SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Padres today announced that they have acquired infielder Yangervis Solarte and right-handed pitcher Rafael De Paula from the New York Yankees in exchange for infielder Chase Headley and cash considerations.
Solarte, 27, made his Major League debut for the Yankees this season, making the club's Opening Day roster. He has hit .254 (64-for-252) with 14 doubles, six home runs, 31 RBI and 26 runs scored in 75 games played for the Yankees this year. Solarte has also played in five games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, going 12-for-20 (.600) with four extra-base hits for the Yankees Triple-A affiliate. The switch-hitter was signed by the Yankees as a minor league free agent this past offseason on January 16, 2014. A native of Venezuela, he was originally signed by the Minnesota Twins as a non-drafted free agent in 2005 and also played in the Texas Rangers organization, signing as a minor league free agent with the Rangers in November of 2011. Over parts of eight minor league seasons with the Twins (2006-11) and Rangers (2012-13), prior to this year, he hit .286 (725-for-2539) with 140 doubles, 10 triples, 41 home runs, 312 RBI and 332 runs scored in 672 games played.
De Paula, 23, has gone 6-5 with a 4.15 ERA (41 ER, 89.0 IP) and 104 strikeouts against 38 walks over 20 games, 17 starts, this season for Single-A Tampa. A native of the Dominican Republic, the right-hander was signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent in November 2010. De Paula led all Yankees minor league pitchers with 146 strikeouts last season in 113.1 innings pitched and was selected to the World Team's roster of the 2013 Futures Game. Over parts of three minor league seasons (2012-14) in the Yankees organization, he has gone 21-12 with a 3.58 ERA (105 ER, 264.0 IP), 335 strikeouts against 109 walks and a .225 (220-for-978) opponent batting average.
Headley, 30, has hit .229 (64-for-279) with 12 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 32 RBI and 27 runs scored in 77 games played this season. He was originally signed by the Padres as a second-round selection in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Tennessee. Over parts of eight Major League seasons with the Padres from 2007-14 he has hit .266 (873-for-3286) with 186 doubles, 13 triples, 87 home runs, 401 RBI and 398 runs scored in 908 career games played.
