In November 1978, the Yankees traded Sparky Lyle and others to the Rangers. In return, they received five players, most notably Dave Righetti. Another pitcher they got in return was Paul Mirabella.
Mirabella was drafted by the Rangers in 1976, and made his major league debut on July 28, 1978. He threw 7.2 innings and got the win against the White Sox. He ended the 1978 season with a 5.79 ERA in 28 innings.
After the trade, Mirabella made his first appearance for the Yankees pretty early in the 1979 season. He made his debut on April 10th.