Vazquez joins Yankees as Cabrera sent to Braves

NEW YORK: Puerto Rican right-handed pitcher Javier Vazquez joined the New York Yankees for the second time on Tuesday as the World Series champions sent outfielder Melky Cabrera to the Atlanta Braves in return.

The move boosted the Yankees' payroll, last year's biggest in Major League Baseball at $201 million, back over $200 million with only 16 players signed.

Vazquez, 33, was traded for the fifth time in six years, including being sent away by the Yankees to Arizona in 2004 as part of a deal that brought Randy Johnson to New York.