BREAKING: Yankees acquire another star player in deadline deal
The New York Yankees made a notable bullpen addition on Tuesday, just ahead of the MLB trade deadline. In an effort to bolster their struggling relief corps, the Yankees acquired right-handed pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. from the Chicago Cubs.
In exchange, the Yankees sent prospects Ben Cowls and Jack Neely to the Cubs. Leiter Jr., who is related to famed former big leaguer Al Leiter—himself a two-time Yankee—brings both talent and pedigree to New York.
Leiter Jr.’s ERA this season stands at 4.21, which may appear high, but his underlying metrics suggest he is performing better than that figure indicates. He has posted a career-high Swinging Strike% (16.5%) and a career-low Zone Contact% (82.5%). Notably, his zone contact percentage has decreased each year he has been in the majors, signaling consistent improvement.
Trade news: The New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs are in agreement on a trade that will send right-handed reliever Mark Leiter Jr. to the Yankees and infielder Ben Cowles and right-handed reliever Jack Neely to the Cubs, sources tell me and @kileymcd.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2024
With this acquisition, the Yankees are reinforcing their bullpen in hopes of making a strong push towards the World Series, a stage they haven’t reached in 15 years.