1981 New York Yankees Trades and Transactions

Transactions listed are from October 1 of previous year to April 1 of the following year.

• November 3, 1980

  Traded Fred Stanley to the Oakland Athletics. Received Mike Morgan.

• November 4, 1980

  Released Marshall Brant.

• November 13, 1980

  Johnny Oates granted Free Agency.

• November 18, 1980

  Traded Brad Gulden and $150,000 to the Seattle Mariners. Received a player to be named later and Larry Milbourne. The Seattle Mariners sent Brad Gulden (May 18, 1981) to the New York Yankees to complete the trade.

• December 8, 1980

  Don Cooper drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 1980 rule 5 draft.

  Brian Doyle drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 1980 rule 5 draft.

  Tom Filer drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 1980 rule 5 draft.

  Dave Wehrmeister drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 1980 rule 5 draft.

• December 15, 1980

  Signed Dave Winfield as a free agent.

• January 5, 1981

  Released Jim Nettles.

• February 3, 1981

  Signed Marshall Brant as a free agent.

• February 16, 1981

  Traded Rafael Santana to the St. Louis Cardinals. Received a player to be named later. The St. Louis Cardinals sent George Frazier (June 7, 1981) to the New York Yankees to complete the trade.

• February 17, 1981

  Signed Bill Castro as a free agent.

• March 31, 1981

  Traded Ruppert Jones, Joe Lefebvre, Tim Lollar and Chris Welsh to the San Diego Padres. Received Jerry Mumphrey and John Pacella.

• April 3, 1981

  The Kansas City Royals returned Dave Wehrmeister (earlier draft pick).

• April 6, 1981

  Signed Johnny Oates as a free agent.

  Traded Byron Ballard (minors) to the San Diego Padres. Received a player to be named later. The San Diego Padres sent Dave Stegman (April 30, 1981) to the New York Yankees to complete the trade.

• April 9, 1981

  The Oakland Athletics returned Tom Filer (earlier draft pick).

• April 17, 1981

  Signed Dave LaRoche as a free agent.

• April 27, 1981

  Signed Bill Lindsey as an amateur free agent.

  Traded Tom Filer and cash to the Chicago Cubs. Received Barry Foote.

• May 17, 1981

  Signed Orestes Destrade as an amateur free agent.

• May 20, 1981

  Traded Jim Spencer and Tom Underwood to the Oakland Athletics. Received Chuck Dougherty (minors), Mike Patterson and Dave Revering.

• June 8, 1981

  Drafted Scott Bradley in the 3rd round of the 1981 amateur draft.

  Drafted Phil Lombardi in the 3rd round of the 1981 amateur draft.

  Drafted Eric Plunk in the 4th round of the 1981 amateur draft. Player signed June 15, 1981.

  Drafted Mike Pagliarulo in the 6th round of the 1981 amateur draft.

  Drafted John Fishel in the 8th round of the 1981 amateur draft, but did not sign the player.

  Drafted Fred McGriff in the 9th round of the 1981 amateur draft. Player signed June 11, 1981.

  Drafted Dick Scott in the 17th round of the 1981 amateur draft.

  Drafted Bob Tewksbury in the 19th round of the 1981 amateur draft.

  Drafted Logan Easley in the 20th round of the 1981 amateur draft.

  Drafted Les Lancaster in the 24th round of the 1981 amateur draft, but did not sign the player.

• June 12, 1981

  Traded a player to be named later, Doug Bird and $400,000 to the Chicago Cubs. Received Rick Reuschel. The New York Yankees sent Mike Griffin (August 5, 1981) to the Chicago Cubs to complete the trade.

• August 19, 1981

  Traded Pat Tabler to the Chicago Cubs. Received players to be named later. The Chicago Cubs sent Bill Caudill (April 1, 1982) and Jay Howell (August 2, 1982) to the New York Yankees to complete the trade.

• October 13, 1981

  Released Eric Soderholm.

• October 21, 1981

  Traded Willie McGee to the St. Louis Cardinals. Received Bob Sykes.

• November 4, 1981

  Traded a player to be named later and Brian Ryder (minors) to the Cincinnati Reds. Received Ken Griffey. The New York Yankees sent Freddie Toliver (December 9, 1981) to the Cincinnati Reds to complete the trade.

• November 13, 1981

  Ron Guidry granted Free Agency.

  Reggie Jackson granted Free Agency.

  Dave LaRoche granted Free Agency.

  Bobby Murcer granted Free Agency.

• November 17, 1981

  Traded Aurelio Rodríguez to the Toronto Blue Jays. Received a player to be named later. The Toronto Blue Jays sent Mike Lebo (minors) (December 9, 1981) to the New York Yankees to complete the trade.

• December 7, 1981

  Paul Boris drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 1981 rule 5 draft.

• December 15, 1981

  Signed Ron Guidry as a free agent.

• December 23, 1981

  Signed Dave Collins as a free agent.

• January 12, 1982

  Drafted Oddibe McDowell in the 1st round (9th pick) of the 1982 amateur draft (January Secondary), but did not sign the player.

• February 21, 1982

  Signed Roberto Kelly as an amateur free agent.

• February 22, 1982

  Purchased Barry Evans from the San Diego Padres.

• March 24, 1982

  Traded Dennis Werth to the Kansas City Royals. Received Scot Beahan (minors).

  Traded Bill Castro to the California Angels. Received Butch Hobson.

• March 30, 1982

  Traded Andy McGaffigan and Ted Wilborn to the San Francisco Giants. Received Doyle Alexander.

• April 1, 1982

  Traded a player to be named later, Bill Caudill and Gene Nelson to the Seattle Mariners. Received Shane Rawley. The New York Yankees sent Bobby Brown (April 6, 1982) to the Seattle Mariners to complete the trade.