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The New York Yankees today acquired outfielder Jamie Hoffmann from the Washington Nationals as the player to be named later for right-handed pitcher Brian Bruney.  Hoffmann, 25, was drafted by Washington from the Los Angeles Dodgers organization with the first overall pick in today’s Rule 5 Draft and subsequently traded to the Yankees.

Originally signed by the Dodgers in 2003 as a minor league free agent, Hoffmann made his Major League debut in 2009, batting .182 (4-for-22) with two runs, two doubles, one home run and seven RBI in 14 games. He also played in 97 combined games at Triple-A Albuquerque and Double-A Chattanooga in 2009, batting .291 (104-for-358) with 69 runs, 23 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs, 64 RBI, 15 stolen bases, 54 walks and a .390 on-base percentage. Hoffman owns a .283 (622-for-2,199) career minor league batting average with 329 runs, 100 doubles, 26 triples, 36 home runs, 279 RBI, 91 stolen bases, 240 walks and a .355 on-base percentage.  He entered each of the last four seasons (2006-09) rated by Baseball America as the “Best Defensive Outfielder” in the Dodgers’ minor league system.

The Yankees had two players selected by other teams in the Major League phase of today’s Rule 5 Draft – LHP Zack Kroenke (by Arizona with the sixth pick) and RHP Kanekoa Texeira (by Seattle with the 14th pick). The Yankees did not select any players.

The Yankees’ 40-man roster now stands at 37 players.