The Yankees announced today that they have acquired catcher Wilbert Nieves from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for right-handed pitcher Bret Prinz.
Nieves, 27, was batting .261 (6-for-23) in 14 games played with the Angels this spring. He batted .297 (125-for-421) with 10 HR and 53 RBI in 108 games with Triple-A Salt Lake in 2004, where he established career highs in home runs, triples (8), runs scored (60) and total bases (93). He was named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star Team in 2004 and owns a career .292 batting average over eight minor-league seasons. Originally selected by the San Diego Padres in the 47th round of the 1995 First-Year Player Draft, Nieves made his Major League debut with San Diego in 2002, batting.181 (13-for-72) in 28 games.