Travis Lee had already had an okay major league career by the time he signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Yankees in 2004.
Lee had been the second overall pick in the 1996 draft by the Twins, but was declared a free agent after Minnesota failed to offer him a contract within 15 days of the draft. That allowed him to sign a $10 million contract with the Diamondbacks, for whom he made his debut in 1998.
He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in ‘98, had a below average season in ‘99, and then was traded to the Phillies as a part of the Curt Schilling deal in 2000.