The left-hander learned Wednesday morning that he had been traded from the Yankees to the Brewers in one of two roster moves aimed at augmenting Milwaukee's pitching depth. In addition to acquiring Wright for outfield and catching prospect Eric Fryer, the Brewers signed former Yankees reliever Ramiro Mendoza to a Minor League contract and invited him to Spring Training.

Wright, who turns 26 on Sunday, became available when the Yankees designated him for assignment on Jan. 27 to clear a roster spot for newly re-signed fellow lefty -- and Texan -- Andy Pettitte. Wright was on the highway, three hours from the Yankees' Spring Training base in Florida, when he got the news of his designation.

Eight days later, Wright was traded to the Brewers. Milwaukee assistant general manager Gord Ash called on Wednesday morning with news, and Wright immediately began re-packing his truck for the long drive westward. He planned to leave Tampa by Wednesday evening.

"I'm a road warrior," Wright joked. "I'm ready to get to Phoenix and get going."

Wright, who has one Minor League option remaining, was added to the Brewers' 40-man roster, which is now full.

He was the Yankees' third-round pick in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft and made a brief Major League debut in 2007, when Wright went 2-0 in three appearances despite a 7.20 ERA and a dubious distinction. On April 22, 2007, at Boston's Fenway Park of all places, he became the second pitcher in big league history to surrender four consecutive home runs.

Wright spent all of 2008 in the Minors, going 10-3 with a 2.72 ERA for three of New York's affiliates. His season included two early-season appearances at rookie-level Tampa after developing a tired arm, but he called that a minor setback and said it didn't affect the rest of his season.

"I felt like I definitely had a good run," Wright said. "The '07 season was my first year out of [Class] A-ball and I had two good starts at Double-A before I got called up to the Yankees, and I knew that if I put together a good run [in 2008] I would have a shot at an opportunity. It just didn't happen. The Yankees system is just loaded, and unfortunately, I kind of got buried."

Milwaukee could offer a better opportunity. The Brewers plan to break camp with Yovani Gallardo, Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan, Manny Parra and Seth McClung in the starting rotation but they have precious little insurance against injuries. Former All-Star Chris Capuano will be in camp on a Minor League deal, but he is recovering from Tommy John elbow ligament transplant surgery and won't be an option until May. Fellow left-handers Lindsay Gulin, Sam Narron and Chris Narveson will also be in camp, but none of those pitchers are on the 40-man roster.

"I've been in the Minor Leagues a long time and I've learned a lot," Wright said. "I think I could help out a big league team."

He came at a cost. The Brewers selected Fryer, 23, out of Ohio State in the 10th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, and he enjoyed a breakthrough season at Class A West Virginia in 2008. A converted outfielder who focused on catching during the second half of the season, Fryer batted .335 in 104 games with a .407 on-base percentage, 10 home runs, 63 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

Wright was not the only former Yankees player headed to Milwaukee on Tuesday. Mendoza, 36, inked a Minor League contract that included an invitation to big league Spring Training camp, and could be headed along with Wright to Triple-A Nashville to start the season.

Mendoza has not appeared in the Majors since he pitched one game for the Yankees in 2005 following shoulder surgery, but he's a veteran of 342 big league games and owns a 4.30 ERA. The Brewers were apparently impressed with Mendoza's performance in the Venezuelan Winter League, where he posted a 1.62 ERA in 21 games for the Cardenales de Lara, with only three walks in 33 1/3 innings. He is on Panama's preliminary roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Mendoza has pitched in 20 postseason games and has five World Series rings -- four from his first stint with the Yankees from 1996-2002 and one with the Red Sox in 2004.