N.Y. Yanks Trade Henderson to Athletics : 4th-Leading Base Stealer of All Time Swapped for 2 Pitchers, Outfielder

Rickey Henderson, the fourth-leading base stealer of all-time, was traded by the New York Yankees to the Oakland Athletics today for pitchers Greg Cadaret and Eric Plunk and outfielder Luis Polonia.

Henderson, who is in the last year of a five-year contract and has been unhappy with what the Yankees have been offering him, was hitting .247 with 25 stolen bases this season. He has 819 career stolen bases.

Henderson was acquired by the Yankees from Oakland on Dec. 8, 1984, and signed a five-year contract. He had said the Yankees had until the All-Star break to sign him and was said to be looking for a three-year deal worth more than $8 million.

“We appreciate the fine performance he’s given us during his 4 1/2 years with the Yankees and wish him all the best in his return to Oakland,” Yankees Vice President Syd Thrift said of Henderson.

“With the addition of Plunk and Cadaret, we’ll strengthen our pitching staff considerably. Polonia gives us an offensive spark not only at the plate but also on the bases.”

Henderson’s best season with the Yankees was 1985, when he hit .314 with 24 home runs, 72 RBIs and 80 stolen bases while scoring 146 runs.

He batted .263 in 1986, but still stole 87 bases and scored 130 runs, then was limited to 95 games in 1987 due to a leg injury, batting .291 with 41 stolen bases.

Last season, he rebounded to hit .305 with 93 stolen bases, though he hit only six home runs.

He set the modern major league record for steals in 1982 with 130 while with Oakland.

Cadaret, a 27-year-old left-hander who was Oakland’s first draft pick in June, 1983, was 0-0 with a 2.28 earned-run average in 26 games this season. He is in his third major league season and has an 11-4 lifetime record.

Plunk, 25, is a hard-throwing right-hander who was 1-1 with one save and a 2.20 ERA in 23 games. He came to the Athletics from the Yankees in the trade that sent Henderson to New York. He is 16-16 lifetime with eight saves.

Polonia, 24, was hitting .286 with 13 stolen bases.