MLB offseason finally picks up as Rangers trade Russell Wilson to Yankees

An athlete that has always wanted to play for the Yankees was traded to New York from a middling team with an unsure future, and is going to make his pinstripes debut at their spring training sessions.

But enough about Giancarlo Stanton, we’re talking about Russell Wilson now.

The Texas Rangers, who acquired the Seahawks quarterback from the Rockies in the 2013 Rule 5 draft, and stopped by the Rangers’ own spring training workouts a few time since he joined the organization.

The Yankees got Wilson for future considerations, and according to ESPN the teams’ general managers spent “several weeks working to accommodate his wishes,” which explains why the rest of the market is so slow. Everyone’s been trying to talk the Rangers into trading them Wilson instead of sending him to the Yankees. Don’t they have enough top players already?

In a statement, Wilson said,

“I want to personally thank the Texas Rangers for giving me the chance to experience professional baseball again. Growing up taking grounders, hitting BP, and throwing deep post routes early in the mornings with my dad and brother is where my love of sports came from, and those memories stick with me every morning I wake up. I remember how excited I was when Texas selected me in the Rule 5 Draft in December 2013. During my two springs in Arizona with the Rangers, I was reminded just how much I love the game of baseball.

”While football is my passion and my livelihood, baseball remains a huge part of where I came from and who I am today. I’ve learned so much on the baseball field that translates to my game physically and mentally playing quarterback in the NFL. I thank the Rangers and their great fans for making me feel at home and a part of the family! While I embrace the chance to be a New York Yankee, I will forever be grateful to have been a part of a world class organization like the Texas Rangers.”

While he insists this isn’t a sign that he’s switching sports or anything, will the pull of the pinstripes be too strong to ignore? Will he want to try and out-fame another former football player who spends his seasons in the minor leagues and gets a ton of coverage for it anyway? Probably not.

It’s just a small trade to make a famous athlete from another sport happy, and give us something to cover during an offseason slower than your grandmother walking back to her car to get the cigarettes she forgot after a full hip replacement.