New York Yankees
(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

When Yankees manager Aaron Boone told relief pitcher Phillip Diehl he’d been dealt, the kid thought he was being punked.

Aaron Case

Phillip Diehl must have checked for hidden cameras when New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone told him he’d been traded. However, when Ashton Kutcher didn’t pop out to tell him he’d been had, a harsh reality sunk in.

Diehl assumed the trade talk was Boone’s way of lightheartedly reprimanding him for a faux pas he’d committed earlier. It was haircut day, and Diehl had cut ahead of CC Sabathia in the line for the barber chair, per ESPN’s Coley Harvey.

Alas, Boone was not doing a sick Donald Trump impression when he told Diehl some version of, “You’re traded.”

The Bombers shipped the lefty reliever to the Colorado Rockies on Saturday for outfield prospect Mike Tauchman.

The move makes sense, considering Aaron Hicks’ back injury and Clint Frazier’s spring struggles.

In addition, Tauchman swings a lefty bat, and the Yankees currently field a predominantly right-handed lineup.

Then there’s the fact that the 28-year-old hit 20 long balls in a mere 403 at-bats at triple-A in 2018; that pop should play well in Yankee Stadium.

Diehl had a good camp with the Yanks, striking out 17 batters in 10 innings while not allowing any home runs. He’ll probably have a better shot at making the Rockies’ roster, since his former employer features one of the best bullpens in history.

The 24-year-old told Harvey that he appreciated his time with New York:

“A lot of emotions going through my mind. I enjoyed being a Yankee to the fullest. I was treated with nothing but the utmost respect. They made sure that we were comfortable at all times. I made some unbelievable friendships here. I’m going to miss every single one of them.”

Whether Sabathia had anything to do with the trade or not, there’s a clear moral to this story: don’t mess with the hefty lefty.

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Freelance editor and writer, and full-time Yankees fan. Originally from Monticello, NY, but now lives in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.