The New York Yankees are acquiring right-handed relief pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. from the Chicago Cubs in a trade, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. The return for the Cubs is infielder Ben Cowles and right-handed reliever Jack Neely.
Leiter has a 4.21 ERA this season, striking out 53 batters with 13 walks. He was one of Chicago's most frequently used relievers, appearing in 39 games before the trade. He made his MLB debut with the Philadephia Phillies in 2017. The Yankees will be the fourth team he plays for.
Cowles and Neely are minor leaguers playing in Double-A and Triple-A, respectively. Both were selected by New York in the 2021 MLB Draft and are ranked inside the franchise's top 30 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. Neely is ranked 22nd, while Cowles is 29th.
Why the Yankees made the trade
The Yankees' bullpen has been a strong suit for them for much of the season but their relievers have stumbled since the All-Star break. New York's relievers have a 5.11 ERA over the last 10 games.
Acquiring Mark Leiter Jr. won't move the needle a ton for Yankees fans, but the 33-year-old has proved to be a reliable option since becoming a full-time reliever last year.
Leiter has not allowed a run in seven games in July after giving up eight across his final four appearances in June. His strikeout numbers are impressive with 13.13 strikeouts per nine innings this season.
Interestingly, Leiter has reverse splits in 2024. The righty uses a devastating splitter to retire lefties, to which he has a 3.04 ERA compared to a 6.39 ERA against right-handed batters.
The Yankees will likely utilize him in innings where multiple lefties are due up, causing a potential chess match in crucial games. Leiter has never pitched in the MLB postseason but will probably be tasked with getting some big outs for the Yankees in October if he pitches well to close the regular season.
Why the Cubs made the trade
The Cubs did not anticipate selling reliable players at the MLB trade deadline, but shipping Leiter for two prospects having solid seasons should be seen as a win. In other years Chicago might not have been able to snatch multiple top 30 organizational prospects for a player of Leiter's caliber, but the market for pitching this year is at a premium.
Neely appears to be the prize of the package. A towering 6-foot-8 right-handed reliever, Neely has a 2.81 ERA across 41 1/3 innings this year. He's been promoted each of the last three seasons, including his highest move to Triple-A in June. The former 11th-round pick should find himself on the Cubs roster next season if he consistently gets Triple-A hitters out.
Cowles, who was placed on the injured list on July 27, is hitting .294 this year with an .848 OPS. His counting stats include 25 doubles, 51 RBIs, 52 runs and 14 stolen bases. His fielding on the left side of the infield needs work but Cowles might be best suited as a second baseman in the majors. He has not committed an error there in 10 games this season while recording 13 at shortstop and third base.
The Cubs traded a viable but expendable arm with two more years of team control but acquired a potentially better and younger reliever and a right-handed hitting infielder amid his best professional season.
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