Brian Cashman was ready for a change. A 36-year-old Robin Ventura was showing signs of wear, slashing just .251/.344/.392. On a star-studded Yankees roster, his spot at third base seemed the most plausible position to upgrade. It just so happened that the Reds were in the midst of a fire sale and were looking to move a third baseman of their own, one six years younger and in the middle of a career year.
In separate moves, the Yankees GM spun Ventura off to the Dodgers and swung a deal with Cincinnati to replace him with one Aaron Boone. Cashman could never imagine how integral Boone would be to his team’s fortunes over the next two-plus decades. What he did know was that, to acquire him, he’d need to part with his most promising pitching prospect.
Brandon Allen Falker Claussen
Born: May 1, 1979 (Rapid City, SD)
Yankees Tenure: 2003
Brandon Claussen did not begin his journey in pro ball with much fanfare. The third player ever selected out of Howard College in Big Spring, Texas, he was taken by the Yankees in the now-defunct 34th round of the 1998 MLB Draft. As is the case for any unheralded prospect who makes it to the show, Claussen took a slow and steady path up the food chain. After proving himself at Rookie Ball, Low A, Single-A, and High-A, the left-hander broke out at Double-A in 2001, going 9-2 with a 2.13 ERA in 21 starts. Baseball America took notice, ranking Claussen as 37th-best prospect in baseball before the 2002 season.
Claussen made 15 starts at Triple-A that year and appeared to be on the doorstep of the Bronx. That’s when his ascent was stunted by the dreaded Tommy John surgery, ending his ‘02 campaign. “This isn’t career-threatening,” said Mark Newman, the Yankees’ senior vice president for baseball operations, encouragingly of the team’s top pitching prospect. “They do it with great effectiveness now. He’s a strong, hard-working kid, so he’s got as good a chance as anybody.”
The injury may actually have kept Claussen in pinstripes. He was a hot name in July trade talks, especially with the Blue Jays, who reportedly wanted him as the centerpiece of a deal for outfielder Raúl Mondesi. Toronto settled on a less highly-regarded lefty, Scott Wiggins, instead; they were mostly just happy to unload the surly Mondesi’s contract.
Newman’s optimistic angle on Claussen was proven right, as he returned to game action in late April. He bounced back admirably in 2003, making 11 starts at Triple-A to the tune of a 2.75 ERA. “He is quick to return from [Tommy John], but he feels he is very healthy,” Gordon Blakeley, the Yankees’ senior vice president for baseball operations, said. ”His stuff is back where it was before the injury.”
In the midst of this run of excellence, Claussen was called up for a spot start during a rare multi-stadium doubleheader against the Mets in order to keep the rest of the Yankees’ staff on regular rest. It was to be his only start for the team that drafted him. Claussen performed well, pitching around eight hits while allowing two runs (one earned) in 6.1 innings. Playing on the road at Shea Stadium, he even added a base hit and an RBI to cap off a stellar debut. “I was just going to go out and play my game,” he said after the win. “That’s what got me here.” The southpaw impressed his Hall of Fame manager as well. “His poise was unbelievable,” said Joe Torre. “He was very impressive.”
Despite a crowded starting rotation, the Yankees’ top pitching prospect appeared to have a bright future in pinstripes. But there was another major development during that doubleheader against the Mets that would end up cutting his Yankees tenure short. Torre benched Ventura for both games, noting that “his bat’s a little slow now.” After Claussen’s scheduled second start was rained out, he was optioned down to Triple-A as the deadline hot stove began to reach a smolder. The Yankees were looking to augment their bullpen and everyone from the Rangers (who were shopping Ugueth Urbina) to the Mets (Armando Benítez) to the Pirates (Scott Sauerbeck) and the Reds (Scott Williamson) were reportedly interested in Claussen as the centerpiece of their return.
Cashman held strong in his desire to retain the talented southpaw but relented once Boone was on the table. On July 31st, the GM shipped Claussen and fellow lefty Charlie Manning off to Cincinnati for the third baseman. “Brandon Claussen, in our opinion, is the real deal,” Cashman said after the move was finalized. “In terms of getting top talent, you have to rob Peter to pay Paul.” As had happened so many times before, the New York press suspected that the Boss had put his thumb on the scale to force his front office to sacrifice the future for the present. “The deal seems more like a hurried decision to appease George Steinbrenner, the principal owner, than a move that instantly addresses a primary weakness or provides an incredible player,” wrote Jack Curry for The New York Times.
Boone’s impact on the Yankees — first as a hero in the 2003 ALCS, then as the man whose offseason ACL injury opened the door for New York to acquire Alex Rodriguez, and finally as the team’s skipper for eight years and counting — is well-documented. For his part, Claussen finished the ‘03 season with Triple-A Louisville and would spend the next three seasons shuttling between there and Cincinnati.
In 57 starts over those years, he never fulfilled the potential that had enthralled much of the league, going 15-27 with a 5.12 ERA while walking 120 and striking out just 223 in 309.2 innings. In June of 2006, the 27-year-old was placed on the DL with a rotator cuff tear which would require surgery and end his days in a Reds uniform. The Nationals signed him to a one-year deal for the ‘07 season. After seven minor-league starts, he hung up his spikes for good, joining his father-in-law’s family tire business.
As of 2023, he was still in that line of work, running his own wheel repair shop in Lubbock, Texas. Rustin Dodd of The Athletic wrote a fantastic piece on Claussen that year in which he revealed his perspective on his reputation as a “bust.”
I think there’s so much emphasis on looking at the occupation to make you happy,” he said. “But what I’ve learned is a job is a job. If it’s a baseball, if it’s changing tires, it is what it is. It’s who you do it for and who you do it with.”
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