Yanks Trade Lowell To Marlins

February 1, 1999 / 8:42 PM EST / AP

Highly regarded third baseman Mike Lowell was traded by the New York Yankees to the Florida Marlins on Monday for three minor league pitchers, two of them former first-round draft picks.

Lowell, 24, hit .304 last season at Triple-A Columbus with 26 homers and 99 RBIs in 126 games. He was selected the Yankees' minor league player of the year in 1997. He was 4-for-15 (.267) with New York last season.

Lowell became expendable when the Yankees, under prodding from manager Joe Torre, re-signed World Series MVP Scott Brosius to a $15.75 million, three-year contract.

New York gets left-hander Eddie Yarnell and right-handers Mark Johnson and Todd Noel.

Yarnell, 23, was the New York Mets' third-round draft pick in 1996 and went to Florida last May as part of the Mike Piazza trade. He was a combined 13-5 with a 3.76 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 131 2-3 innings last season at Double-A Binghamton and Portland, and Triple-A Charlotte. He was picked for the 1997 Florida State League all-star team.

Johnson, 23, was selected by Houston with the 19th pick overall in the 1996 amateur draft and was acquired by Florida in the Moises Alou deal. He was 5-14 with a 4.62 ERA last season at Double-A Portland.

Noel, 20, was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the 17th pick of the 1996 draft and was acquired by the Marlins last summer for Felix Heredia. He was a combined 8-8 with a 4.41 ERA at Class-A Rockford and Kane County.