The New York Yankees made a blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres to acquire superstar outfielder Juan Soto, and catcher Kyle Higashioka was in the deal. Higashioka was in the Yankees organization for 16 years, and he posted an emotional farewell message to the team on Sunday.

“As I reflect on my 16 seasons with the Yankees organization, I have nothing but gratitude to express to the fans, my teammates, the organization, and the Steinbrenner family for the many incredible moments we have all shared during my time in pinstripes,” Kyle Higashioka's post reads.

Higashioka's post goes on to mention some of the best moments he had with the team. He debuted in 2019 with the Yankees, spent much time as the backup catcher, but also earned starting time for some stretches as well. With the Padres, Higashioka will be a backup catcher to Luis Campusano. He expressed excitement to join San Diego at the end of his message.

“Now, I am incredibly excited to start this new chapter in my career as a San Diego Padre, getting to know a new group of guys and working towards bringing a world championship to San Diego!” Higashioka's post reads.

It will be interesting to see how Higashioka fares with the Padres. It will be a big change for him to leave the organization he knew for 16 years, but if he performs to his career norms, San Diego will likely be happy with its backup catcher. He joins a team that still has plenty of star power and is capable of winning.