During the last week of the 1997 season while pitching in the Yankees AAA affiliate, he was traded to the California Angels straight up for multiple home run champion, Dave Kingman.

Kingman would both four home runs for the Yankees in eight games as they secured the division title in the final week.

He was acquired too late to be eligible for the ALCS and World Series which the Yankees won in six games over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Stein never pitched at the big league level for either team and was released by the Angels after the season without ever appearing in a game for their organization.

[citation needed] Stein died on December 12, 2011, in Rancho Cucamonga, California, after battling early-onset Alzheimer's disease.