The New York Yankees acquired right-handed reliever Mark Leiter Jr. from the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday shortly ahead of Major League Baseball’s trade deadline.
In return, New York sent infielder Ben Cowles and right-handed reliever Jack Neely to Chicago.
The 33-year-old Leiter was in his third year with the Cubs, posting a 4.21 ERA and a 1.101 WHIP with 53 strikeouts in 36.1 innings of work (39 appearances). He has been untouchable in July, not allowing a single run in 7.2 innings pitched this month.
His swing-and-miss stuff will be a welcomed addition to a Yankees bullpen that has lacked just that this season. Leiter’s 36.7% whiff rate and 34.9% strikeout rate rank within the 98th percentile in MLB this season, per Baseball Savant.
New York already had one of the top bullpens in the majors, boasting a 3.63 ERA this season, but it has struggled as of late, making relief help imperative at the trade deadline.
