The New York Yankees have found a replacement for Jorge Posada.

New York acquired catcher Ivan Rodriguez from the Tigers on Wednesday for right-handed pitcher Kyle Farnsworth.

The deal was first reported by ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

"Honestly, I was shocked by this, but that's baseball," Rodriguez said. "Now, I'm just looking forward to playing for the Yankees and maybe I will play against Detroit again in the playoffs."

After New York's 13-3 rout of the Orioles on Wednesday, Yankees manager Joe Girardi expressed his satisfaction with the deal.

"He's hitting over .290 I believe and he's been hot so we're looking forward to having him," he said.

Rodriguez, who is in the final year of the contract he signed with the Tigers in 2004 that will ultimately pay him $50 million, waived his no-trade clause to join the Yankees.

"Pudge has always wanted to play in New York and Detroit felt it needed a relief pitcher, so both sides were able to get what they wanted to some degree," Rodriguez's agent Scott Boras told The Associated Press.

Rodriguez is batting .295 this season with five home runs and 32 RBIs in 82 games. In 18 seasons with the Rangers, Marlins and Tigers, he's hit .302 with 293 homers and 1,214 RBIs.

"It's going to be very exciting. They are in the race and I'm ready to do my job," Rodriguez said.

A 14-time All-Star, Rodriguez won the American League MVP award in 1999 and for years was known as the best defensive catcher in the game. He earned Gold Gloves in 13 seasons, a record for a catcher.

Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente and Rodriguez are the only three players in baseball history with at least 12 Gold Gloves and a career .300 average or better. Rodriguez has caught 2,142 games, trailing only Carlton Fisk (2,226) and Bob Boone (2,225) in terms of longevity behind the plate.

"He's been a great player for a long time and I remember the battles we had in Texas. He's been a world champion," said Girardi, who was a member of the Yankees during playoff battles with the Rangers in the '90s.

In his lone season in Florida in 2003, Rodriguez helped lead the Marlins to a World Series victory over the Yankees.

The Yankees expect Rodriguez to join the team on Thursday, when they start a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.

Rodriguez has said he wants to play next season and beyond, but for now is focusing solely on helping the Yankees catch Tampa Bay and Boston in the AL East.

"It's going to be very exciting," he said. "They are in the race and I'm ready to do my job."