The Yankees didn’t make a gargantuan splash at the trade deadline on Tuesday, only acquiring two bullpen arms to support their needs. Some will argue that it wasn’t enough, but the Bombers didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks on players with injury histories or overspend trying to secure a rental.
The Yankees were involved with the Tampa Bay Rays for Yandy Diaz and the Miami Marlins for Tanner Scott, but both teams wanted far too much in return for the Yankees to bite in the end.
Instead, they decided to commit to what they already have, hoping to hit a hot streak when the postseason rolls around. After an extra-innings victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night, the Yankees will try to sweep them on Wednesday ahead of an off day.
Let’s take a look at the trades the Yankees made and what they brought to the equation.
Grading the Yankees’ Deadline Moves
Jazz Chisholm Jr.:
When the Bombers acquired Jazz Chisholm from the Marlins, nobody knew exactly what they were getting. Of course, he brings an energy and spark that the team desperately needed, and he’s delivered over the first three games wearing the Yankees away uniforms. Over a small sample, Jazz is hitting .400/.438/1.200, mashing four homers with eight RBIs, a 12.5% strikeout rate, a 6.3% walk rate, and a 347 wRC+. Chisholm was built to be a Yankee since he loves to be in high-leverage situations and was clearly looking for an opportunity to compete on a contending team.
Chisholm has struggled with the Marlins over the past few seasons, and that is to be expected given their lack of success. Injury has derailed his momentum at times, but the Yankees are hoping they can extract the best version of Jazz.
Jazz has taken over at third base and has been stellar despite never playing an inning at the position in his career. Over 21 innings, he has a perfect percentage and has made several impressive diving grabs and a few double-plays to boot.
Grade: A-
Mark Leiter Jr.:
General manager Brian Cashman was looking for a swing-and-miss pitcher and found one in Mark Leiter Jr. The 33-year-old veteran comes over from the Chicago Cubs, where he hosted a 4.21 ERA but a 2.55 xERA. He has tremendous stuff across the board, including a 98th-percentile whiff rate and 97th-percentile strike-out rate.
Leiter uses a sinker, split-finger fastball, curveball, sweeper, and cutter. He splits his pitch usage about even between his sinker and split-finger, about 33%. The latter of the two is generating a .053 batting average and a .053 slugging rate with a 62.7% whiff rate. These pitches are extremely effective in creating swings and misses, which has given him fantastic value.
The Yankees moved two prospects in return, and they will have Leiter under contract until 2027, which is a positive, to say the least.
Grade: B+
Enyel De Los Santon:
The Yankees brought in another bullpen arm just moments before the deadline, striking a deal with the San Diego Padres for Enyel De Los Santos. He’s another high swing-and-miss arm, ranking in the 92nd percentile in whiff rate and 85th percentile in strike-out rate. His 4.46 ERA won’t turn any heads, but he’s coming off a solid season with Cleveland in 2023, hosting a 3.29 ERA. De Los Santos has the capacity to be a solid relief arm, reaching 95.6 mph on average with his fastball.
Grade: B-
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Of course, the Yankees didn’t necessarily find themselves a closer, further committing to Clay Holmes, but these two pitchers do serve a specific purpose, and Cashman managed to address it.