ANAHEIM, Calif. — The first time Chad Green met Luis Cessa, it was shortly after they had been traded together to the Yankees. They were at the team’s facility in Tampa undergoing physicals when they ran across each other. They exchanged hellos.
The two minor-league pitchers had been acquired from Detroit in December in exchange for Justin Wilson, a pivotal reliever for the Yankees last season. The trade was puzzling to many, but General Manager Brian Cashman said at the time that sacrificing Wilson was a necessity because he was concerned about depth in the minors.