The Yankees made four deals prior to Tuesday’s deadline, all of which have an impact on their major league roster.
Here are the players they acquired (and got rid of), along with a grade for each move:
Jazz Chisholm, Jr.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., CF/INF, is joining the Yankees.
Yankees’ grade: A-
Chisholm Jr. has already given a spark in his first two games with the Yankees, demonstrating his power at the plate, top speed, and defensive flexibility. His defensive fit isn’t ideal if Gleyber Torres stays at second, but Chisholm Jr. deserves credit for looking seamless in his debut game at third base. He created a great first impression by being willing to try a new position in the infield.
Giving up catcher Agustín Ramírez is a blow to the farm system, but Chisholm Jr. provides an immediate replacement at second when Torres departs in free agency this winter. Jared Serna also has a high ceiling. The Yankees have a plethora of backstops in their system, and Austin Wells appears to be the real deal behind the plate at the major league level, making Ramírez increasingly expendable.
Mark Leiter, Jr.
Yankees acquire RP Mark Leiter Jr.
Cubs receive: RP. Jack Neely, INF Ben Cowles.
Yankees’ grade: A.
The Yankees’ bullpen has struggled with swing and miss all season. Aaron Boone, the Yankees manager, lacked a high-leverage arm that he could rely on to come in with the game on the line and regularly strike out batters.
Now he does. Leiter Jr. now ranks in the 98th percentile for whiff rate (36.7%) and strikeout rate (34.9%). He’s also an expert at producing poor contact (87 mph average exit velocity) that lands on the ground more than half of the time (a career-high 50.6 ground-ball rate).
Leave a Reply