The New York Yankees have been active in many different possible trades and they have reportedly struck on a deal with the Chicago Cubs. The Yankees have acquired reliever Mark Leiter Jr. in exchange for minor leaguers infielder Ben Cowles and right-hander Jack Neely. This move signals a bit of a difference for both teams so let’s take a closer look at what these players signify for their new teams for the rest of the season.
What does Mark Leiter Jr. mean for the New York Yankees?
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The New York Yankees trading for Mark Leiter Jr. signifies an impact veteran reliever joining the team. So far this season with the Chicago Cubs, Leiter Jr. has appeared in 39 games and is 2-4 with a 4.21 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in 36.1 innings. However, the bigger thing is his ability to strike people out, with 53 strikeouts already. The Bronx Bombers have been struggling to get strikeout relievers and adding the nephew of former New York Yankees pitcher Al Leiter does just that.
Leiter has a five-pitch mix and his splitter has been a dominant pitch as hitters are 3-for-57 (.053) against it with 39 strikeouts and zero extra-base hits. This really plays as he is going to strike hitters out, something that the New York Yankees’ bullpen has failed to do much of this season. He also has two more seasons of control after this, meaning they can potentially have him for 2.5 years before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Working with pitching coach Matt Blake can really help him become a nasty reliever and be a solid late-inning reliever.
What does this trade mean for the Chicago Cubs?
The Chicago Cubs getting Ben Cowles and Jack Neely, two pitchers who have yet to make their MLB debut, means this move is about bolstering their future. They already made a move offensively for third baseman Isaac Paredes so this helps them get back some prospect capital. The team gets two controllable pieces for the future, who can debut before the end of the 2025 season. This makes a lot of sense as these two teams have made deals before and this makes a lot of sense for the future of the Chicago Cubs as they look to compete in the future for the NL Central crown.
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