000 bonus had he pitched at least 175 innings.